It was 26 years ago Tuesday, that Barrie was hit with a killer tornado that claimed 8 lives injured 150 other people
and caused millions of dollars in property damage.
Environment Canada Senior Criminologist David Phillips remembers that fateful day very well and says the Barrie Tornado was one of 9 twisters that touched down across Southern Ontario from Alma to Arthur, Grand Valley to Holland Marsh and Barrie.
He says back then people were rather surprised by this twister, but today the Barrie and Orillia areas are in what he calls Ontario’s Tornado Alley which stretches from Windsor, north east through south west Ontario to Simcoe County.
Phillips says last years Midland Tornado shows just how this region now has become an area where severe weather could and can spawn a twister.
He says although the devastation and loss of life in Barrie was a tragic event, he says some remarkable stories emerged in the aftermath of the Barrie Twister.
Phillips says a horse, stabled at the then Barrie Raceway was actually picked up by the tornado carried a distance and then gently dropped back to the ground on a road with no injuries.
He says that horse was nick named twister resister and actually won a few races at the rebuild Barrie Raceway.
