Did you see this wild lineup down by the waterfront?
Good morning from the gateway — Lake Simcoe's awake, the 400 is already packed, and Barrie's got growing pains. Let's talk about it.
So, you know how everyone always talks about the Spirit Catcher down by Kempenfelt Bay? It's our most photographed landmark, right there at Heritage Park, welcoming everyone. Well, this weekend, people were lined up not for a summer concert at the amphitheatre, not for the farmers' market at City Hall, but for... a FanDuel Casino truck? I saw it pop up on r/Barrie, and my first thought was, "Seriously, is this what we're doing now?"
### What's Happening by the Bay?
Okay, so here's what's actually happening: there was a mobile activation from FanDuel Casino, set up right next to the Spirit Catcher parking. It was a big truck, lights, people, all the promotional bells and whistles. And folks were lining up. The question on Reddit, "Anyone knows why there's a lineup for Fanduel Casino truck next to the Spirit Catcher?" pretty much sums up the collective head-scratching. It seems like it was a promotional event, probably signing people up for their online platform, maybe giving out some swag. It's not a physical casino, obviously, but still.
* A FanDuel Casino truck set up shop right by the Spirit Catcher on the waterfront. * People were apparently lining up for this promotional event. * It caused a bit of a stir and some confusion among locals.
My hot take: Barrie is the most important city in Ontario that nobody takes seriously, because every problem Ontario is going to have in twenty years — sprawl, traffic, housing, infrastructure — Barrie is having right now. And maybe part of that is figuring out what we actually *are* as a city. Are we a quiet lakeside community? A commuter hub? Or are we becoming a place where a casino truck is a main attraction on our iconic waterfront? I think it just shows how much Barrie is changing, and fast. Another 3,000 units approved on the south end, and now we've got casino trucks downtown. What's next?
Tara Fenn-Orillia, MiTL Sports Desk, Barrie.
If you wanna know what I really think about this, the crew on the Morning Wire are talking about it right now. Catch them live at mornings.live.