Ontario Construction News staff writer
Oro-Medonte residents attending a public meeting at Barrie city hall last week are protesting a proposed annexation that would shift nearly 2,150 acres from Springwater and Oro-Medonte into the City of Barrie.
“This draft annexation agreement is rushed. It does not represent responsible land use planning and we believe it is unjustified,” said Jane Vorhees, speaking on behalf of dozens of neighbours. “Life changing land use documents with four days’ notice does not give the public a real voice.”
Despite the opposition from Oro-Medonte, Springwater and Barrie residents, Barrie city council voted Wednesday to approve framework agreements that would open up large tracts of land for residential and employment construction. The restructuring deal still requires approval from both townships, Simcoe County, and the Ontario government before taking effect Jan. 1, 2026.
If finalized, the annexation would transfer 1,472 acres from Springwater and 677 acres from Oro-Medonte, affecting about 200 current residents. Barrie estimates it needs about 1,235 acres for new housing and institutional development and 741 acres for business parks and industrial construction.
“Our goal is to get lands in place that provide for jobs,” Mayor Alex Nuttall said after the vote. “What we want to see is the opportunity for people to not just live here … but also each and every day.”
Under the agreement, Barrie will compensate its neighbours at $15,000 per developable acre — more than $33 million in total — and contribute an additional $5 million to Simcoe County’s regional economic development programs. Oro-Medonte would receive a $10.2-million lump-sum payment in 2026, while Springwater would collect nearly $23 million between 2026 and 2030, plus $850,000 for economic development initiatives.
City staff say Barrie’s existing infrastructure can be extended to the annexed areas, while the proposal also includes cross-border servicing agreements, possible ward boundary changes before the 2026 municipal election, and protection of environmentally sensitive land around Little Lake.
The framework agreements follow a Joint Land Needs Analysis completed in 2024 by Hemson Consulting, which examined long-term residential and employment land requirements for Barrie and surrounding townships.
But Vorhees and others say the proposal is politically motivated and not in the best interests of the community.
“This draft annexation agreement is rushed. It does not represent responsible land use planning and we believe it is unjustified,” Vorhees said. “First, the pace of this agreement is concerning.
“This proposed annexation agreement appears rushed and politically driven.”
Rather than being about community needs and responsible land use planning, Vorhees said she believes the motivation to move to have the annexation completed by Jan. 1, 2026 is about “moving the annexation forward before the 2026 municipal election year.”
“Life changing land use documents with four days notice does not give the public a real voice.”
Details of the mapping and proposed changes were released to the public just four days before Wednesday’s public meeting and opponents accuse the city of “undermining the intent of the provincial planning act.”
Public consultation will continue, with meetings scheduled Oct. 8 in Springwater and Oct. 15 in Oro-Medonte. The agreements will also be sent to Ontario’s municipal affairs minister for consideration of a minister’s order.