Barrie’s long-planned boundary expansion is moving closer to reality.
On Nov. 25, the Ontario government introduced legislation that would shift municipal boundaries, transferring 1,216 hectares from Springwater Township and 457 hectares from Oro Medonte Township into Barrie. In total, 1,673 hectares of new land would be added to the city.
The legislation — Bill 76, the Barrie-Oro-Medonte-Springwater Boundary Adjustment Act, 2025 — received first reading, with second reading ordered. The bill will be debated, referred to committee for review, and return for third reading before a final vote. If passed and given royal assent, the boundary changes would become law.
Barrie Mayor Alex Nuttall first proposed shifting the boundaries in 2023 to free up employment lands. In mid-2024, the province appointed a land and development facilitator to assist negotiations. The province set a Sept. 30, 2025 deadline for Barrie, Oro-Medonte, Springwater and the County of Simcoe to finalize a framework agreement.
Barrie approved the plan in early October. The county and Oro-Medonte offered tentative support in early November. Springwater followed in mid-November after Mayor Jennifer Coughlin used strong-mayor powers to approve the deal.
Barrie’s population is estimated at roughly 169,000 and is projected to reach 298,000 by 2051. Over the same period of time, the city expects as many as 150,000 new jobs.
With the province now backing the expansion, Nuttall said the legislation will help secure the city’s economic future.
“For too long, many Barrie residents have had to leave our community every day to find good paying jobs,” he said.
“This proposed legislation gives us the land we need to change that. It will help attract new employers, expand our local job market, and create the kind of long-term, stable employment opportunities that allow families to build their lives right here at home. We look forward to continuing our strong relationship with the Province, the OPLDF, and our neighbouring municipalities to ensure a smooth transition and to deliver the economic opportunities families in this area deserve.”
City officials maintain that the boundary expansion is essential to attracting industrial and commercial development, supporting new housing and making use of existing servicing capacity for water, wastewater and transit.
In a statement, Municipal Affairs and Housing Minister Rob Flack said the adjustment will drive economic growth and improve housing supply in the county. It’s estimated that upwards of 8,000 new homes could be built in the new lands.
“This boundary change will benefit the entire region by protecting jobs and accelerating economic growth in Simcoe County, while laying the groundwork for more people to live here,” he said.
The ministry said Barrie, as Simcoe County’s largest urban centre and its regional hub for transportation, health care, education and employment, has seen its population climb nearly 13 per cent in the past two years. With no serviced land left inside its boundary, the city is projected to run out of residential land in the 2030s and employment land in the 2040s unless expansion occurs.
Barrie hopes to see the boundary changes take effect by Jan. 1, 2026.
