The mayor of Barrie, Ont., declared a state of emergency over homeless encampments in the city Tuesday, citing concerns about public safety as a justification for the decision.
Alex Nuttall said in the announcement that the residents of Barrie, a city of nearly 150,000 people north of Toronto, “have had enough” of what he described as “lawlessness.”
“We’ve said to the community, if you want help, if you want support, Barrie wants to be the place that helps and supports you,” he said in a phone interview Tuesday afternoon.
“But if what you’re doing is living in addictions and living in a tent on the side of the street, creating disorder, this ain’t the place for you.”
Nuttall said while he understands homelessness is a complex issue, encampments have resulted in health and safety issues for the community, a negative impact on the environment and damage to municipal property.
The announcement comes after a lengthy police investigation at the site of an encampment led to a man being arrested last month for the murder and dismemberment of two victims. Police said the victims and the suspect, who is also facing weapons and drug charges, had all lived at the same encampment.
The emergency declaration called the incident at the encampment in the Dyment’s Creek area a “heinous crime.”
Nuttall said the double homicide wasn’t the only crime linked to the encampment. Recently, fires were set there and two crossbows and a starter pistol were also seized from the site, he said. The “longevity of this disorder and lawlessness as well as the severity of the crime” pushed him to take action, he said.
Nuttall said E.coli contamination at the nearby pond, which flows to a beach, is another issue that needs to be addressed.
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The city held a meeting last month to discuss the site cleanup, a press release said.
It said those present, including city councillors, “raised concerns about the impact of encampments in the community, associated risk to individuals and the costs of cleanup especially to those areas where city infrastructure is significantly impacted and the immediate need to address such areas.”
Nuttall said he is also concerned about arson, thefts, public drug use and overdoses associated with encampments.
The emergency declaration covers city-run public spaces such as parks, sidewalks, trail systems and boulevards.
The mayor’s orders under provincial emergency management law would allow city staff to create a new task force to oversee the response to encampments, hire consultants and contractors as part of that response and enforce protocols more aggressively.
Two large encampments have so far been cleared, he said, and it might take a few months to clear around 20 remaining encampments where around 600 people currently live.
Nuttall said the city will start clearing tents on Wednesday, first removing those set up near critical public infrastructure. The city has enough resources and shelter beds for those willing to move, he added.
“We’ll be acting with care and compassion every step of the way,” he said.
Nuttall is also calling on the province to provide millions of dollars in funding for Barrie as the city moves to remove encampments.
“But make no mistake, you know, we have the ability and we have the funds to be able to go it alone if we’re required to. That’s not what we want. That’s not what the law says,” he said.
In June, Premier Doug Ford’s government passed legislation to give more powers to police and municipalities to remove encampments and strengthen penalties for those suspected of using drugs in public.
The provincial government also pledged $75.5 million in funding to municipalities to address encampments, including $50 million for affordable housing and $20 million to expand shelter capacity.
A spokesperson for the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing also pointed to the creation of 28 new Homelessness and Addiction Recovery Treatment, or HART, hubs that will provide mental health and addiction services and recovery beds for communities across Ontario, including Barrie.
Alexandra Sanita said the province has also invested more than $63 million in Simcoe County through the homelessness prevention program that was launched in 2022.
“We will continue to work with our municipalities to protect public spaces while making record investments in safe and supportive housing,” she said in a statement.
© 2025 The Canadian Press
