Barrie councillors look to expedite approval of new long-term care facility
After not meeting for about two months, Barrie councillors hit the ground running Wednesday evening, moving ahead with a plan that hopes to be a game changer for seniors.
On Wednesday, councillors held their first and potentially only summer meeting. Ward 9 councillor Sergio Morales and Mayor Alex Nuttall brought forth a motion to expedite the approval process of a new long-term care facility and retirement home in the City's expanding southeast end.
"There's a long-term care bed shortage in Barrie and in the province, and we have an opportunity to use a zoning tool to cut red tape, to streamline the process for which shovels get in the ground and to provide hundreds of beds and a critical infrastructure that our city has been needing for over a decade," Morales said to CTV News.
The motion is calling on city staff to file a Community Infrastructure Housing Accelerator (CIHA) application by September. Morales says standard rezoning and background studies will still be conducted, but other approval aspects will be expedited as the project meets the City's strategic plan and falls in line with provincial priorities.
"We want to create a Barrie where those seniors that help shape the city where they are have the option to age in place, age in Barrie and age where there's resources if there's a health challenge they have later in life," Morales said.
A long-term care operator Morales referred to as a leader in the sector, has expressed to the City that it is ready to move forward quickly with approved provincial funding.
The mayor says the project will help address the affordability crisis many residents are facing, saying many of the units in the long-term care facility will be affordable.
"It's a priority, and so we need to move faster than even we're capable of, so we're bringing in the province to help pave the way to make sure that these beds do get here, they do get built, and they are operational for our citizenry," Nuttall told CTV News.
While it is preliminary for an accurate timeline, the mayor says the project could get final approval within months, which would position it to be ready for construction sometime in 2024.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING Ontario Provincial Police arrest 64 suspects in child sexual exploitation investigation
Ontario Provincial Police say 64 suspects are facing a combined 348 charges in connection with a series of child sexual exploitation investigations that spanned the province.
AstraZeneca says it will withdraw COVID-19 vaccine globally as demand dips
AstraZeneca said on Tuesday it had initiated the worldwide withdrawal of its COVID-19 vaccine due to a 'surplus of available updated vaccines' since the pandemic.
World's record-breaking hot temperature streak stretches through April
The world just experienced its hottest April on record, extending an 11-month streak in which every month set a temperature record, the European Union's climate change monitoring service said on Wednesday.
Most of Canada to receive emergency alert test today
The federal government will test its capacity to issue emergency alerts today, with the exception of Ontario, where the test will take place on May 15.
OPINION What King Charles' schedule being too 'full' to accommodate son suggests
Prince Harry, the Duke of Sussex, has made headlines with his recent arrival in the U.K., this time to celebrate all things Invictus. But upon the prince landing in the U.K., we have already had confirmation that King Charles III won't have time to see his youngest son during his brief visit.
Seafood, eat food: Calgary Stampede releases Midway menu
The Calgary Stampede has released its menu of sweet, salty and spicy treats available on the Midway for the Greatest Outdoor Show on Earth.
Boy Scouts of America is rebranding. Here's why they've changed their name
After more than a century, Boy Scouts of America is rebranding as Scouting America, another major shakeup for an organization that once proudly resisted change.
Ontario man devastated to learn $150,000 line of credit isn't insured after wife dies
An Ontario man found out that a line of credit he thought was insured actually isn't after his wife of 50 years died.
Trial begins for Winnipeg serial killer who claims he was mentally ill
The trial of a man who admits he killed four women in Winnipeg is set to begin Wednesday, and a law professor says lawyers for Jeremy Skibicki have multiple hurdles to clear for a defence of mental illness.