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

There's a new layer to the evolving land dispute between Barrie and some of its neighbouring municipalities.

On Tuesday, Oro-Medonte Mayor Randy Greenlaw travelled to Ajax to speak to the province's Standing Committee on Heritage, Infrastructure and Cultural Policy over a boundary change proposal by the City of Barrie.

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The lands in question run from Georgian Dr. and Hwy. 93 to an area near Grove St.

Barrie Mayor Alex Nuttall brought a proposal to the Town of Oro-Medonte in 2023 as part of his push to unlock new industrial lands in Barrie, arguing that there needs to be more room for new businesses to come to the city or for others to expand.

"My council thought it was important that we have our voice on record as to the proposed partnership that the City of Barrie has provided as we don't really feel it's a fair and amicable and sustainable partnership," Greenlaw said to CTV News.

"A partnership is a win-win scenario where it's good for both the City of Barrie and the Township of Oro-Medonte," Greenlaw continued. "What it is, is basically we are giving up an entire concession of agricultural land in order for retaining 100 acres of what I think they are proposing is just over 2200 acres."

As part of his push, Nuttall has said it is important for the County as a whole that more employment lands in Barrie come to fruition, saying the city is exceeding its housing targets from the province but will soon not have enough jobs for the expected growth in population throughout the county in the coming years.

In 2023, Barrie had 1,809 housing starts, far above the province's target of 1,687.

"What we need is serviced employment lands to help our businesses to continue to grow and to create jobs for all residents to be able to work right here and not have to commute outside of our region for work," Nuttall said in a statement to CTV News. "Barrie has a proven track record to build homes, create jobs and we have the servicing to support the needs of our businesses whether it be water, wastewater, or transit."

While he acknowledges to some regard the challenges the City of Barrie says it is facing, Mayor Greenlaw believes that the City may have other potential options for industrial development in its southern corner.

He is suggesting the lands in question be developed for housing, bringing in funds he says would be needed to service existing lands in Barrie's south end.

"I think we would be much better building some homes in that area and tying into the infrastructure, which would create a revenue stream for the City of Barrie, which would be used to help them to put the infrastructure in the ground to the employment lands they already have in the south," Greenlaw said.

Greenlaw also met with Municipal Affairs and Housing Minister Paul Calandra this week, saying he left with guidance to keep discussions going with Barrie until the province issues a report following both presentations to the standing committee in recent months. Barrie presented its request for a boundary change in late 2023.