Barrie the beautiful

My tap root is descending into the sands of Wasaga Beach, but I'll always have a piece of my heart that belongs to Barrie, my childhood home and the site of so many awesome memories, so when neat stuff happens that is flavoured with some Barrie spice, I take notice. A few pretty neat things happened recently that prompted this little piece.

Barrie is Home to the World's Strongest Man ... again!

Michell Hooper is affectionately nick named "The Moose" and he is one seriously strong dude! If you desire a more thorough background, CLICK here for the piece I wrote when Mitch won his 1st WSM. 

That's right Barrie, the World's Strongest Man lives in little ol' Barrie!

The 2026 WSM championships (CLICK for more info) were held in April and hosted in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, USA. Mitch totalled 56 points over 10 events, narrowly beating South Africa's Rayno Nel's 52 points. As with his first title, Mitch's secret is his otherworldly consistency across a wide assortment of lifts, meaning that while the max points for winning an event are nice to achieve, placing second or third across so many events ensures a spot atop the leaderboard. The graphic at the left is a screen shot from his Wikipedia page and is head-shakingly incredible! Qualifying for the final day by carrying boulders, pulling trucks, and squatting ridiculous weights, Mitch either placed 2nd, or shared 2nd, in each of the 5 final's events to take the crown.

What seems like a eon ago, I attended Queen's University in Kingston for my undergrad degree in PHE, now commonly referred to as Kinesiology, where I befriended a friendly giant named Todd Hooper. I've shared in past pieces that although I played for the Football version of the Gaels (Golden Gaels back then), my love was, and continues to be, basketball. Todd was not just a classmate, he was an integral part of the Gaels hardcourt during our time in Kingston, and that "bridge" led to a quality friendship. 

Fast forward a bunch of years ... 40th reunion this coming fall ... and our kids are now adults. Todd's only boy was an Uber talented, multi-sport athlete named Mitchell, and following a stellar high school career at Eastview SS, he chased first a football dream, the training for which eventually caused a lane change into powerlifting, before settling on the niche sport of Strong Man. The World's Strongest Man competitions, and their related competitions like the Arnold's, the Shaw's, and Rogue's, I term as niche only because there's a finite number of humans on this planet that possess the skeleton, discipline, and desire to compete in a wide variety of mind boggling events where moving ginormous weights in any prescribed direction is the focus.

In the event that you didn't read my first piece about Mitch, the quick-to-assume of you might shrug and write off WSM competitors as big on brawn, but not so much on brain. That would be a huge mistake! Speaking solely about Mitch, he has has a degree in human kinetics from the University of Guelph and a masters in clinical exercise physiology from the University of Sydney, but his passion is his very successful kinesiology clinic in Barrie. Truth be told, he only got into Strong Man because he wanted to understand what his clients were going through.

You read that right, good looking (like his dad), Uber smart, Uber athletic, and an all around good guy, he's a chip off the ol' brick and I'm sure Todd couldn't possibly be any more proud.

Barrie Central, alive still in the hearts of some former staff
Despite the large vacant lot at the corner of Dunlop and Bradford streets, the lone hint that anything cool existed is the obelisk-like chimney, the only remaining physical proof that Barrie Central once existed. The school, however, remains on the lips and in the minds of both alumni and former staff, memories that prompt wide smiles, hilarious stories, and fond feelings of friendship. 

Case in point, a passionate group of Central graduates has organized a reunion-like Celebration of Life to honour their alma mater's closing 10 years ago this coming June. If you're reading this, and you've a connection to ol' BCC, you can find more information about the celebration HERE.

This section is not about that, as amazing as it seems, but rather a tip o' the hat to a stalwart group of former Central teachers who meet twice a month to reminisce, remember, and re-connect over a pint ... or a sort of pint since the beverage of choice these days is a non-alcoholic version of days gone by. Hey, it's still beer, just without the annoying after effects. 

I was beckoned to join the group a few years ago when I pressed the magic button in January of 2020, and since that time, I've joined my former teachers turned colleagues turned friends on a number of occasions at some of Barrie's signature establishments. McReilly's was a longtime choice, both for it's wide assortment of offerings and the nuance of the downtown vibes, but with time catching up to many of the group, a change was made to a location that offered parking close by, a choice that even the spring chickens like me appreciate. The waterfront location of PIE is the new home for the BCC Old Farts Club.

Along the wall moving left to right, you'll find yours truly, John Irving, Ed Leach, and Rick Kalte. In the seats you'll find Jay Malandrino, John Kraft, Tom Krawczyk, Bill Huddleston, and at the very back, Don Stephen. Others who have contributed to the banter would include Bruce Rumble, Don Lillow (RIP), Bob Irwin (RIP), Doug Eves, Ron Andrews, and Brian Honey. Even Brad Chestnut and Rob McClung show up every now and then to the group's great delight.

The observant of you will immediately question the infamous JayMal ... he's not retired, you might say, so why is he sitting there smiling like a Cheshire Cat? In the spirit of inclusivity, the group welcomes any and all kindred spirits who would share their BCC experiences. Besides, JayMal's the best, and he keeps the average age stats in check! HaHa! With Central being nothing more than a group of outstanding memories, any former staff member is technically retired from there, and our group would welcome all with a warm hug and a big smile!

If you fit that bill, feel free to reach out to me or any of the group to inquire when the next meeting will take place. Even though I don't make every meeting, considering that I now live in Wasaga Beach, I treasure every one I do attend because these guys brighten my day each and every time!

Keep doing what you're doing Barrie!