Honouring Resilience with a Monumental Addition

One year ago, the Rotary Club of Barrie partnered with Canada Healthy Community Initiatives and the City of Barrie to create the COVID Heroes and Memorial Garden. This beautiful space was designed to honour the bravery, resilience, and compassion of our community during the pandemic.

Recently, the garden received an exciting new feature—a 47,000 lb boulder that now serves as a stunning backdrop for visitors to enjoy. This addition further enhances the garden’s serene and reflective atmosphere, reminding us all of the strength we showed in the face of adversity.

A Symbol of Community Strength

The boulder, a lasting tribute to the challenges we overcame together, is perfect for photos and offers visitors a new way to engage with the memorial. Don’t forget to snap a picture and tag our Instagram account when you visit!

We’d like to extend a special thanks to Infrastructure Canada, Community Foundations of Canada, Canadian Urban Institute, and the City of Barrie for their continued support in making this project possible.

Watch the Boulder Installation

Click here to see a behind-the-scenes look at the boulder’s installation, and check out the incredible drone footage captured by our fellow Rotarian, Darren Robinson. His video offers a unique perspective on this significant addition to the garden.

We are proud to see the COVID Heroes Garden continue to grow and serve as a place of reflection and remembrance for our community.