‘We cannot face this crisis alone’: Barrie Mayor urges Ford to confront homeless encampment emergency

Tents line Mulcaster Street in Barrie, Ont. (CTV NEWS)

“We cannot face this crisis alone.” Barrie Mayor Alex Nuttall voiced Tuesday, issuing a stark message to Ontario Premier Doug Ford.

This appeal comes just one week after the mayor declared a state of emergency to address encampments across Barrie. Now, he is sounding the alarm on what he describes as a “breaking point” for his city, calling on the Premier and the Ontario government to take immediate action to face the crisis created by homeless encampments.

Mayor Nuttall called on Queen’s Park to make provincial moves on homelessness, addictions, and mental health across the city. This message builds on a December 5, 2024 joint letter signed by Alex Nuttall and mayors across Ontario.

• Extended | Barrie homeless encampments

“On behalf of the City of Barrie, I am writing with an update on the Declaration of Emergency in our City due to the growing number of homeless encampments,” Nuttall stated in a formal letter to the province. “While we understand homelessness is a complex issue, these encampments have resulted in health and safety issues for our community, a negative impact on the environment, and damage to municipal property.”

According to the city, Barrie is now home to more than 21 encampments, housing an estimated 650 people, a majority of whom officials say are not even from Barrie or Simcoe County.

In just two months, the city has documented a wave of gruesome incidents linked to encampments, including a double homicide, E. coli levels nearly five times higher than failure limits in streams leading to local beaches, a surge of tents lining city streets, multiple fires, drug money, reports of assaults, overdoses, thefts, and rampant drug use.

The situation has grown so dire that city official say that citizens have become exposed to discarded needles and human waste in public spaces, including defecation in doorways and contamination of the City Hall fountain, forcing its closure.

“This issue has reached a breaking point,” Nuttall stated.

While Barrie is on the front line, Nuttall pointed out that social services fall under the County of Simcoe, leaving the city with little direct authority to manage the situation. “We have not been able to manage or respond adequately to this emergency until now.” he said in the letter.

Under the Declaration of Emergency, the City of Barrie stated in the letter that it will be commencing the following:

• Test waterways near encampments for contamination and begin clearing encampments near critical infrastructure and public spaces.
• Create a dedicated position to coordinate services across different levels of government and hire additional staff and contractors.

• Push the County of Simcoe to open more shelter spaces immediately and retain shelter space directly if the county cannot provide it.
• Explore new infrastructure options in collaboration with the county or and request immediate provincial funding.
• Update bylaws and policies to support encampment response and commission a report on how the situation escalated and next steps to end the crisis.

Nuttall is also asking Premier Ford to personally visit Barrie, tour the hardest-hit areas, and meet with city officials.

“I look forward to working closely with you and your government to address this emergency in Barrie,” he concluded in his letter, hoping to accommodate the Premier as soon as possible.

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