Barrie, Ont. Mayor Declares State of Emergency Due to Homeless Encampments

A large-scale tent city near the Barrie Food Bank on Anne Street, just outside of the downtown core of Barrie, Ont., on Oct. 12, 2023. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Christopher Drost

The mayor of Barrie, Ont., has declared a city-wide state of emergency in response to homeless encampments that have led to a rise in municipal property damage and public safety concerns stemming from the ongoing opioid crisis.

Mayor Alex Nuttall made the announcement during a news conference on Sept. 9, saying the city is focused on restoring the safety of its streets by shutting down encampments on public property.

“The City of Barrie is immediately instituting a state of emergency to reclaim our streets, our boulevards, our parks, our squares, our feeling of safety, and our order,” he said.

The mayor referenced a sequence of incidents over the past few months that led to the decision, including overdoses, thefts, assaults and, encampment fires.

Topping the list was an investigation into a double homicide that occurred at a homeless encampment located at Anne and John Streets. The investigation led Barrie Police to charge 52-year-old Robert Ladouceur on Aug. 14 with second degree murder, first degree murder, and two counts of indignity to a dead body as well as a number of firearms, drug, drug trafficking charges.

The murder charges are linked to the deaths and dismemberments of William ‘Blake’ Robinson, 45, and David ‘Kyle’ Cheewsquay, 41.

In that same timeframe, city testing uncovered concerning E. coli levels in Dyment’s Creek, which flows through the encampment and into Kempenfelt Bay.

At the time, Nuttall said that “waterways flow downstream, and contaminants can impact drinking water, the natural environment, and residents well beyond the encampment itself.” He noted that other agencies declined to test the water, and the city “took the step” of conducting the testing.

Encampments present “unsafe conditions” for those living in and around them, the mayor said, noting the amount of waste on the site posed a health and safety risk and environmental concerns.

Nuttall said the state of emergency declaration would include the testing of all water and waterways near encampments, and the removal of encampments, starting with those that are closest to “critical infrastructure and public spaces.”

“Barrie is a place to come if you need and want help. It’s not the place you come and put a tent on the side of the road, use drugs, carry crossbows and pistols, and obviously set up shop as a drug dealer,” Nuttall said. “If you don’t want help, and that’s not your thing, please go somewhere else. If you want help, the County of Simcoe and all of their partner agencies are there to help.”

State of Emergency

Nuttall said the state of emergency declaration also allows for the creation of a new position to “oversee the implementation of social services” and to coordinate the various agencies responsible.

“One of the things that we’re doing is creating a task force headed by our chief administrative officer or delegate,” he said. “They will obviously work to remove the silos, get all of the offerings in place.”

He said a report will be commissioned to determine “how we got here” and make recommendations so that “we never come back into this emergency situation.”

Nuttall is also calling on the County of Simcoe to open shelter spaces to accommodate encampment residents and has asked the province to help with funding as well.

The Ontario government introduced legislation in December 2024 that, if passed, would provide municipalities and police with “new resources and enforcement tools” to deal with homeless encampments and illegal drug use in parks and public spaces.

The province said it has earmarked $75.5 million to support homelessness prevention. The money was said to provide those living in encampments with access to “reasonable accommodation.”

The government funding was in addition to its ongoing $700 million for homeless prevention programs and $378 million it put into the creation of 19 homeless and addiction recovery treatment (HART) hubs.

Premier Doug Ford said at the time that mayors and residents in the province had been “clear that enough is enough” regarding encampments and illegal drug use in parks and public spaces.