Most residents support Barrie's boundary expansion for local manufacturer growth: Poll

City of Barrie population sign along Highway 400. (CTV News/Mike Arsalides)

A new poll suggests a majority of Barrie residents support expanding the city's limits to foster growth among local manufacturers.

According to the survey conducted by Mainstreet Research, 73 per cent of residents favour ensuring the city possesses an ample land supply to attract new investments from major industries, while 77 per cent expressed their endorsement for local manufacturers to expand instead of relocating.

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In a Tuesday release, Mayor Alex Nuttall highlighted the city's growth trajectory, noting how Barrie has been "one of the fastest growing cities in the country for decades."

"We need serviced employment lands to help our businesses continue to grow and prosper and to create high-paying jobs for our region," the mayor stated.

The survey delved into the perspectives of Oro-Medonte residents, revealing that 65.5 per cent back Barrie having enough land to produce industrial growth.

• RELATED | Oro-Medonte brings concerns over Barrie's boundary change request to province

Nuttall underscored the regional significance of the findings.

"This is not about what's best for Barrie - it's about what's best for our region," he stated. "The Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing has asked that Oro-Medonte work with the City, and we have formally extended the offer to the Township of Oro-Medonte to return to the table to find a local solution."

The poll gauged support for the Barrie mayor's efforts to bring more high-paying jobs to the area, with 83 per cent of respondents endorsing these initiatives and 60 per cent expressing the belief that the city currently lacks a sufficient supply of good-paying jobs.

The poll was conducted over two days last week and asked for input from more than 740 Barrie and Oro-Medonte residents.

According to Mainstreet, the poll is accurate up to 95 per cent with a +/- 3.6 per cent margin of error.