The homeless encampment along Mulcaster Street in front of the local courthouse and the Busby Centre in downtown Barrie has been dismantled following Mayor Alex Nuttall’s state of emergency declaration on Sept. 9.
Cleanup crews and police were on site Sept. 11 after notices of action were issued the day before.
Nuttall said 36 of 44 people living at the encampment have accepted local support services. He emphasized the state of emergency as the right move to address growing safety concerns.
“It’s important that we acted, and we acted in the way that we have because we take this very seriously — we are really trying to focus on moving forward out of this emergency,” he said.
The mayor pointed to recent violence and health hazards as justification, citing a double homicide where dismembered body parts were found, high E. coli readings leaking into Kempenfelt Bay from Dyments Creek, multiple fires, and weapons and drugs discovered in tents.
“These are signs that we are in an emergency,” he said.
Nuttall cautioned that eliminating all encampments across the city will take time. “It will take months to do this correctly,” he said.
“There are quite a lot of people living homeless here, so this will take some time to work through — day by day, person by person.”
He added that people seeking support will continue to have access to mental health care, addiction treatment, housing programs and employment assistance.
“You will see progression across the city and we will ensure no encampments are left and that folks who need more help will get it,” Nuttall said.
The mayor said the response since the declaration has been positive so far.
“People have been waiting for the help to be given to individuals who need it, but they’ve also been waiting for order to be restored on the streets of our city,” he said.
“It’s something that requires a lot of work, coordination and resources. The goal is to keep our city a place where the community feels safe and strong.”
