Barrie to plant thousands of trees following 2025 ice storm

One tree at a time.

The City of Barrie plans to plant roughly 6,200 trees over the next two years following the major ice storm of 2025.

The March 2025 ice storm damaged approximately 46,000 municipal trees and forced the removal of more than 5,000 street and park trees. In response, city council approved a replacement planting program last June aimed at restoring the city’s tree canopy.

Around 1,400 trees have been planted this spring in parks, natural areas and along street boulevards. Planting will continue over the next three weeks, with more work scheduled for the fall and spring of 2027.

Mayor Alex Nuttall and Deputy Mayor Robert Thomson announced the initiative at Leacock Park in the city’s northwest end. Nuttall said the newly planted trees represent an investment in the city’s future.

“Recovery is not just about cleaning up after a storm, it’s about taking meaningful action to leave our community stronger than it was before,” he said.

“As a community we came together, we supported each other, we helped each other remove trees, get out of driveways and restore power.”

The overall cost of the city’s ice storm recovery is estimated at about $30 million, with roughly $2.1 million earmarked for the tree replacement program.

Deputy Mayor Robert Thomson said the storm left a lasting mark on Barrie, but praised the community-wide response that followed.

“While the damage was extensive, so was the response,” he said.

“City crews, contractors, community partners, residents came together immediately following the storm.”

The replanting program is aimed at creating a more resilient urban forest. Barrie plants between 600 and 800 trees each year, making the current initiative one of the largest tree-planting efforts in the city’s history.

Once the program is completed in 2027, the city expects to have more trees than it did before the 2025 ice storm.