Barrie makes modification to Official Plan protecting drinking water

The guidelines that outline how the City of Barrie will be shaped for decades have been reverted to a previous version after meddling from the province in the thick of the Greenbelt Development controversy. The City's Official Plan is once again a version that was passed in March 2022. In 2023, under the direction of former Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing Steve Clark, the provincial government launched a review of changes made to the Official Plans for 12 different municipalities, including the City of Barrie, through Bill 150.

The changes were created in the Ford government's push to expedite housing construction across Ontario. However, on Oct.

23, following scathing reports into changes the province planned to make to the Greenbelt, then-newly appointed Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing Paul Calandra announced that the province would be reversing course on any changes made to Official Plans of the 12 municipalities in question, including the City of Barrie. The province began consultations with the municipalities to see which, if any, changes the province made that cities like Barrie might want to keep.

While the province is still reviewing the 847-page report the City submitted last month, one change has been made to the plan. A new policy has been added to the plan that reads: "Where their activity would cause a significant drinking water threat, uses outlined in Policy LUP-1 of the South Georgian Bay Lake Simcoe Source Protection Plan shall not be permitted in vulnerable areas."

According to staff, the change was made to align with provincial regulations. The mayor says ensuring access to clean drinking water is essential for the City. "We are always, always, always concerned to make sure that our drinking water and the lifeblood of our city, Lake Simcoe, is in a high standard of care, and we are doing everything we can to ensure the safety of our residents through our drinking water," Nuttall said.

Staff say they expect to receive a response from the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing on additional changes that the City has requested to its plan at some point this year.

Some of those changes include emphasizing the protection of critical environmental lands and creating more affordable homes.