What’s next for the boundary adjustment deal between Barrie and Springwater

Barrie could gain 4,300 acres of land under a proposed deal with Springwater in exchange for services.

While a recent framework for a deal to shift some municipal boundaries in Simcoe County was recently unveiled, a separate ongoing process negotiating the changes is also continuing.

On Friday, the City of Barrie unveiled framework for a possible future deal with the Township of Springwater that would significantly alter the size of each municipality. It follows more than a year of public negotiations between the two and just a little more than a day after Springwater Mayor Jennifer Coughlin was granted the authority to resume negotiations.

Strong Mayor Powers

Coughlin received that authority after a bylaw she tabled Wednesday evening through the use of strong mayor powers passed. It passed with just the support of a third of council, including the mayor with her strong mayor powers.

According to a spokesperson with the Township, that meeting took place after council passed the bylaw. As the framework for the deal was unveiled Friday, that would mean the meeting took place Thursday.

“This work was initiated following direction from Springwater council and builds on previous collaboration supported by the Office of the Provincial Land and Development Facilitator,” said Jenna Reid, a communications officer with the Township.

Deal Details

As part of what has been proposed, the City of Barrie would receive 4,373 acres of land that it would use to lure new major employers to the region.

“We’re looking more for data centers or, manufacturing,” Nuttall told CTV News Friday. “That’s advanced manufacturing [that] takes skilled trades into consideration and certainly provides really healthy salaries for jobs.”

In exchange for providing the land, the City of Barrie would provide servicing for critical infrastructure to support the creation of new homes across roughly 453 acres of land in Springwater.

The deal also includes:

• Committee to support coordinated growth and investment strategies
• Collaborating on local healthcare
• Program to ease property-tax transition
• Access to City of Barrie recreation facilities
• Focus on Little Lake Conservation Trust
• Working to align local electricity grids

It is conditional on approval from councils in Barrie and Springwater.

MPP Response

Barrie-Springwater-Oro-Medonte MPP Doug Downey has been supportive of the involved municipalities working together towards a deal. In a statement released to CTV News Downey said, “This kind of partnership between the Mayors of Barrie and Springwater is how communities move forward in the best collective interest. By developing shared principles for growth and servicing, they’re creating a local solution that supports the broader goals of housing, job creation and smart planning for the region.”

The statement continued, “This kind of collaboration is exactly what we need to see more of across Ontario. I encourage each of the mayors in these affected communities to continue this ongoing dialogue.”

Neighbouring Oro-Medonte

This framework unveiled last week notably does not involve the Township of Oro-Medonte. As part of his pitch, first made public in late 2023, Nuttall also has his eyes set on large parcels of land from that township.

Since June 2024, Oro-Medonte has been working with a provincially-appointed facilitator alongside the City of Barrie, Township of Springwater and the County of Simcoe.

A staff report updating Oro-Medonte councillors on the progress of those discussions will be received during their upcoming meeting Wednesday. It details that the most recent meeting of all parties, including the facilitator, took place on April 24.

Hemson Report

That meeting also included representatives from Hemson Consulting, a third-party group that was tasked with a multi-stage process to look into this proposed annexation. A report published by the consultants in December 2024 stated the city has enough land to meet employment needs until 2051 but pointed to a potential stagnation in the short term.

The report indicates the city’s strongest case for annexation lies in addressing a growing housing demand, particularly for mixed-use developments that combine residential and employment opportunities.

That report led to many questions for councillors in Oro-Medonte, who voted in late January to proceed with the next stage of the Hemson work but with a narrowed scope to determine if forecasted population growth for Barrie is accurate, which would provide a clearer picture of just how much land the City needs.

Despite this recent framework unveiled last week, Hemson Consultants is continuing with its work in the meantime. According to the staff report being tabled in Oro-Medonte this week, the facilitator issued Hemson a revised scope of work for stage three focused on viable options for accommodating growth and robust technical and planning analysis.

The City of Barrie will be covering the costs of the most recent stage of Hemson’s work.

More meetings through the ongoing facilitator process are scheduled in the coming months.