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Barrie, Ont. mayor declares city-wide state of emergency

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The mayor’s declaration gives city staff the authority to enforce Barrie’s encampment protocols more aggressively, prioritize the dismantling of sites considered high-risk, and hire outside contractors if necessary to speed up cleanup efforts.

It also calls for a task force to be created to oversee the response to encampments, illegal drug use and social service.

As part of the order, the mayor is calling on the County of Simcoe to expand access to additional shelter spaces and support services, while pressing the province to review funding for social programs in the city.

The mayor pointed to the pandemic as the start of the issue, noting the city currently has nearly two dozen encampments, with some situated along waterways and in public parks with playgrounds.

“The number of individuals living unhoused and/or in encampments has significantly increased in the City of Barrie since the COVID-19 pandemic. Not all these individuals are originally from the City of Barrie; several individuals have come from other municipalities to Barrie streets and/or encampment locations.”

While some measures were made last year to provide supports through County and provincial funding, Nuttall said those measures weren’t enough to prevent encampments from spreading.

“Certainly, there is a lot of work to do,” the mayor said.

At this time, it’s unclear when the dismantling of the encampments will take place.

News reached out to the premier’s office last week to ask what they were doing to assist municipalities with the crisis and have not heard back.

CTV

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