One year ago, Barrie Mayor Alex Nuttall stood on Mulcaster Street, surrounded by tents and announced the city had reached a “breaking point.” At a podium just steps from one of Barrie’s most visible encampments, Nuttall declared a state of emergency over homelessness, promising a zero-tolerance approach to tents, violence and drug use on public property. The declaration came amid growing concerns about public safety, damage to municipal property and the devastating toll of the opioid crisis. What followed was a year of encampment clearings, tougher bylaws and appeals to Queen’s Park and Ottawa. “We have continually enforced what are the right rules for safety on our streets,” said Nuttall to CTV News on Wednesday. Now, on Sept. 9, 2026, the state of emergency remains in place and some of the decisions made under it are headed to court. CTV News is revisiting some of the most significant developments in the declaration over the past year: July 31, 2025 In the summer, Barrie police cordoned off the Bradford Street encampment, stretching from Victoria to Anne streets. A large police presence sparked concern as investigators released little to no information to the public. Aug. 1-2 Police identified 52-year-old Robert Ladouceur, also known as “Tattoo Rob,” as a suspect connected to the investigation and warned the surrounding community that he was considered armed and dangerous. The very next day, Ladouceur was arrested in Midland, Ont. He was later charged with 19 offences, along with numerous weapons charges involving a handgun and fleeing from police. Aug. 5 Barrie Police Major Crime detectives expanded their investigation into the Huntsville area, with officers searching multiple locations for additional information. Aug. 19 Ladouceur initially faced weapons and drug-related charges before Barrie police connected him to a larger homicide investigation. Court documents alleged two men, 45-year-old William Robinson and 41-year-old David Cheesequay, were murdered months apart and that both of their bodies were allegedly dismembered. Additional charges were laid against Ladouceur, including first- and second-degree murder and indignity to a body. He remains behind bars. Sept. 9 In September, Barrie Mayor Alex Nuttall declared a state of emergency over homelessness and encampments, announcing a zero-tolerance approach to tents, violence and drug use on public property. Sept. 11 The Mulcaster Street encampment was cleared. The County of Simcoe told CTV News all 44 people staying there accepted temporary living accommodations. “In the Mulcaster encampment, we did find starter pistols, crossbows, knives, guns, drugs and cash,” Nuttall said. Sept. 16-20 The mayor called on both Queen’s Park and Ottawa for help, saying Barrie had reached a “breaking point.” Premier Doug Ford later toured one of Barrie’s largest encampments, Milligan’s Pond, with Nuttall and pledged to look at additional provincial support. Sept. 23-24 Nuttall launched a public petition calling for changes to mental health legislation and increased funding for treatment and shelters. The Bradford Street encampment was dismantled the following day, with 10 of 17 residents accepting accommodation. Sept. 26 The federal government responded by highlighting millions already committed to housing and homelessness, including $35 million for services in Barrie from 2019-20 through 2027-28. Oct. 2 Council approved tougher bylaws giving the city more authority to deal with encampments, including new rules around camping, sidewalk obstruction and public spaces. Bill 110 replaced the existing bylaw and gave Barrie police additional powers to regulate behaviours on municipal property. Oct. 6 The city reported four major encampments had been cleared but said 26 remained, housing about 111 people by the fall. Nov. 6 Nuttall took the national conversation to Vancouver, where he met with Vancouver Mayor Ken Sim to compare strategies and discuss pushing higher levels of government for more funding to address homelessness. At the time, Sim said that while the cities differ in size, the challenges are similar. He argued Barrie’s situation may be even more difficult because, as a smaller city, it does not have access to the same resources as Vancouver. January 2026 Mayor Alex Nuttall said the number of encampments had dropped dramatically, with only “one or two tents” remaining in Barrie throughout the winter months. February 2026 Nuttall later travelled to Alberta to study how municipalities were responding to homelessness and addiction. He met with Calgary Mayor Jeromy Farkas and Alberta’s Minister of Mental Health and Addictions, Rick Wilson, to learn about programs and strategies aimed at supporting people experiencing homelessness and mental health challenges. September 2026 Mayor Alex Nuttall, the City of Barrie and Barrie Police Service are headed to court to defend decisions surrounding the declaration and the clearing of encampments. A lawsuit argues Barrie’s efforts went too far. An unhoused woman alleges the city forced people from their tents despite a shortage of available shelter spaces, which she argues violated constitutional rights. The first court date is scheduled for Oct. 2. Sept. 9, 2026: One year later The city remains under a state of emergency, with no indication of when it may end. A year after the declaration, the city says the number of encampments has fallen significantly. “It doesn’t mean success every time, but what it does mean is the opportunity for success,” said Nuttall. The City of Barrie has addressed 221 encampments since the emergency declaration. At the same time, the city has stretched its focus beyond encampments. Nuttall has pledged to crack down on what he calls “lawlessness” downtown by increasing fines against landlords who own buildings where illegal dispensaries operate.
