Barrie council passes stricter bylaws targeting encampments

Barrie council votes to get tough on encampments with updated bylaws

Barrie council approved new rules giving officers more authority to move people living on public property as the city continues to deal with homelessness and encampments.

The decision, passed unanimously at Wednesday night’s meeting, updates the city’s public property use bylaws. The changes are intended to give staff and police more tools to prevent tents and makeshift shelters from returning once Barrie’s state of emergency is lifted. The declaration has now stretched into its second month.

“I just want to be really clear this isn’t a wintertime move, this is a permanent move,” Mayor Alex Nuttall said during the council meeting. “Encampments are no longer welcome. They were never safe, and to accept otherwise would not be taking the facts into consideration.”

Bill #110 reworks and replaces entirely By-law 2004-142 (Use of City Property). It gives bylaw officers broad power to target behaviors associated with homelessness, including putting up tents, blocking sidewalks, smoking, and defecating on city property.

Some on the measures have stirred up controversy. In particular section 8.0.0.0, which says, “No person shall give away or otherwise provide at no charge, items, products, samples of items or products, or any other similar item to members of the public from any City property.”

The clause excludes recognized charity groups and city authorized people, but makes it technically a contravention of the by-law for an individual person to give out anything, to anyone, on public property.

Critics say this targets people trying to help homeless people with gifts of food, water, clothes, or tents.

Nuttall said the tougher measures are about protecting community spaces and setting expectations on how they should be used.

“That is always going to be the better road than encampment on the side of the road with a tent with drugs and $10,000 cash and crossbows and starter pistols and knives and kids walking by,” Nuttall said during the meeting. It’s just not allowed in this city anymore. And our bylaws need to be brought up to date to reflect what the expectation the rules of this community are.”

Under the updated bylaw, fines ranging from $100 to $1,000 can be imposed for non-compliance. However, councillors clarified fines won’t be issued to people living in encampments without prior notice and provision of alternative accommodations, in line with court rulings requiring municipalities to provide “suitable accommodation” before ordering individuals to leave public property.

“The only way we improve our community is person after person, individual after individual getting that help and support. It’s the only way,” Nuttall added.

As of Wednesday, the County’s data portal reports 739 individuals experiencing homelessness in Barrie who are outside of the shelter system, including 110 children under the age of 16.

• Take the poll: Do you agree with the mayor’s approach to cleaning up encampments?

Barrie has been under scrutiny in recent weeks after encampments were dismantled on public property, including several tents lined up along Mulcaster Street near City Hall. Advocates of those living unhoused argued that tougher enforcement risks displacing vulnerable people without solving the underlying issues of homelessness and affordable housing.

The issue has drawn provincial attention, with Premier Doug Ford visiting Barrie last month to express frustration with the federal government’s response and vow to work towards relocating encampment residents.

To date, Ottawa has not announced plans for the prime minister to visit Barrie.

With files from Jack Morse.