Ontario Premier Doug Ford stopped in Barrie on Saturday, Sept. 20, to tour a homeless encampment alongside Mayor Alex Nuttall, Deputy Mayor Robert Thomson and local Progressive Conservative MPPs Doug Downey and Andrea Khanjin.
The visit came just days after Nuttall sent a letter to Ford asking the province to intervene in Barrie’s encampment crisis. In the Sept. 16 letter, Nuttall said the city needed help and invited the premier to come see the situation first-hand.
“Due to the extreme challenges our community is facing I am asking you to come visit our city, tour the affected areas, and meet with me and my team,” Nuttall stated in his letter.
The mayor’s request followed Barrie’s declaration of a state of emergency to deal with the homeless encampments across the city, including several near the downtown core.
Speaking a day earlier at a funding announcement in Markdale, Ford said he backed Nuttall’s decision to declare an emergency and promised the province would support Barrie as it works to respond to the emergency.
The premier began his visit at Barrie city hall, where he met privately with officials. He then toured an encampment at Milligan’s Pond, a wooded area on the edge of the downtown.
In a Facebook post after the tour, Nuttall thanked Ford for making the trip and said the emergency requires a coordinated effort from every level of government.
“This emergency requires coordination across all levels of government, and it is reassuring to know that the province is at the table,” he wrote.
“With strong leadership, Barrie can ensure public safety while also addressing the root causes of homelessness.”
Nuttall has also reached out to Ottawa. On Sept. 18, he sent a letter to Prime Minister Mark Carney calling for federal assistance and inviting him to meet with city officials at Barrie city hall to discuss the crisis.
