This ongoing series from Barrie Historical Archive curator Deb Exel shows old photos from the collection and one from the present day, as well as the story behind them.
Carnoevar – 5 Wellington St.
Not far from busy Bayfield Street sits one of the few remaining Wellington Street ridge mansions: Carnoevar.
This beautiful estate overlooking the bay was built in the early 1860s for D’Alton McCarthy Jr. McCarthy, a lawyer who made and lost fortunes in the lumber trade and was first elected to Parliament in 1876 for South Simcoe, then North Simcoe in 1878.
His first wife, Emma, was the daughter of Edmund Lally, the founder of Tollendal. McCarthy was later connected to Canada’s first prime minister, John A. Macdonald, when he married his late wife’s sister Agnes. Carnoevar was the summer residence of the McCarthys.
William Alves ‘Pro’ Boys, a future mayor of Barrie, was living in Carnoevar by 1889. ‘Pro’ Boys was the son of William F.A. Boys, a judge who was also a one-time mayor of Barrie. Judge Boys lived in the still impressive home located at 80 Toronto St., in the historic Queen’s Park neighbourhood.
W.A. Boys married Sophie Reiner in 1895. Sophie had been born in London, England to Canon William Reiner and Sophie Garland. When Sophie was a little girl, her father was appointed master at Hellmuth College in London, Ont., and the family came to Canada.
The Reiners were soon on the move again, as holy orders sent them to Lyon, France, where Mr. Reiner was appointed chaplain of the Church of England. They remained in France for a short time before moving to Amsterdam, Holland for a few more years until Mr. Reiner was appointed curate of Trinity Anglican Church in Barrie. Only father and daughter arrived in December 1885, as Mrs. Reiner had passed away.
Even more than 120 years ago, hockey was a popular sport and form of entertainment in the community. In 1900, there was much discussion over whether Barrie should field a team in the Ontario Hockey Association, or join with Orillia, Collingwood, Alliston, Midland and Newmarket to form a Northern Hockey Association.
The new amateur league was organized in 1900 and W.A. Boys was president. Interest in hockey games exploded with the formation of this new league and by 1903, it was not unusual to have 1,000 to 1,500 spectators attend big games at the rink in the Agricultural Park. This would be an enormous crowd for a town of 6,000-plus residents, with perhaps 100 to 200 out-of-town fans factoring into the headcount.
Boys was active in summer sports as well. When the Barrie Boating Club was formed in May 1901, ‘Pro’ was elected commodore. The club used Levi Carley’s wharf and boathouse that first season.
W.A. 'Pro' Boys was mayor of Barrie from 1902 until 1904. In December 1904, reflecting on the town’s growth and success during his three terms, Boys counted employment expansion at the tannery, foundry and Barrie Carriage Company, improvements in Allandale, in particular the locating of the Grand Trunk Railway headquarters at the station, and “the best and cheapest cement walks in Ontario” as a few of his accomplishments.
Mrs. Boys, besides running their household and raising their son John, was busy at Trinity Anglican Church as a Sunday school teacher an member of the Chancel Guild.
Later, in 1913, when he was a Conservative Member of Parliament, Boys announced that the government would pay for the construction of a new armoury if the town of Barrie would provide the site. The result is the impressive Federal Heritage Building which now stands in Queen’s Park.
Carnoevar’s large property was sold off into lots long ago and the neighbourhood has since grown up around the distinguished old mansion, which is now elegant apartments.
