Barrie Construction News staff writer
Barrie ranked second among Canadian growth cities in 2025, according to new migration data released by U-Haul, with the company citing new housing developments as a key factor driving population inflows.
U-Haul’s Growth Index, which analyzes one-way customer transactions over the past calendar year, found that 53.4 per cent of all one-way U-Haul traffic in and out of Barrie involved customers arriving in the city, compared with 46.6 per cent departing.
Compared with 2024, arrivals to Barrie increased by 19 per cent year over year, while departures rose by 11 per cent.
The rankings are based on the net gain or loss of U-Haul customers who rented a truck, trailer or U-Box portable moving container in one city and returned it in another. The index draws on more than 2.5 million one-way U-Haul transactions conducted annually across Canada and the United States.
Wayne Curtis, president of U-Haul Company of Central Ontario, said the city’s strong showing reflects the completion of housing projects delayed during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“A lot of housing and apartment developments were delayed by COVID, and the construction has finally finished, and people have started to move into these developments,” Curtis said in a statement. He added that new residents include a mix of younger couples, families and other demographics.
Calgary ranked first on the list for the third consecutive year. Montreal, Victoria and Edmonton rounded out the top five.
Other major cities appearing in the top 10 included Vancouver, Winnipeg and Toronto. Ontario recorded nine cities among the top 25 growth markets, followed by British Columbia with seven and Alberta with four.