(Barrie, ON) – In honour of Canadian Forces Base (CFB) Borden’s 110th Anniversary, the City of Barrie invites residents and visitors to witness a historic tradition on Saturday, May 9, 2026, at 2 p.m. outside Barrie City Hall as CFB Borden is granted the “Freedom of the City”.
Freedom of the City is one of the oldest civic traditions, inviting a military organization to march through the city with “drums beating, colours flying” as a symbol of the community’s trust, respect, and appreciation. The 2026 ceremony will reaffirm the shared history, values, and enduring partnership between the City of Barrie and CFB Borden.
“This symbolic gesture celebrates the trust, gratitude and friendship between the community of Barrie and the members of the Canadian Armed Forces serving at CFB Borden,” said Mayor Alex Nuttall. “We are honoured to host this event and pay tribute to our valued neighbours and community partners. I encourage everyone to join us for this rare and meaningful event.”
“It is a profound honour to share a strong bond of trust with the City of Barrie,” said Colonel Melissa Ramessar, Base Commander, Canadian Forces Base Borden and Military Personnel Generation Training Group. “The Canadian Forces Base Borden team looks forward to exercising the storied military tradition of Freedom of the City, celebrating our long-standing and mutually supportive relationship with the people of Barrie that has lasted for 110 years.”
In order to safely facilitate the event, the following closures will be in place around Barrie City Hall on May 9:
- Full closure of Collier Street from Owen Street to Mulcaster Street from 5 a.m. to 4 p.m.
- Full closure of H-Block parking lot from 5 a.m. to 4 p.m.
- Intermittent temporary closure along the parade route between 2 to 2:30 p.m. including Worsley Street (Owen St to Clapperton St), Clapperton St (Worsley St to Collier St), Collier Street (Clapperton St to Owen St).
- Intermittent temporary closure along the parade route between 3 to 3:30 p.m. including Mulcaster Street (Collier St to Worsley St), Worsley St (Mulcaster St to Clapperton St).
CFB Borden was last granted Freedom of the City by Barrie in 2016 in celebration of its 100th anniversary. CFB Borden, founded in 1916 and recognized as the birthplace of the Royal Canadian Air Force, is central to Canada’s military heritage. Borden has trained soldiers and aviators for over a century, many of them at the Canadian Forces School of Aerospace Technology and Engineering at 16 Wing.
For more information on Freedom of the City visit barrie.ca/HonouringMilitary.