History of David Barr (Founder)

A young man by the name of David Barr, was born and raised in the Leaside suburbs of Toronto. David, a son by his father whose profession was a chartered accountant, and his mother whose profession was a secretary to a vice president in the auto industry. David finished high school at Northern High School and pursued the avenue of the construction industry.

At the age of 17, David was not entirely certain of what part of the construction industry he wanted to pursue, so he tried his hand in architecture. David soon realized the required mathematics, which had been a weak point for him in high school, would ultimately change his mind regarding a career in architecture.

At the age of 18, David went to the Roofers & Sheet Metal Workers Union Local #30, to investigate the avenue of pursuing a Sheet Metal Worker Apprenticeship at a roofing and sheet metal firm. In an effort to start him off in the right direction, the union hall gave him a list of names to venture out and apply for a job. The following day, David donned his best suit and tie and canvassed the roofing and sheet metal shops. He was immediately accepted for an apprenticeship with the firm BA Barker Roofing & Sheet Metal.

David began working at Barker's, however, due to shortage of work, combined with harsh winter weather, his stay with them only lasted a short time. David knew he could not afford to simply sit at home, so he went out and looked for work, again.

David applied for work at a large roofing and sheet metal shop, Semple and Gooder Roofing & Sheet Metal Ltd., a well-respected business within the Toronto area. There, David worked for a few years as a sheet metal apprentice and had his feet planted firmly in the sheet metal and roofing industry.

By the time 1969 came around, David was married and had the twinkle in his eye to start a family. But, alas, due to another shortage of work, David was back to pounding the pavement looking for for employment elsewhere. He applied to, and was accepted at, Dean Chandler Roofing & Sheet Metal Ltd., a medium size business in those days. David went on to complete his apprenticeship, and continued to work for Dean Chandler Roofing for almost 20 years.

During those two decades, David had worked on everything for Deans, from the small flashing repairs, to large new and retrofit jobsites, to the larger projects of Pickering & Darlington Hydro, to the mines of Timmins, right on up to the airport in Barbados. Wherever the work was, whenever the work was, David went, and never looked back.

The Beginning of Barr's

Fast forward to 1987, and David was still working at Dean Chandler where he was very happy with the firm as a whole. In the spring of that year, word was out that Dean Chandler was being awarded their largest roofing and sheet metal project ever encountered by the firm; the new Skydome in Toronto. Plans were underway at Dean’s, deciding who and what would be going there for manpower, as the project was expected to last for a lengthy duration.

David, although excited at the prospect of working on the Skydome, for the first time ever since working with Deans, he was not looking forward to the commute to the project. In those days, it was quite a hike from Blackstock to downtown Toronto.

In addition to his traveling back and forth, David has his son, Corey, to consider. Corey was planning on following in his father's footsteps, and was to be starting at Deans when he finished high school in the spring of 1987.

David and his wife, Nancy, began discussing the idea of starting their own roofing and sheet metal business in the residential and commercial sectors. David and Nancy further discussed the idea with Corey and long time friend of the family, Greg Stapleton.  Corey and Greg and had both gained construction experience with other firms during the summer months for a number of years, and would be a valuable asset to the new company.

So, after careful consideration, David made the heartfelt decision to resign from Dean Chandler and in that same April of 1987, BARR’s was born.

In June of 1987, Corey graduated from high school and began working for the company, followed quickly by Greg Stapleton.

With David estimating and installing, Nancy taking care of the day to day office responsibilities, and Corey and Greg installing on the jobsites, BARR’s quickly became a well-known business in the Durham Region and Scugog area.

About Corey Barr - Vice President / Senior Estimator & Project Manager

Corey is the eldest son of David and Nancy and started with the firm early in 1987, following his graduation from high school in Port Perry, Ontario.

From the days of high school where Corey excelled with 4 years of drafting, combined with his “hands-on” construction experience, Corey successfully fulfilled the criteria for his Certificate of Qualification as Roofer. He then advanced to the position of Foreman as the business steadily grew. Corey, with his easy-going nature, and comfortable personality, is a natural in public relations and is deeply involved in the core business operations. His relationships with both residential and commercial clients and friends alike proved him to be a valuable asset when it comes to managing BARR’s day-to-day operations, including estimating and project management.

In the mid-90’s, Corey began to take on project estimating, including residential and commercial applications, as well as historical restoration applications. His time working with the tools of the trade on-site came to a positive conclusion in the late 90’s. His role with Barr's shifted to the office and on the road, where you will often see Corey visiting sites and generally dealing with the challenges of every day priorities.

Corey is now responsible for estimating residential and commercial projects, and is the senior project manager for all scopes of related work. Corey has quoted and successfully been awarded jobs of a wide array of contract amounts, from the smallest of repairs to the largest of commercial projects ranging up to $750,000.

Over the years, Corey has developed a mature professional relationship with architects, homeowners, clients and potential clients. He is dedicated to working closely with each person, understanding exactly what the architects' and clients' thoughts and designs are. Corey's main focus is ensuring that each customer receives the best quality of product and workmanship and that their experience with Barr’s Roofing is nothing short of excellent. 

About Scott Barr - Shop & Site Foreman

Scott, the youngest of the sons of David & Nancy Barr (and younger brother to Corey) started with the firm on a part-time basis in his teenage years. As Scott matured, he decided to proceed towards his Sheet Metal Worker apprenticeship, following in the footsteps of his father, David. During his younger years of his apprenticeship, Scott gained experience with much larger respectable roofing and sheet metal firms in Toronto. As time went on, he re-joined Barr’s full time in 1994-1995.

Upon his return to full-time commitment with Barr's, Scott brought with him extensive knowledge and experience to the business. His diversified background afforded Barr's the opportunity to capitalize on Scott's wisdom, and has allowed the business to expand into projects that incorporate several different applications.

In 1997, Scott completed and received his Certificate of Qualification of Sheet Metal Worker. Not only is he licensed in Ontario, Scott is qualified inter-provincially ; a rare and honoured accomplishment in his trade.

Scott is a very “hands-on” individual. When it comes to the tools of the trade and mechanics to the construction of our work, combined with industry knowledge and experience and his background in auto mechanics, Scott is a well-rounded asset to the business. In fact, Scott also takes on the task of maintaining our automotive fleet.

As a site foreman, combined by shop foreman, Scott is truly a master of the tools of the trade.

About Greg Stapleton - Site Foreman

Greg, a life-long friend to the Barr family, started with the firm in the early months of 1987, following his graduation from high school in Port Perry.

Greg excelled in his 4 years of drafting at high school, which when combined with his automotive and machine training, alongside his “hands-on” construction experience, quickly made him a well-valued asset to the Barr's team. Greg fulfilled the criteria for his Certificate of Qualification as Roofer, and quickly advanced to the position of Foreman at Barr's.

Greg has developed, and continues to nurture, professional  and loyal relationships with  construction site supervisors, homeowners, clients and potential clients. Over the years, Greg has continually contributed to the success of the business, and is not only a welcomed addition to the growing team, but is part of the Barr family.

About Herman Campbell - Estimator / Supervisor

Herman has been a life-long friend to David and Nancy Barr and joined the team at Barr’s in June 2008.

Herman has successfully worked in all facets of the roofing industry for over 40 years. He started as a “hands-on” worker in the late 60’s, eventually advancing to Foreman, and then progressing to Roofing Supervisor at the firm of Dean Chandler Roofing & Sheet Metal in Toronto. This respected firm was also where David Barr once worked in the early years of his career.

Herman made the decision to retire from the fast paced city environment of the big roofing company in May 2008. Soon thereafter, his ideas of retirement changed, and Herman contacted Barr's seeking a semi-retired/part time position. His offer was that he would and would do "everything and anything" when required.

Today, Herman is an Estimator / Supervisor for Barr’s, primarily in the residential sector. He brings a vast and valuable knowledge to the business, and his positive attitude along with his perfected estimating skills are a respected asset to Barr’s.

About Krista Barr - Office Administrator

Krista is the Office Administrator at BARR's.  She is not only Corey's wife, but the secretary to Corey, David and Herman as well.  In essence, Krista runs the office.  Krista is that great friendly voice that everyone hears when calling to leave a message for an estimate, or speaking live with her for an estimate request. Krista coordinates the estimate from who does the estimating to ensuring the estimate is performed to the customers' satisfaction.

Krista administers the day-to-day office requirements including advertising, bookkeeping, accounts payable receivable, website administration, and just about anything else that is needed to run a smooth operation. Krista brings with her of 20+ years of experience in working with the public in customer service and business administration