Barrhaven Then & Now: Help Us Tell Our Story
Barrhaven has a story to tell, and we need your help to tell it!
This October, we’re taking a look back at Barrhaven through the years, sharing stories, photos, and memories that show just how much our community has grown and changed. But there’s a problem: finding photos of Barrhaven’s early days isn’t easy!
We know there are families across the community who remember a very different Barrhaven. Maybe you remember when familiar roads looked completely different, when today’s busy commercial areas were still fields, or when some of Barrhaven’s earliest neighbourhoods were just beginning to take shape.
Those are the memories we want to see and share!
We’re asking residents, longtime community members, local businesses, and anyone with a connection to Barrhaven to dig through those old photo albums, boxes, scrapbooks, and newspaper clippings.
If you have old photos, newspaper clippings, or memories of Barrhaven, please send them to marketing@barrhavenbia.ca.
While the Barrhaven BIA is a business organization and we are especially excited to see photos that capture Barrhaven’s commercial growth, this story is much bigger than business. Community landmarks, neighbourhoods, events, schools, streetscapes, construction, farms, familiar faces, and everyday life can all help paint a picture of the Barrhaven that came before the community we know today.
What should you include?
When submitting a photo, please tell us as much as you can about it, including:
- When the photo was taken. An approximate year or decade is perfectly fine!
- Where the photo was taken.
- What or who the photo shows.
- Any story or memory that goes along with it.
We will credit residents for the photos they provide, and we thank everyone in advance for helping us build this collection.
There isn’t a large archive of historic Barrhaven photos readily available online, and we think that needs to change. By bringing these images and memories together, we can help preserve pieces of Barrhaven’s history and share them with the community for years to come.
Sneak Peek: Where Did the Name “Barrhaven” Come From?
Here’s a little taste of what’s coming in October!
In 1959, Mel Barr purchased a 200-acre farm with plans to build a horse racing track. But when the Rideau Carleton Raceway opened, those plans changed. Instead, Barr turned his attention to developing the land for housing.
The new community took his name, and Barrhaven was born.
Development of the early community began in the 1960s around what is now the Larkin Drive area, with Barrhaven Public School opening in 1968.
And that was only the beginning.
From a small suburban development surrounded by farmland to the thriving community and commercial destination we know today, Barrhaven has undergone an incredible transformation.
This October, we can’t wait to tell more of that story. And with your help, we’ll have the pictures to bring it to life.
So, Barrhaven: what do you have hiding in those old photo albums?
