From the 1830s to the 1920s, steamboats played a significant role in developing the region around Lake Simcoe. They carried passengers, freight and mail to ports around the lake and hauled lumber to mills. As railways came to dominate regional transportation, steamboats catered increasingly to tourists and excursionists. The growing popularity of private motorboats contributed to their final decline in the 1920s.

Location

Near the breakwater in Heritage Park on the Barrie waterfront, south of Lakeshore Drive between Bayfield Street and Mulcaster Street, Barrie

Themes

• Industry and trade
• Transportation systems and communications