City of Barrie - Boundary Expansion Request

In September 2023, Mayor Nuttall from the City of Barrie presented a proposal to Springwater Council regarding a proposed boundary adjustment. In this proposal, the City indicated that they currently have a very limited supply of industrial developable land with access to water and wastewater. They are seeking additional vacant and serviced employment lands beyond the City’s existing boundary, in the Townships of Springwater and Oro-Medonte, to attract new investment and allow existing businesses to expand. A similar presentation was made to the Standing Committee on Heritage, Infrastructure & Cultural Policy on November 6, 2023.

Four key principles were identified as being critical to their proposal:

Environmental conservation;
Value to all municipalities, in addition to taxes from employment lands and cost savings on infrastructure;
Employment opportunities for all residents; and
Potential additional housing opportunities.

Details of the City of Barrie's Proposal

The proposal identified three key study areas:

Study Area 1 – Penetanguishene Road (Hwy 93) / Little Lake
Study Area 2 – Bayfield Street North; and
Study Area 3 – Miller Drive/County Road 90

Study Area Mapping

1,324 hectares have been identified in the Study area; the City of Barrie agrees to service 10% of the developable land for Springwater’s use (at the end of the City’s servicing window).
Springwater will pay all of the infrastructure costs associated with their land with no commitment on timing.
In exchange, the remaining land will be transferred to the City of Barrie. The City of Barrie commits to preserving the city-owned parcels of land around Little Lake as a natural park.

Current Status

Updated December 13, 2024

At a Special Meeting held on December 11, Springwater Council received a presentation from Hemson Consulting regarding a Joint Land Needs Analysis and Study. The study represents the completion of Stages 1 and 2 of the engagement and was performed to evaluate the City of Barrie’s claim of a need for additional employment lands and consideration for additional residential lands at the boundaries of the City of Barrie, the Township of Oro-Medonte and the Township of Springwater.

Following the presentation by Hemson Consulting, Springwater Council voted in favour of continuing to engage with the Office of the Provincial Land and Development Facilitator, Hemson Consulting, the City of Barrie, Township of Oro-Medonte, and the County of Simcoe. The next stage of the process, Stage 3, involves Hemson Consulting developing a work plan to further analyze the options identified in the Joint Land Needs Analysis and Study. Additional information on the proposed work plan will be shared publicly, where possible.

At this time, no specific lands have been identified for annexation. Stage 3 of the engagement will assist in identifying parcels of interest. The Township of Springwater has not established an official position on the boundary request from the City of Barrie. The facilitated discussions amongst all parties remains a voluntary process and in the spirit of cooperation and respect, the Township of Springwater has strictly adhered to the process outlined in the Provincially facilitated agreement with the City of Barrie, Township of Oro-Medonte and the County of Simcoe. The Township will continue to move forward in this manner with the hope that a comprehensive assessment of this kind, will guide collective decisions on addressing land needs for all parties and foster regional collaboration.

The Township of Springwater remains committed to finding mutually beneficial solutions for managing growth that strengthen our respective communities and provides opportunities for all residents.

View the Joint Land Needs Analysis and Study

Question & Answers on Facilitated Discussions Regarding the City of Barrie's Proposed Boundary Expansion

What is the purpose of the facilitated discussions?

The purpose of these facilitated discussions is to develop a mutually acceptable approach to enable growth in the area and achieve local and provincial priorities, such as the creation of housing and opportunities for employment in the vicinity of the boundaries between Barrie/Springwater and Barrie/Oro-Medonte.

In March 2023, Springwater Council authorized the Mayor, Deputy Mayor and Chief Administrative Officer to meet with surrounding landowners/property developers, municipalities, and/or representatives from the City of Barrie regarding potential inter-municipal servicing arrangements, shared services and municipal boundary adjustments. Following this, the City of Barrie approached Springwater Council in September 2023 requesting additional land that were to be utilized for employment land uses.

In an effort to further these discussions the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing assigned the Office of the Provincial Land and Development Facilitator to facilitate these discussions between the City of Barrie, the Townships of Oro-Medonte and Springwater and the County of Simcoe.

As a first step, Hemson consulting was jointly retained in September of this year to evaluate the need for additional residential and employment lands at the boundaries of Barrie/Springwater and Barrie/Oro-Medonte. Hemson has recently completed that task.

What lands were included in the Joint Lands Needs Analysis study area?’

The study area includes lands along the Barrie/Springwater border and the Barrie/Oro-Medonte border.

View the Map

Will the Joint Land Needs Analysis and Study prepared by Hemson be made available to the public?

Yes, the Joint Lands Needs Analysis and Study is publicly available on each of the municipalities websites.

View the Joint Land Needs Analysis and Study

What does the Joint Land Needs Analysis and Study say?

The study determined that there is a need for additional land for residential development and for comprehensive community area uses for the City of Barrie.

What are the next steps in the process?

Each municipal Council will be requested to consider the Joint Land Needs Analysis and Study at an upcoming meeting of Council. The Township of Springwater’s meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, December 11, 2024 at 4:30 p.m.

View the Agenda

Has Springwater Council established a position on the City of Barrie request for lands?

At this time, the Township of Springwater has not established an official position on the land request. The Township remains committed to finding mutually beneficial solutions for managing growth that strengthen our respective communities and provides opportunities for all residents.

How will the public be engaged in the process?

Members of the public are invited to attend a public meeting of Council on December 11 at 4:30 p.m. During the meeting Hemson Consulting will present their findings and this matter will be further discussed by Council in an open session meeting.

As discussions continue through the facilitated process, all parties are committed to providing regular updates to keep their respective communities informed. Any potential decisions that may result from the facilitation process will be considered in an open, transparent forum.

Who is Hemson Consulting?

Hemson Consulting is an experienced consulting firm in the Province of Ontario, that advises on growth management, long-range strategic planning, and adequacy of land supply for municipalities. Their services were contracted through a competitive procurement process.

Who is paying the cost of the consultant?

The cost of the Joint Lands Needs Analysis and Study has been shared by all four municipalities.