Significant development unveiled in Barrie’s much-debated push for more land

A potential boundary deal is in the works between the neighbouring municipalities Barrie and Springwater.

A significant development in Barrie’s much-debated quest for more residential and employment land was unveiled Friday after a meeting between two mayors was held.

A media release issued Friday revealed Barrie Mayor Alex Nuttall and Springwater Mayor Jennifer Coughlin met and developed shared principles to address Nuttall’s vision for the city in a way that Coughlin felt would also benefit Springwater.

Nuttall stressed the importance of future planning, calling the draft principles “a critical step forward” in meeting the city’s needs.

“We are running out of shovel-ready employment lands, which limits our ability to attract new businesses and create high-quality jobs for residents,” Nuttall stated in the release.

Coughlin used her newly-instilled ‘strong mayor powers’ to engage in boundary talks directly with Barrie, resulting in the two mayors drafting an agreement to shrink the township’s landscape in exchange for cross-border servicing.

The release states the Township would essentially trade supplementary lands in Wards 4 and 5 to the City of Barrie for municipal water and wastewater services to a portion of Springwater to support a new housing development.

For Springwater, the deal would also open access to Barrie’s recreation facilities, health care, and utility services like Alectra. One of the environment components would see Springwater’s mayor become part of the Little Lake Conservation Trust.

“The principles include preserving and enhancing Little Lake conservation area, investments in economic development, cross border servicing and access to recreation for our residents. I agree with these proposed principles, and I am committed to bringing this back to council and residents for discussion,” stated Coughlin.

For nearly two years, Nuttall has argued redrawing municipal boundaries by pushing into Springwater and Oro-Medonte is critical for future growth and job creation.

“This kind of partnership between the mayors of Barrie and Springwater is how communities move forward in the collective best interest,” Barrie-Springwater-Oro-Medonte MPP Doug Downey said. “This kind of collaboration is exactly what we need to see more of across Ontario.”

The move is being praised by Barrie’s Chamber of Commerce. In a news release issued late Friday, the organization said that the move is “exactly the kind of practical, forward-thinking approach needed to address the critical shortage of employment lands.”

In its latest release, Barrie’s chamber thanks Coughlin for her efforts in bringing “this deal to the table.”

However, the process isn’t without its critics, particularly from within Springwater Township’s council.

“If you look at the map, it’s far more than what the City of Barrie initially asked for, and what the Hemson Report looked at,” said Deputy Mayor George Cabral, who raised concerns about the speed and manner in which the deal was handled.

Springwater Councillor Anita Moore issued a statement also expressing concern about the timing, particularly in light of the ongoing Hemson Report - a study conducted by a third-party consultant - noting, “I remain hopeful that both councils and most importantly our residents will have an opportunity to ask the very important questions they need answers to in order to feel assured and comfortable that this is the desired outcome for the future of Springwater Township and the City of Barrie.”

Barrie’s mayor didn’t comment on ongoing discussions involving Oro-Medonte and the provincially-appointed mediator, but noted that the deal with Springwater “certainly provides a framework to look at moving forward. But I’m not going to step into that at this point.”

The matter is expected to come before Springwater council in the coming weeks for discussion. No timeline was set for final approval.

With files from CTV’s Dana Roberts

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