Barrie's revised official plan focuses on building homes, protecting environment, increasing employment lands
Forty-five days ago, Ontario launched a review of changes made to several municipalities' official plans approved by the previous housing minister in the wake of the Greenbelt Scandal.
Of those municipalities is the City of Barrie, which has completed its internal review and sent a revised plan back to the Ford government.
The new revisions would see the city emphasize protecting critical environmental lands, like the area around Lake Simcoe, while also creating more affordable homes for families in the city.
"The environmental measures that were in the original plan with regards to access to water, use of water, those types of things, needed to be respected and needed to be put back into the original official plan," said Alex Nuttall, Barrie Mayor. "We also had a lot of input from the development and building community, saying you don't have to revert back on all these things, with some components that will help them build homes faster."
- Download the CTV News app to get local alerts on your device
- Get the latest local updates sent to your email inbox
However, one significant new plan component is expanding the city's employment lands. The mayor is asking the Ford government to reassess Barrie's boundaries with Oro-Medonte and Springwater to develop more industrial areas.
Despite opening talks with each township, neither has been warm to Barrie's request.
"We are out of industrial land, we need more, and we've asked the province to step in," Mayor Nuttall said. "Battery plants are being built, the EV industry is starting to transform in Ontario, the auto industry, all the spinoff jobs that would exist for the city of Barrie, these are really important things."
The revisions were sent to the Province Wednesday night and are now in Ontario's hands to determine what will stay in and what requests will be met.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
![](https://www.ctvnews.ca/polopoly_fs/1.6977485.1721935249!/httpImage/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/landscape_800/image.jpg)
LIVE UPDATES Rain reduces wildfire activity, aids firefighters: Jasper park officials
Jasper National Park officials said Thursday night that rain over the day resulted in "minimal fire behaviour and spread."
Canadian Olympic Committee removes women's soccer team's head coach over drone scandal
The Canadian Olympic Committee has removed women's national soccer team head coach Bev Priestman over a drone scandal, according to a press release from the organization.
Yukon woman narrowly escapes bear attack, credits hair clip
A woman in Yukon believes her hair clip helped save her during a bear attack.
Prince William's 2023 salary revealed in new report
Newly released financial reports show that William, the Prince of Wales, drew a salary of $42.1 million last fiscal year, his first since inheriting the vast and lucrative Duchy of Cornwall.
'I was just shocked': Jasper lodge owner on seeing property destroyed by wildfire
On Wednesday night, the owner of Maligne Lodge in Jasper, Alta., was shocked to receive a photo of her business engulfed in flames.
Mary-Ellen Turpel-Lafond likely has Indigenous DNA: report
The Law Society of British Columbia says a DNA test shows a former judge and Order of Canada recipient accused of falsely claiming to be Cree "most likely" has Indigenous heritage.
U.S. authorities have arrested 'El Mayo' Zambada, a historic leader of Mexico's Sinaloa cartel
Ismael 'El Mayo' Zambada, a historic leader of Mexico's Sinaloa cartel, and Joaquin Guzman Lopez, a son of another infamous cartel leader, were arrested by U.S. authorities in Texas on Thursday, the U.S. Justice Department said.
Harris pushes Netanyahu to ease suffering in Gaza: 'I will not be silent'
U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris pressured Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday to help reach a Gaza ceasefire deal that would ease the suffering of Palestinian civilians, striking a tougher tone than President Joe Biden.
'She led it the whole way': 18-year-old B.C. woman leads hikers to safety in Jasper National Park
As fire threatened people in Jasper National Park, Colleen Knull sprung into action.