The CTV Election Desk has declared Alex Nuttall the winner of Barrie’s 2026 mayoral race, securing a second term with 66.62 per cent of the vote after receiving 26,054 votes. The incumbent mayor won re-election Monday night, finishing ahead of candidates Tanya Saari, Russell Tighe and Kay Sayer. Nuttall was first elected in 2022, becoming Barrie’s 47th mayor after previously serving at both the municipal and federal levels. “We have a city that’s worth fighting for and a city that’s worth working for,” said Nuttall to CTV News after the win. From city council to Parliament Hill Nuttall’s political career began at Barrie city hall, where he served as the councillor for Ward 10 for two terms from 2006 to 2014. In 2014, Nuttall announced he would step away from his Ward 10 seat and make the move to federal politics. He went on to win the Barrie-Springwater-Oro-Medonte riding for the Conservative Party of Canada and served as its Member of Parliament from 2015 to 2019. During his time in Ottawa, Nuttall pushed for eyes on Barrie’s opioid crisis. In 2018, he called for a debate in the House of Commons on the issue and publicly supported the possibility of declaring a public health emergency in Barrie to help prevent further deaths. The following year, he appeared before city council and called on Barrie to declare a public health emergency. In 2019, Nuttall announced he would not seek re-election as an MP. Nuttall returned to elected politics in 2022, winning Barrie’s mayoral race. Pivotal moments as mayor He used his strong mayor powers for the first time to pause a project that would have provided space for a Royal Canadian Sea Cadets parade ground and a minor sports team. The move came after a report recommended the site instead become a park and home to a new performing arts centre. In a decision that drew criticism, Nuttall also pursued an expansion of Barrie’s boundaries by 2,200 hectares into Oro-Medonte and Springwater townships. He argued the more land was needed for the city to meet its economic development and affordable housing goals. The expansion moved forward in January. Homelessness and encampments Homelessness, addiction, mental health and public safety became some of the most pressing issues of Nuttall’s first term. In 2024, Nuttall joined mayors from across Ontario in signing a letter urging the province to invoke the notwithstanding clause to allow greater enforcement against encampments in public spaces. On Sept. 9, 2025, Nuttall declared a state of emergency over homelessness and encampments, announcing a zero-tolerance approach to tents, violence and drug use on public property. The mayor said Barrie had reached a “breaking point” and called on both the provincial and federal governments for help. Premier Doug Ford later toured Milligan’s Pond, one of Barrie’s largest encampments, with Nuttall and pledged to look at more provincial support. Nuttall also launched a public petition calling for changes to mental health legislation and increased funding for treatment and shelters. Barrie council approved tougher bylaws giving the city more power to deal with encampments, including new rules around camping, sidewalk obstruction and public spaces. He travelled to Vancouver, where he met with Mayor Ken Sim to compare strategies and discuss plans to push higher levels of government for more spending to address homelessness. Nuttall later travelled to Alberta to explore how municipalities there were responding to homelessness and addiction. The city also expanded its crackdown on what Nuttall has called “lawlessness” in downtown Barrie, by increasing fines for landlords who own buildings where illegal dispensaries operate. On Oct. 2, after more than a year of enforcement that saw the city address 221 encampments, Nuttall said there were no longer any encampments on city-owned property. Nuttall’s campaign promises If re-elected, Nuttall said during a September campaign event that he would push for a dedicated police, fire and paramedic response team focused on what he calls “compassionate intervention,” hoping to connect people experiencing intoxication or addiction with treatment and other services. He is also promising to press the province to modernize public intoxication laws, arguing police should have authority to respond to impairment regardless of whether alcohol or drugs are involved. His campaign gathered signatures for a petition calling on the Ontario government to make those changes. Early start into politics Nuttall immigrated to Canada from England and grew up in Barrie with his mother and two older brothers, living in subsidized housing. He has spoken publicly about living at Mill Creek Community Centre in Barrie’s south end, the same location where he later announced his bid for re-election. Nuttall’s involvement in politics began before his time at city hall or on Parliament Hill. While attending St. Peter’s Catholic Secondary School, he was elected student mayor. He later studied political science at Redeemer and Laurentian universities. Nuttall is set to return to the mayor’s office for a second term. Voter turnout in the City of Barrie was reported at 30.21 per cent. With files from CTV News Barrie staff
