Barrie, Ont. mayor declares city-wide state of emergency

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‘We have simply run out of time’: Barrie Mayor declares state of emergency due to homelessness

Mixed reaction to Barrie’s emergency declaration on homelessness

‘Lawlessness in our city’: Barrie mayor has had enough of encampments

Barrie Mayor Alex Nuttall says enough is enough.

On Tuesday morning, the mayor declared a state of emergency aimed at addressing encampments across the city, pointing to growing safety concerns, damage to municipal property, and the ongoing toll of the opioid crisis.

“Barrie residents have had enough,” Nuttall stated, adding the city would support those seeking help but would not allow encampments to continue on public property. The mayor said the City would “reclaim” its streets, park and public spaces.

The mayor cited a series of disturbing events as the tipping point. Over the summer, a double homicide and dismemberment investigation forced the shutdown of one of the city’s largest encampments, leaving behind millions of dollars in cleanup costs and hazardous waste.

Around the same time, city testing revealed troubling E. coli levels in Dyment’s Creek, which runs through the encampment and to Kempenfelt Bay, that were five times higher than levels already too dangerous to swim and bathe in. Despite being notified, Nuttall said the Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit didn’t attend the site, adding to his frustration that the city has been left to manage the fallout on its own.

In recent months, various fires required emergency response inside of encampments, which the mayor emphasized increases risk to residents. Nuttall said these dangers, combined with overdoses, theft, and assaults show the situation has reaching a breaking point.

“Since day one I have been clear that encampments are not acceptable in the City of Barrie. We are here to help those who want help and there are resources available today. If you refuse that help you cannot stay in these encampments. Our city will not allow lawlessness to take over our community. Barrie will protect its residents, its neighborhoods and its public spaces. It is time to take responsibility, accept the help that is there or move on,” he said.

The mayor’s declaration gives city staff the authority to enforce Barrie’s encampment protocols more aggressively, prioritize the dismantling of sites considered high-risk, and hire outside contractors if necessary to speed up cleanup efforts.

However, according to municipal law expert Ajay Gajaria, a partner with Aird and Berlis LLP, the mayor’s declaration was a political move.

“The declaration of a state of emergency, which then results in the clearing of encampments, is legally meaningless,” Gajaria said. “The legal issue really will be enacted or engendered at the time at which the municipality makes the determination to clear homelessness encampments, and the review by the courts will relate to that decision.”

MP Doug Shipley expressed support for the mayor’s measures, saying, “What we need is the public to support the mayor in these causes. Many people, when they come into my office ask what they could do to help? And I would say to them when the mayor does - and if he comes up with something, which he has today - to resolve this issue, support him. Show your support and show that you back these measures that he’s taking.”

The mayor’s declaration also calls for a task force to be created to oversee the response to encampments, illegal drug use and social service.

“Barrie is a place you come if you need and you want help. It is not the place you come and put a tent on the side of the road, use drugs, carry crossbows and pistols, and set up shop as a drug dealer,” the mayor said. “If you don’t want help and that’s not your thing, please go somewhere else.”

As part of the order, the mayor is calling on the County of Simcoe to expand access to additional shelter spaces and support services, while pressing the province to review funding for social programs in the city.

The mayor pointed to the pandemic as the start of the issue, noting the city currently has nearly two dozen encampments, with some situated along waterways and in public parks with playgrounds.

“The number of individuals living unhoused and/or in encampments has significantly increased in the City of Barrie since the COVID-19 pandemic. Not all these individuals are originally from the City of Barrie; several individuals have come from other municipalities to Barrie streets and/or encampment locations.”

While some measures were made last year to provide supports through County and provincial funding, Nuttall said those measures weren’t enough to prevent encampments from spreading.

The Office of the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing weighed in with a statement to CTV News, “Our government is giving municipalities, including Barrie, the tools they need and requested, to end encampments, clear public parks, and expand homelessness prevention programs,” adding, “We will continue to work with our municipalities to protect public spaces.”

At this time, it’s unclear when the dismantling of the encampments will take place.