Barrie Ward 10 Community News and Updates

Barrie Ward 10 Newsletter: Week of January 20, 2025

I hope the New Year is off to a fantastic start for you! As City Council dives back into action, I have a few important updates to share:

Partner Budgets: What to Know

The 2025 budget includes funding requests from our service partners, which account for 33% of your property tax bill. Here’s a quick overview of the key increases based on the presentations they delivered to us last week:

  • Barrie Police Service: A 6.99% increase in their budget to $72.2M, driven by staffing needs, mental health support, and technology upgrades.
  • Simcoe County: Various services, including long-term care and social housing, see a 2.9% increase for Barrie, with notable investments in affordable housing and paramedic services.
  • Barrie Public Library: A 3.7% increase to $10.8M, supporting growing membership, expanded programming, and rising operational costs. (note: they are not requesting any additional funding from the City. They have managed this increase by drawing from reserves)

These budgets, along with requests for increased funding, will be reviewed by Council with final decisions made by January 29. For more details or to share your thoughts, feel free to reach out!

Waste Cart Rollout: What You Need to Know

The City of Barrie is transitioning to automated cart collection for organics and garbage, starting September 8, 2025. Here are key updates to help you prepare:

  • Waste Calendars: The 2025 Waste Calendar, featuring cart delivery dates, size options, and instructions for use, is now available at City Hall (Service Barrie), community centres, the landfill, and the Downtown Barrie Public Library. It will also be mailed to households soon and can be accessed online at barrie.ca/calendar.
  • Cart Displays: Organics and garbage carts are on display at the following locations until March 31, 2025, to help you choose the best size for your needs:
    • Service Barrie (City Hall, 70 Collier St)
    • East Bayfield Community Centre (80 Livingstone St E)
    • Allandale Recreation Centre (190 Bayview Dr)
    • Peggy Hill Team Community Centre (171 Mapleton Ave)
    • Parkview Centre (189 Blake St)
    • Barrie Public Library (Downtown Branch and Painswick Branch)
  • Key Dates:
    • January 6–March 31, 2025: Downtown BIA registration for waste collection services.
    • February 3–March 31, 2025: Residential property owners can request a smaller (120L) garbage cart and/or additional carts for multi-unit properties (up to 5 units).
    • February 3–March 31, 2025: Business and institutional properties must register for the new waste collection program.

A robust marketing campaign, including a Council Guide and social media toolkit, is coming in January to help communicate these changes. Comprehensive FAQs and details are available at barrie.ca/CurbsideCollectionChanges.

If you have questions, feel free to reach out—we’re here to support you as we prepare for this significant change!

2025 Seasonal Traffic Calming Program

The City’s 2025 traffic calming measures for Ward 10 are set to be rolled out this spring. Planned installations include temporary speed cushions on Golden Meadow Road, Sun King Crescent, Coronation Parkway, Soverigns Gate, and Proclamation Drive, as well as flexible bollards on Birkhall Place and Majesty Boulevard.

In addition, and based on resident input, I have requested the installation of two flexible bollard locations on each of the following streets: Empire Drive, Prince of Wales Drive, Taylor Drive, and Dock Road. These measures aim to enhance safety for all road users and promote safer travel within our community.

Let me know if you have any questions or suggestions for other priority areas!

Future Growth and Industrial Opportunities

As Barrie continues to grow, discussions have begun about the potential to adjust our city’s boundaries to better meet long-term needs. One area of focus is ensuring that Barrie has adequate industrial land to attract businesses, create jobs, and support economic development for our community. These conversations with our neighboring municipalities, including Oro-Medonte and Springwater, are in the early stages and are centered on finding collaborative solutions that benefit the entire region. While we understand the concerns of our neighbors, our goal is to explore ways to accommodate growth in a sustainable and balanced manner, ensuring we remain a strong economic hub.

I will continue to keep you updated as these discussions evolve, and I am committed to advocating for thoughtful solutions that respect our neighboring municipalities while addressing Barrie’s future needs.

As always, your input is invaluable in shaping our community. If you have any questions about these updates or suggestions for future priorities, please don’t hesitate to reach out. Let’s work together to make 2025 a fantastic year for Ward 10 and the entire City of Barrie!

Wishing you a great start to the year, and I look forward to keeping you informed and connected throughout the months ahead.