Barrie grants $4.5M toward new Tollendale Village retirement development in Innisfil

A new retirement community development in Innisfil is getting a boost from the City of Barrie, which is providing a $4.5-million grant to support the project.

Speaking to a large group of seniors at Tollendale Village in Barrie’s south-east end, Mayor Alex Nuttall and Barrie–Innisfil MPP Andrea Khanjin announced grant funding for a second Tollendale Village campus, which will be located at 1870 Big Bay Point Rd. in Innisfil.

The partnership between the city and Tollendale Village will extend municipal servicing for the second campus. According to a media release, the city’s investment is intended to support the expansion of seniors housing options as the local senior population continues to grow.

The investment is also designed to spur development by providing necessary infrastructure servicing.

The second Tollendale Village campus was first announced in July 2019, with a Minister’s Zoning Order (MZO) approved by the Ontario government. The campus is planned for a 32-acre site and, once complete, will include more than 580 residential units.

Nuttall, who used his provincially permitted strong mayor powers to greenlight the grant, said the goal is to ensure seniors can continue living close to their families.

“Our focus is simple – making sure Barrie residents can stay in the community they’ve built their lives in,” he said.

“This is about keeping seniors close to their families, close to care, and close to home. By moving forward with servicing for Tollendale’s second campus, we’re taking a practical step to deliver the kind of housing our residents need.”

Khanjin, who serves as Ontario’s minister of Red Tape Reduction, said Tollendale is a special place for her and noted she admires the strong community spirit built at the retirement complex.

“Affordable seniors housing is a priority for our government – Tollendale is very near and dear to my heart,” she said.

“To see the incredible community you’ve all developed here – you can do carpentry, play games – this is really a place of social cohesion and a sense of belonging.”

In a media release, Ralph De Groot, chair of Tollendale Village, said the grant will allow the project to move forward with servicing and proceed to the next phase of development.

“Tollendale Village has been a trusted part of this community for years, and this next phase will allow us to build on that foundation,” he said.

“With the city stepping up to deliver servicing, we can move ahead with providing more housing options for seniors who want to remain at home in Barrie.”

No timeline for the start of construction has been released yet.