Barrie’s proposed boundary expansion moved forward some steps last Tuesday night, when Springwater’s Mayor Jennifer Coughlin used her newly granted strong mayor powers to push forward a bylaw enabling formal talks with the City of Barrie.
The bylaw, approved in a split vote, authorizes Coughlin to engage in preliminary discussions with Barrie over its push to annex land from Springwater Township.
Barrie Mayor Alex Nuttall has signaled interest in expanding the city’s borders into both Springwater and Oro-Medonte townships to accommodate future growth.
Last year, an independent consultant’s report, commissioned by all the municipalities involved and the County of Simcoe, said Barrie city has a “relatively strong” argument to annex lands from Oro-Medonte and Springwater to allow for “community/employment area uses,” as opposed to simply absorbing “employment” lands.
Barrie Mayor Alex Nuttall has argued that the city’s limited 220 serviceable acres of employment land could hinder its economic growth. The annexation, he says, would attract investment, create jobs, and boost Barrie’s reputation as a regional economic hub.
The bylaw only deals with engagement over lands in Springwater and excludes Oro-Medonte, where discussions have stalled and details remain murky.
“This is a fact-finding mission,” Mayor Coughlin said during the meeting, adding that the move does not signal any commitment to transferring land.
“This is not going and making a unilateral deal with the City of Barrie. This will simply be bringing information back to Council,” she said.
The bylaw explicitly says that any future decisions or negotiations must return to council for deliberation in an open meeting — a key point Coughlin stressed to address concerns about transparency and due process.
“It’s been expressed numerous times that this becomes an open process,” she added, pushing back against accusations that the move bypasses council authority.
The vote passed with Councillors Garwood and Thompson siding with Coughlin. Opponents argued the bylaw was premature, given the lack of clarity around potential impact on local services, governance, and residents.
A consultant’s report from the firm Hemson is expected by the end of the month and could provide key insights about the implications of any boundary changes — including population growth projections, infrastructure needs, and financial impact.
Coughlin said that the process remains in early stages.
“This is exactly the direction we’ve talked about — gather the facts, bring them back, and let council and the public weigh in,” she said.
Simcoe’s next council meeting is expected to provide further details on the scope and timeline of the talks between Springwater and Barrie officials.
