Members of the Sir Robert Barrie Project have done yeoman's work highlighting the city's namesake and bringing his accomplishments to a wider audience.
Now they're hoping Barrie's new south-end high school can be named for the British Royal Navy officer as a tribute to what he did for Canada.
"He certainly was a hero of the War of 1812 and he was instrumental in protecting Ontario as a result of his flotilla having either sank or captured 85 American ships during that war," Sir Robert Barrie Project committee member Rob Warman said during a phone interview with BarrieToday.
An officer in the British Royal Navy, Sir Robert Barrie, who was born in Florida, lived from 1774 until 1841. Barrie's early military service took him to the Pacific Coast for the Vancouver Expedition (a handful of locations in British Columbia still bear his name). He also fought during the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic wars.
Barrie is noted for his service during the War of 1812, including the blockade of Chesapeake Bay in Maryland and Virginia.
"One the reasons that we decided to do this was that we found that very few people knew that the city was named after Sir Robert Barrie and who he was," said Warman, who served on Barrie city council from 1980 until 2003. "I think this would help in making his name more prevalent."
For the time being and for related school board matters, the school, which is under construction at Mapleview Drive East and Prince William Way, is simply referred to as South Barrie Secondary School.
And if the folks with the Sir Robert Barrie Project had their way with the school name, they are intent on keeping it simple. Something along the lines of Sir Robert Barrie Secondary School suits them just fine.
The local group has even gone so far as to suggest a name for the new school's sports team: the Dragons, which is a nod to the famous ship Sir Robert Barrie commanded.
Warman hopes it's an idea the community can get behind.
"We're hearing good feedback," Warman said of the school naming idea. "We've put it out to all of the associations that we belong to and they are telling us they are submitting the submission in hopes that it would come to fruition.
"We would encourage as many citizens as possible to support us," he added.
The Simcoe County District School Board is involving the community in the naming of the new school.
"A school’s identity is important," the board said in a news release issued last week. "It is a source of pride for the community and contributes to a positive and inspirational climate and school culture. This is something that can be felt when you walk into the school every day. The identity also influences the school’s image, including its branding, logo and mascot."
There are very few public schools in Barrie named for people, including Andrew Hunter (historian), Emma King (teacher), Terry Fox (cancer research advocate), and W.C. Little (physician).
The board suggests that possible names reflect its environmental setting, the community’s geographic history, and the diversity of the school community.
The submission deadline is Friday, Feb. 28, after which time a committee will sift through the names before making a final decision.
Submission forms are available at the reception desks of Hewitt’s Creek Public School on Sandringham Drive, Hyde Park Public School on The Queensway, and Algonquin Ridge Elementary School on Golden Meadow Road. Forms can also be accessed and submitted online here.
Sir Robert Barrie Project committee members include former mayor Janice Laking and Warman, both of whom are honorary colonel emeritus at Canadian Forces Base Borden, as well as Maj. (ret.) Jean Maurice Pigeon, and Royal Canadian Air Force Lt. Col. (ret.) Bill Sergeant.
The Sir Robert Barrie Project, which was formed a few years ago, has been behind several endeavours in the city that bears his name. The group's projects are funded through community fundraising and at no expense to taxpayers.
Most recently, its members delivered a painting to city council of the HMCS Barrie, whose crew served with distinction during the Second World War.
The painting, completed by Canadian marine artist Peter Rindlisbacher, shows HMCS Barrie leaning heavily in churning waters, backdropped by a dark, ominous sky. The Royal Canadian Navy Flower-class corvette, officially named His Majesty's Canadian Ship Barrie, served primarily as a convoy escort during the Battle of the Atlantic in the Second World War. HMCS Barrie was involved in two rescues during the war.
Other gifts presented to the city by the Sir Robert Barrie Project have included a model of HMCS Barrie on display in the Barrie City Hall Rotunda.
Another painting, which is on display in the vestibule outside the mayor's office, was commissioned depicting a scene from the War of 1812 with Sir Robert Barrie's ship, HMCS Dragon.
There's also a display case with his uniform, sword and some other artifacts from Barrie's day.
