December is here! With that a friendly reminder that from December 1 through to March 31, on-street parking is not permitted on City streets from 12:01 to 7 a.m., and 3 to 6 a.m. within the Downtown Business Improvement Area. For any questions related to road or sidewalk plowing, remember to visit: Winter Road & Sidewalk Maintenance | City of Barrie. You can also check the Plow Tracker for real-time updates on cleared sidewalks and roads to ensure safe travel throughout the winter season.
Follow Up Message
Thanks to all the residents that attended the zoning bylaw public consultation in November. Staff heard the concerns related to permitting 4 storey buildings throughout low density neighbourhoods. This feedback will be taken into account, and the next iteration of the zoning bylaw will be presented to Council in the New Year. I will continue to be your voice on this and will keep you updated once the next version is available.
The Secret is Out: A University Campus is Coming to Town!
This past week the city announced that Lakehead University would open a science, technology, engineering and math hub within Barrie. When classes begin in September 2026, the satellite campus will allow people in Barrie to study engineering, mechatronics and computer science at the undergraduate and graduate levels. The university campus, being built on the site of the transit terminal at 24 Maple Ave, will bring significant economic — as well as social and cultural — benefits. Barrie also received a $1-million provincial cheque to help with the housing needs created by university students. A great news story that the city has been waiting over a decade to achieve!
City Council’s ‘Two-Year Progress’ Report
Below I will highlight a number of accomplishments we’ve achieved as a council over the past two years, as well as plans for the next two years:
Freeze Taxes / Increase Affordability
- Maintained a 0% increase in the City’s Operating Budget.
- Added an additional free transit day for seniors.
- ·S&P Global revised City’s outlook to positive and affirmed its AA+ credit rating.
- Cancelled proposed Stormwater Climate Action Fund, saving residents from a 4% tax increase.
- Reinstated weekend hours at recreation centres in summer.
Roads / Infrastructure
- Increased budget by 2% for road maintenance and infrastructure improvements through Infrastructure Investment Fund (IIF).
- Broke ground on Barrie Allandale Transit Terminal.
- Completed Bryne Drive South extension on budget, ahead of schedule.
- Construction started of New Fire Station 6.
- Creation of a citizen run on-street parking task force coming in 2025.
Jobs
- Working with neighbouring municipalities to create regional economic development plans.
- Increased speed of employment project approvals by hiring additional City planners.
- A number of approved projects that will bring jobs such as TONLU (80 Big Bay Point Rd.), Aerarium Group (311 King St.) on King St., Tiber Properties (90 Mapleview Dr. W.), Canplas (expansions at 500 Veterans Dr. & 31 Patterson Rd.).
- 2,992 new jobs between 2022 and 2024 (OMAFRA Lightcast 2024.3 Dataset).
Housing
- 2,497 housing units started between January 1, 2023 and October 31, 2024.
- Barrie ranked first in the GTA Municipal Benchmarking Study due to its quick approval time for development applications, wealth of planning features and relatively low municipal fees.
- Received $32 million from provincial and federal governments for housing.
- Adopted the Housing Community Improvement Plan (CIP).
- Made three City-owned properties surplus to increase developable land for housing supply.
- Provided a $3 million interest-free loan commitment for the purpose of construction financing to Redwood Park Communities Inc., for a supportive housing project at 151/153 Lillian Crescent.
- Invested $1.65 million over 2 years for warming/cooling centers, enhanced community meal programs, and family re-unification services.
Safety
- Implemented traffic calming measures on residential streets.
- Addressing safety concerns in City parks and public spaces by calling on the province and County of Simcoe to clear out encampments near playgrounds.
- Additional Officers on patrol through approval of Police Budget–including dedicated officers downtown.
- Reduced speeding in school zones as a result of Automated Speed Enforcement (ASE).
- Prioritized safety in parks by initiating cleanup projects.
- New raised intersection approved on Madelaine Ave./Country Lane.
- Re-invested revenue from ASE program to fund additional traffic calming in school and community safety zones.
Recreation
- City and School Board agreement to use recreation facilities to serve the community after school hours.
- Increased Recreation Centre Hours of Operation to enhance service levels.
- Approved Waterfront Master Plan.
- Parks Strategic Plan review is currently underway.
- New 21,000-square-foot inclusive playground opened at Painswick Park.
- Greg Pierzchala Park revitalization and new fitness circuit.
- Military Heritage Park enhancements including the installation of the RCAF floral and roundel.
- Implemented an Ecological offsetting policy.
- Approved the planting of 1,000 new trees on our waterfront.
- Passive park approved east of General John Hayter Southshore Centre.
- Sea Cadets relocation creating enhanced youth programming.
Enforced Bylaw for Absentee Landlords
- Four additional officers were hired over 2021-2022 and together with a change in staff shifts to address concerns more effectively in 2023. This resulted in nearly 30% more proactive enforcement.
- Fast-tracked purpose-built rental projects.
Downtown
- Created a pilot program that has successfully diverted 444 releasees to date from CNCC from being dropped off in Barrie’s downtown.
- Provided funding to the BIA to address safety concerns in downtown spaces and cleaned up City-owned alleyways.
- Invested more in Barrie Police dedicated team for downtown. We now have 6 dedicated officers on foot/bike in Barrie’s downtown core.
- New Grocery Store and pharmacy opened in downtown.
- Georgian College expansion downtown at 55 Mulcaster St.
I’m halfway through my elected term and there’s still plenty of work to do! As always, thanks for your continued support and please reach out with concerns, questions, or feedback anytime😊
