The Methodist congregation at Barrie was first established in April 1836. Growth was such that by 1864, the congregation erected its third building, the present gothic church building on Collier Street, which had seating for 600. In 1907, another large building project was undertaken: the sanctuary was widened with the addition of a transept, and a Sunday school wing with office space and a church parlour were completed to the rear of the building.
In 1925, the congregation, along with the rest of Canada’s Methodists, the Congregational Union and most of the Presbyterian Church in Canada entered a merger known as Church Union. Since then, the congregation has been known as Collier Street United Church.
After a period of rapid growth in the 1970s and early 1980s, another massive building project and renovation was undertaken. The old Sunday school wing was demolished and the current office, classroom and meeting spaces that sit between the 1864 sanctuary and the Church Hall/gymnasium were completed in 1986. Connected to the church building at the rear was Collier Place, an apartment tower that continues to provide quality geared-to-income housing for seniors and adults with disabilities.