After more than a year-long crackdown that saw the city address 221 encampments, Barrie Mayor Alex Nuttall says not a single encampment remains on city-owned property. The shift marks a stark turnaround from nearly a year ago, when Nuttall declared a state of emergency as encampments, violence and drug use increasingly spilled onto public property. “I was just informed that as of 3:30 p.m. today, Oct. 1, 2026, there are zero encampments remaining on City of Barrie property,” Nuttall said in a social media post Thursday. Nuttall said the only remaining encampment is along Highway 400 on provincial land. “We will continue working with the Province of Ontario to address the site, get people off the streets and connected with support,” Nuttall said. The city has addressed 221 encampments since the emergency declaration, according to figures reported by CTV News on Sept. 9. Reaction - The Busby Centre In a statement to CTV News, Sarah Peddle, Executive Director of The Busby Centre says there are many in the city who continue to struggle to access shelter and housing and in the meantime take refuge in places that may not definitionally encampments. “The reality of the housing and homelessness crisis continues to be a significant challenge for many Canadians, including those living unhoused in our community,” Peddle says. “They are just having to be more unseen these days,” she adds. “Beyond the visible tents and structure are human beings and I was taught that there we leave no one behind so our StreetReach Outreach Teams will continue to connect with people and help them navigate their way back to housing and health supports one day at a time,” the statement from Peddle reads. “Continued and increased investments in housing and support are the only true answer to the homelessness crisis we are face with every day,” Peddle says. Since the State of Emergency The push also brought changes to city hall. Council approved tougher rules around camping, sidewalk obstruction and the use of public spaces, while By-law 2025-110 replaced the previous bylaw and gave police greater authority to regulate behaviour on municipal property. Nuttall also launched a public petition calling for changes to mental health legislation and increased funding for treatment and shelters, while pressing both Queen’s Park and Ottawa for help. Premier Doug Ford even toured Milligan’s Pond, one of Barrie’s largest encampments, alongside Nuttall and pledged to look at additional provincial support. Despite the drop to zero, Barrie’s state of emergency remains in place, more than a year after it was first declared on Sept. 9, 2025.
