Boundary expansion talks between Barrie and its neighbours remain just that.
Doug Downey, MPP for Barrie-Springwater-Oro-
Nuttall has said the boundary expansion is required because the city currently doesn’t have sufficient employment land.
The neighbours beg to differ, to put it mildly, but the parties are at least talking.
When the Ontario government announced Tuesday it will spend nearly $5 million to help build a new crane training facility in Oro-Medonte Township, Premier Doug Ford was asked by BarrieToday, an affiliate of BradfordToday and InnisfilToday, where those boundary talks were and would the province get more directly involved.
Ford invited Downey to answer the questions.
“So what could be better than having the municipalities talking to each other, doing studies and having an adult conversation? That’s exactly what’s happening and exactly where we are," Downey said.
“So until we see the results of those discussions … we’re not in those discussions, there’s a facilitator, (Oro-Medonte Township) Mayor (Randy) Greenlaw and Mayor Nuttall are having great discussions,” he added. “I look forward to seeing the results of that, so it would be hypothetical to pre-empt that with an answer about what we would do with that. “
Downey also said municipal boundaries here are something that all councils are concerned with, but that services also cross boundaries. He mentioned that people who come to Oro-Medonte Community Arena for his free Family Day skate might also live in Barrie.
The townships of Oro-Medonte and Springwater, the County of Simcoe and Barrie released a statement updating discussions on Barrie’s boundary expansion requests in mid-September.
The statement says the players are developing "mutually acceptable approaches" to address growth pressures in the broader region.
These discussions are being supported by the Office of the Provincial Land and Development Facilitator, which is a provincial agency.
Hemson Consulting is to complete a joint land-needs analysis and study, which is intended to determine the need for additional employment and/or residential land within and around Barrie, Oro-Medonte and Springwater.
The study will be completed in phases, with the first including a review of Barrie’s existing land supply, coupled with a review of the needs of the participating municipalities arising from growth forecast to 2051.
The information gathered will serve as a foundation for further discussions on future options when this phase of the study is completed, which is expected later this fall.
Last November, Nuttall made a presentation to the provincial standing committee on heritage, infrastructure and cultural policy, regional governance and Bill 124, that included a proposal to expand Barrie’s boundaries into Oro-Medonte and Springwater, saying it’s required because the city does not have enough employment land.
After hearing Nuttall’s plan, Oro-Medonte council said it was uncomfortable with the boundary request from Barrie.
In mid-February, Oro-Medonte council voted to support a report from the township’s planner, which called for increased co-operation between the two municipalities and presented alternatives to Barrie’s initial proposal.
Oro-Medonte council later authorized staff to seek a mediator to help them solve Barrie’s boundary expansion plans.
Last November, Springwater council voted unanimously to terminate discussions with Barrie regarding the city’s proposal for boundary adjustments and cross-border servicing.
In March, Springwater council voted to reverse that decision somewhat, voting to hold talks with the Barrie officials, but only regarding cross-border servicing. Springwater council demanded there be no discussion with Barrie about boundary expansion.
But later that month, township officials had a meeting with Nuttall to discuss the possibility of a partnership and were rebuffed.
In mid-April, neighbouring Oro-Medonte announced it would contact the Provincial Land and Development Facilitator to request assisted mediation regarding Barrie’s boundary expansion plans.
In May, Springwater councillors voted against participating in any meeting with a provincial land facilitator regarding Barrie’s proposal until it received a staff report that gave them the information they needed to make an informed decision.
Springwater council received the report it requested later that month and a special meeting of council was scheduled. Following the closed portion of that meeting, Springwater council passed a resolution that directed the mayor, deputy mayor and chief administrative officer to participate in any future provincially led facilitation process on the matter should a Provincial Land and Development Facilitator be appointed.
