Innovative ideas and solutions were recognized at the 2025 Mayor’s Innovation Awards in Barrie.
The event took place at the Five Points Theatre in downtown after being postponed from November 2025 due to poor weather.
The awards recognize businesses, individuals and organizations whose creativity and drive are helping build a stronger community.
Award winners and runners-up are:
Pivot Point
Winner: Canadoor Garage Doors
Runners-up: Canadian Musicians Co-operative and Bektra Corp and Crave Arts Academy
Creative Collaboration
Winner: New Roots New Routes program, developed by the Sandbox Centre and the Henry Bernick Entrepreneurship Centre
Runners-up: Barns2Beaches Music Tour; Botree Inc.’s Level-UpTM Growth Hub and The Vanguard Network
Research and Innovation Contribution
Winner: SEAN.CA
Runners-up: Trainers Choice and The Dirty Seahorse
Youth Innovator
Winner: Omid Latifi (Latifi Digital Strategies)
Runners-up: Zoe Bystrov, Youth for Lake Simcoe and Jasmine Kaur, Subal
Shift Disturber
Winner: Ryan Joyner (Victory Ridge Sports Distribution Inc.)
Runners-up: Shakir Barmare, Barrie Indian Association; Beyond Giving Inc. and Rejoice Photo; LifeVac Canada Inc.
Municipal Innovation
Winner: Biosolids pilot project – led by Infrastructure (City of Barrie)
Runners-up: AI chatbot on barrie.ca – led by IT, communications, Service Barrie and Barcode scanner project – led by finance, infrastructure, Barrie police
Mayor Alex Nuttall said the awards highlight the strength of innovation across the community.
“There is certainly a lot to celebrate in our city,” he said.
“Often, innovation isn’t a big, splashy, sexy thing. It’s something that happens internally, then grows – and it can change culture, it can change financials, it can change communities.”
In a later social media post, Nuttall said the ideas from nominees and winners contribute to a stronger community.
“We celebrated the incredible nominees and winners whose ideas and solutions are shaping a smarter, stronger community,” he stated.
The event is supported by sponsors including Adams Hamilton, Ain Whitehead LLP, Marquee Benefits Inc., Innovative Automation, reIGNITE Conference and the Sandbox Centre.
A panel of judges evaluated more than 80 nominations before selecting a shortlist of finalists. The 2026 Mayor’s Innovation Awards are scheduled for November 2026.
