Barrie police have charged a 15-year-old girl with assault and are looking for a second youth after a 16-year-old girl was hurt in a fight near the city’s waterfront on Friday, July 31, 2026.
The assault happened around 10 p.m. near Lakeshore Drive and Victoria Street during the opening night of Kempenfest, the annual waterfront festival that draws over 100,000 people.
Investigators say the victim was treated at a local hospital for non-life-threatening injuries and released. According to the victim’s mother, the fight broke out after someone threw a glass jar, spilling into the street at the Lakeshore and Victoria intersection.
The Barrie Police Service says the charged teen has been released on an undertaking and will appear in court at a later date. Police are now encouraging a second youth believed to be involved to contact them directly.
The fight was captured on video and shared widely on social media. Police say bystanders recorded the violence and cheered instead of calling for help, a response Barrie Police Staff Sgt. Geertsma called “extremely disturbing.”
Investigators are asking anyone with video footage or additional information to come forward. No identities are being released, as those involved are protected under the Youth Criminal Justice Act.
