City of Barrie officials and social activists seem far apart when it comes to what each side thinks will help improve downtown safety, mitigate rampant drug use and reduce homelessness.
Barrie Mayor Alex Nuttall touted various initiatives during a news conference Thursday to discuss safety concerns within the downtown core. Meanwhile, protesters nearby tried to make their own statements and ask questions about social issues affecting the city.
Community leaders, led by the mayor, gathered at Memorial Square on Dunlop Street East to “provide an update” on the city’s plans to tackle issues and concerns facing the downtown.
In attendance were Police Chief Rich Johnston, Downtown Barrie BIA executive director Craig Stevens, Bradford West Gwillimbury Mayor James Leduc, who was representing the County of Simcoe, and Mina Fayez-Bahgat, who is the county's general manager of community and social services, among other representatives.
Nuttall opened by saying there is a collaborative approach to “eliminating the silos that exist between various services here in the city of Barrie.
"We are ensuring all our services work together, whether it’s the police, the County of Simcoe, in terms of our social services, the BIA, in terms of taking care of downtown, and we are putting the well-being of individuals at the forefront in this city," said the mayor.
He added they are “ensuring the downtown is a place where folks can feel safe, they can feel secure, they can visit, they can partake in commerce, and seek out help if they need it.”
Nuttall stressed that officials are looking at all options to stop illegal drug dispensaries in the downtown area.
“There are currently, what I refer to as, businesses operating that are not in line with our laws and we are going to look at every avenue to ensure that they cease activity, they cease drug dealing, in downtown Barrie," he said, referring to stores selling psilocybin, also known as magic mushrooms, which are operating openly in the area.
Johnston said local police will be increasing their presence and visibility downtown.
“We hear what our community members are saying to us: You want to see us more, you feel safer when we are around," the chief said.
When asked about staffing pressures this may present, Johnston told BarrieToday that special constables, Citizens on Patrol volunteers, in addition to police officers, will be utilized to address the issues highlighted by the mayor.
“How do we deliver a presence without necessarily having a police officer on every corner, which for some individuals would be comforting, and for others, less so. It’s trying to find that balance,” Johnston said.
None of the measures listed appeared to be new. Officials reiterated their commitment to things such as more police officers downtown, alleyway cleanup programs, as well as the county’s 10-Year Affordable Housing and Homelessness Prevention Strategy.
Nuttall made mention of a group of around a dozen people holding protest signs while listening to speakers at the news conference.
“It wouldn’t be an announcement in Barrie without protesters,” he said.
After opening up the proceedings for questions from the media and others in attendance, one person questioned the mayor about people on the street being “banned” from using services at the nearby public library on Worsley Street.
“I have to be pretty blunt,” Nuttall responded. “There was an individual who was banned at the library, came to city hall and ended up leaving one of our security guards in the hospital. That’s not an individual I want sitting beside my children when they are reading a book.”
The mayor stressed the spaces, “which are designed to attract children, need to be able to protect those same children that are there.”
Nuttall said he doesn’t think it’s a question of whether a person should be allowed to go to the library or not; it’s a question of what services are available in the community for that individual who is experiencing that type of issue at that time.
After taking a few more questions from the crowd, Nuttall ended the news conference, much to the chagrin of several protesters.
Ashley, 25, who didn’t give her last name, said she works with Ryan’s Hope, a group which advocates for and supports people living with mental illness, substance use issues and experiencing homelessness. She said she was “pretty infuriated” with how the news conference played out, telling BarrieToday the mayor “deliberately ignored everybody that had genuine questions for him.”
She said they “only got wind of it last minute,” in regards to the news conference happening.
Affordable housing and “leaving the encampments alone” is what her group is urging.
“Leaving them alone so that the people that are trying to help them, places like Busby (Centre), Ryan’s Hope and the Gilbert Centre, that know where all our friends are, and stop moving them,” Ashley said.
“Healing starts with housing,” she added. “Encampments are all that our friends have.”
