The air around Milligan’s Pond crackled with unease on Saturday, as Ontario’s premier stepped onto ground that has become a symbol of both crisis and hope for Barrie. The city’s encampments, stretched thin by desperation, now found themselves under the direct gaze of provincial power.
Less than two weeks after Barrie declared a state of emergency, Premier Doug Ford arrived in the city, escorted by Mayor Alex Nuttall. The visit marked a rare convergence of local urgency and provincial attention—a public acknowledgement that the encampment issue, long simmering at Barrie’s margins, had reached a boiling point impossible to ignore.
Joined by Members of Provincial Parliament Doug Downey and Andrea Khanjin, as well as Simcoe County Warden Basil Clarke and deputy mayor Robert Thompson, Ford’s tour began at City Hall and moved swiftly toward Milligan’s Pond. There, city leaders presented stark evidence: contamination in local streams, a surge in E. coli, and the daily struggles of those living without shelter. For one resident, her story cut through the statistics. She told the premier that the encampment was dangerous, fraught with drugs and the threat of violence for anyone speaking out. Mayor Nuttall described how she was referred to housing immediately—a small gesture in the face of a much larger problem.
For Nuttall, the premier’s willingness to see the crisis firsthand was more than symbolic. “When the premier takes the time to come in and see what’s happening on the ground, that’s because he wants to understand it a little bit better before he’s able to maneuver in one way or another,” he observed. Ford’s response was measured: he would consider the evidence and consult his team before promising action, a sign of what Nuttall called thoughtful leadership rather than empty assurances.
Hope, in Barrie, is a complicated currency these days. Nuttall expressed optimism that the provincial government’s involvement could pave the way for greater support—not just for Barrie, but for municipalities across Ontario facing similar crises. The mayor also issued an invitation to the federal government to witness the situation and consider legislative reforms that would enable real change. Whether Barrie’s moment in the spotlight translates into sustained support remains to be seen, but for now, the city knows it is not standing alone.
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Premier Ford tours Barrie, Ont. encampments during state of emergency
