Simcoe County communities feeling pressure amid state of emergency in Barrie

As city officials and Simcoe County collaborate with the homeless community to provide necessary support, some individuals are being relocated to new places.

As Barrie officials and Simcoe County collaborate with the homeless community amid the state of emergency, nearby municipalities are feeling the pressure of a trickle-down effect as some individuals relocate to areas throughout the region.

Rosemary Petersen, managing director of The Lighthouse in Orillia, said she has seen some new faces over the last week.

“We have had some people who have been telling us that they’ve been coming directly from Barrie,” said Petersen.

• Extended | Barrie homeless encampments

She added that seeing new faces at shelters is not out of the ordinary. “We have seen a few new faces here in our community, which is relatively normal,” said Petersen. “Working with the homeless population, people do move between locations from time to time.”

Mayors from around the region are also watching the situation in Barrie closely, including Orillia Mayor Don McIsaac.

“We’re watching to see what happens, and we’re obviously monitoring (the situation),” said McIsaac. “We have a homeless situation here that we monitor actively, and we are seeing if Barrie’s actions, if they make a difference and if we could emulate those.”

Other mayors across the region are also watching closely as Simcoe County opened up 161 spaces across the region.

Those spaces include 69 rooms across three hotels, 20 beds in senior retirement homes, 20 apartments in long-term supportive housing programs, and 52 beds in modular facilities.

With Gordon telling CTV News those spaces have been spread out across the county.

“I know that some have been moved to Collingwood, some are going to Orillia, and we have had some arriving here in Midland,” said Gordon.

With the mayor of Midland saying they just don’t have the supports required for more members of the homeless community.

“I mean, people need a place to go, and if where they were living is no longer welcoming them, they will find another place to live,” said Gordon. “And Midland is the number three destination for homelessness in the community in our county.”

According to the District of Muskoka, they say around 90 people are homeless and receiving proper support; however, capacity can be an issue.

“We don’t always have enough capacity in all of the support services that are needed in the same place at the same time,” said Chair Jeff Lehman. “Muskoka is a big place, so getting people to the help they need is a bigger challenge than it is in a city like Barrie.

It remains unclear how many people from Barrie have been placed in surrounding communities like Orillia and Midland as the city continues to clear out encampments.

In an email to CTV News, the City of Barrie did confirm there are still 20 active encampments in the city.

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