Barrie’s Homelessness Crisis Sparks State Of Emergency

The city of Barrie, one of Canada’s fastest-growing urban centres, has declared a state of emergency as homelessness and encampments reach a critical level.

Mayor Alex Nuttall announced the move last week, saying the city had “run out of time” to address the crisis. “The city of Barrie is immediately instituting a state of emergency to reclaim our streets, our boulevards, our squares, our parks, our feeling of safety and our order,” he said.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, the city sanctioned an encampment as temporary relief. That site drew hundreds of unhoused people, and when it closed, the population of Barrie’s tent city did not shrink. Today, officials say there are 20 active encampments across the city.

Nuttall framed the issue around public safety, citing incidents of drug use, overdoses, fires, and weapons found at camps. He also pointed to environmental hazards, noting that E. coli levels in streams near encampments are five times the norm.

Local outreach workers, however, say the crisis is first and foremost about housing and human dignity. “We’ve been calling for a state of emergency on homelessness for many years,” said Sarah Peddle, who runs a Barrie outreach centre. “From a humanistic perspective, we want to see people get a house, and so we believe that it is an emergency. If it brings more resources to the table and more collaboration, then we are hopeful.”

The Ontario government has promised more funding and tougher restrictions, including bans on illicit drug use in public. But critics like Toronto crisis worker Diana Chan McNally warn this approach risks criminalizing marginalized people instead of helping them.

The debate reflects broader tensions across Canada. Cities from Toronto to Sudbury face mounting encampment challenges, and the federal government is under pressure to act. Prime Minister Mark Carney recently announced a $13 billion budget for the new Build Canada Homes Agency, with plans to create 4,000 affordable units on federal land.

Still, with winter approaching and no clear timeline for dismantling encampments, uncertainty remains high in Barrie.

Source: Buffalo Toronto Public Media, article by Dan Karpenchuk

Photo credits: Bob Bruton / Barrie Today https://www.barrietoday.com/local-news/eyesore-homeless-encampment-continues-to-grow-near-brock-park-9861313.