news | opinion

6 days ago2 min read

Image of flyer. Background is a faded grey photo of a person asleep on a sidewalk, with a duffel bag hiding their face. Title: A SYMPOSIUM ON HOMELESSNESS: Responding In Our Community with Compassion and Hope Monday, October 6, 2025 - 7:00-9:30pm. Come and hear about our community's needs - the connection between lack of housing, addiction and mental health - the resources in our community - and how access to affordable housing will help ease the pressure on our community Black box inset with white type: Speakers from: - Barrie Police Services - CMHA and the County of Simcoe - Barrie Cares - Habitat for Humanity - Local Advocates for those who are unhoused - St. Mary's Parish Dark green rectangle at bottom with white text: presented at St. Mary's Church, 65 Amelia Street Barrie, ON, L4M 1M7 White footer with black type: Registration not required. All are welcome.

A Symposium on Homelessness: Responding in our Community with Compassion and Hope - Monday, October 6, 7pm

St. Mary's Church is hosting another Symposium on Homelessness: Responding in our Community with Compassion and Hope on Monday, October 6 at 7pm. Speakers from various organizations in Barrie will be joining this panel discussion. Representatives from BHHJN, CMHA, Habitat for Humanity and others will be there to talk about this important issue and what steps forward look like from a perspective of care and dignity.

Events

Sep 282 min read

Barrie - Sustainability Advisory Committee - Meeting

Sustainability Advisory Committee – Thursday, October 2, 2025, 5:30pm

Sustainability Initiatives presentation, updates from working groups, committee mandate, sustainability coordinator

Sep 271 min read

City Council - Wednesday, October 1, 2025, 7pm

finalizing the proposed Municipal Boundary Restructuring a mere two days after the Public Meeting, changing the Use of City Property Bylaw to allow (belatedly) Encampment Evictions, funding Ice Storm clean-up

Sep 266 min read

September Members Meeting - Tuesday, September 23, 2025, 5:30pm

Rescheduled from September 30, in acknowledgement of the National Day for Truth & Reconciliation Our first Members Meeting since summer...

Engage Meetings

Affordable Housing / Homelessness

Sep 151 min read

Image of a referee with his arms out, making a call. Text: ILLEGAL USE OF A STRAWMAN ARGUMENT - Attempted deflection of an opponent's argument to a point they weren't defending. Play is no good.

Disrupting Bad Faith Arguments for Good

When it comes to homelessness, politicians and community leaders often toss out quick one-liners. On the surface, they sound like common sense. But look closer and you'll see they're actually logical fallacies - cheap shots that keep us from real solutions. If public debate had referees, here's what they'd be throwing flags on in a few of the housing and homelessness conversations happening in my area just in the last week.

Sep 33 min read

Sustainability Advisory Committee – Thursday, September 4, 2025, 5:30pm

presentation on the 2051 Transportation Master Plan, committee mandate discussion, updates from working groups Minutes: ...

Aug 291 min read

CANCELLED: Active Transportation and Sustainability Advisory Committee – Thursday, June 5, 2025, 5:30pm

*** MEETING CANCELLED - no reason made public *** work plan review, updates from working groups Minutes: not yet available Agenda: ...

May 311 min read

Communities In Bloom Committee – Tuesday, June 3, 2025, 4pm

2025 program criteria, communications tactics, preparation for the judges' visit, following up on 2024 Minutes: ...

May 301 min read

Active Transportation and Sustainability Advisory Committee – Thursday, May 1, 2025, 5:30pm

Presentation on Solar Mapping, work plan review, updates from working groups Minutes: https://barrie.legistar.com/View.ashx?M=M&ID=1276...

Apr 261 min read

CANCELLED: Active Transportation and Sustainability Advisory Committee – Thursday, April 3, 2025, 5:30pm

presentation on solar mapping, work plan review, working group updates Minutes: not yet available Agenda: https://barrie.legistar.com...

Mar 291 min read

Active Transportation and Sustainability Advisory Committee – Thursday, March 6, 2025, 5:30pm

presentation on sustainability initiatives, work plan review, updates from working groups Minutes: https://barrie.legistar.com/View.ash...

Mar 31 min read

Active Transportation and Sustainability Advisory Committee – Thursday, February 6, 2025, 5:30pm

future of the committee, vice-chair selection, updates from working groups Minutes: https://barrie.legistar.com/View.ashx?M=M&ID=127680...

Feb 11 min read

CANCELLED: Active Transportation and Sustainability Advisory Committee – Thursday, December 5, 2024, 5:30pm

CANCELLED - no explanation made public Agenda: https://barrie.legistar.com/View.ashx?M=A&ID=1211199&GUID=8E0A0B5E-703F-4C12-8618-7F7797...

Nov 29, 20241 min read

Active Transportation and Sustainability Advisory Committee – Thursday, August 1, 2024, 5:30pm

This meeting was CANCELLED, no explanation made public Agenda: https://barrie.legistar.com/View.ashx?M=A&ID=1211354&GUID=CCE5C2BA-EE25-...

Jul 26, 20241 min read

Household Food Insecurity "Lunch & Learn", January 23

Posting on behalf of our partners at the Simcoe County Food Council Household Food Insecurity in Simcoe County / Muskoka January 23, 12...

Events

Jan 10, 20241 min read

Circulation List for December 13, 2023

A new "food forest" has been planted, there's a public meeting on the City's proposal to allow up to four units on a residential...

Dec 9, 20232 min read

Community Safety Committee – Tuesday, September 19, 2023, 6pm - Public Meeting: HOMELESSNESS

This is "The Biggie" – the Public Meeting to discuss the anti-homeless motion and bills brought forward this spring. Please consider...

Sep 14, 20232 min read

Fact-Checking City & Council Communications re: "Homelessness" Motion & Bills

We made note of some incorrect information stated in the June 21 Council meeting, at which the controversial Bills 67 & 68 (the...

Council Follow-up

Affordable Housing / Homelessness

Jul 7, 202316 min read

JHSSM Response to Bills 67 & 68

Our colleagues at the John Howard Society of Simcoe & Muskoka has released a statement of their opposition to the Bylaw amendments. ...