Latest news with #CountyOfSimcoe
CTV News
3 days ago
- Climate
- CTV News
County finally nearing completion of record ice storm debris collection months later
Months after Mother Nature unleashed a spring ice storm that coated the region in a thick layer of ice, downed power lines, snapped branches from trees and caused widespread property damage, the County of Simcoe says its finally nearing the end of record brush collection. The ice storm began with freezing rain on March 30 and quickly turned into a region blanketed in an icy glaze, the weight of which turned into weeks and months of cleanup efforts, with the County turning out some incredible numbers - including over 20,000 tonnes of brush material collected, compared to 4,400 in an average year. "Over the past three months, the intake is more than four times the typical annual amount," the County reports. More than two dozen different crews were called on to support the cleanup efforts right across the County and residents were given the thumbs up to drop brush at waste facilities free of charge. The County says it received over 1,200 service calls from all corners as residents requested brush pick-ups. Residents are able to drop off storm-related debris at waste facilities for free until the end of June, regular fees will apply starting in July.
CTV News
10-06-2025
- Business
- CTV News
County pushes back on Barrie's boundary expansion proposal
The County of Simcoe is raising concerns about the City of Barrie's proposed boundary expansion, warning it could cost the region millions in tax revenue and development charges, impact infrastructure, and chip away at local economic development. According to a recommendation report presented to the County on Tuesday, staff were directed to work closely with impacted municipalities and consultants to complete a detailed analysis of the potential fallout from Barrie's proposed annexation of land from Springwater and Oro-Medonte. "An adjustment to the boundaries of the Township of Oro-Medonte and the Township of Springwater is also an adjustment to the boundaries of the County of Simcoe," the report noted. "There are countless examples of municipalities growing side by side in Ontario, where annexation is not required to support growth." The County made it clear it's not opposed to a boundary adjustment, as long as the municipalities involved achieve 'mutual benefit.' The County wants a comprehensive impact analysis to be considered before any changes are approved. It also seeks to have an equal role in negotiations with the City of Barrie. According to County staff, the total annual County tax revenue of the proposed annexed lands could be as much as $6.5 million and tens of millions in development charges. The area under consideration includes about 11 kilometres of County and provincial roads and key employment lands that support long-term economic growth. The report notes the goal is to support sustainable growth that is balanced within the County without giving up control to a single city. The County is calling on the province to extend the deadline for a boundary agreement framework from Sept. 30 to Nov. 28 to allow for more thorough analysis and engagement. The report also states the County plans to continue working through the Office of the Provincial Land and Development Facilitator in hopes of reaching a cooperative solution with Barrie, but noted that if those efforts are unsuccessful, staff is prepared to present its findings directly to the province. Related Articles >> 'Is it a fulsome proposal?' Oro-Medonte responds to Barrie after ongoing boundary talks >> What's next for the boundary adjustment deal between Barrie and Springwater >> Significant development unveiled in Barrie's much-debated push for more land >> Barrie's mayor addresses push for boundary expansion at Queen's Park >> New report shifts focus to housing in Barrie's boundary expansion debate
CTV News
15-05-2025
- Health
- CTV News
HART Hub expected to launch in Barrie by July
It will be two months until the Ford government's newest way to help those battling addictions will fully be operational within Barrie. On Wednesday, city council received an update from the County of Simcoe, detailing its homelessness strategies to date, including what stage the Homelessness and Addiction Recovery Treatment (HART) hub will be ready in the city. The County was approved to set up a HART hub in Barrie this past winter, alongside 26 other locations across the province. The hubs will also replace outgoing consumption and treatment service sites scattered across cities in Ontario. On Wednesday, the County told city council it was making major progress towards finally opening the services to the region's most vulnerable. The County said it is currently in what it calls a 'soft launch' phase of a four-phase process with the new treatment option. 'We're scheduling some wellness clinics between May and June to get out there in the community, meet folks who may be eligible for heart hub services, and get started right away with some specific services,' said Amy Marshall, Community Support and Wellbeing director at the County of Simcoe. 'Not the full launch, but some services that are more available immediately.' The County said the hub would include a wide range of mental health and addictions services, including treatment, recovery, supportive housing, primary healthcare and social and human services. The HART hub will also work in tandem with existing services throughout the county, to look at expanding the services throughout the region. 'That integrated approach is really what's going to be useful for folks,' Marshall added. The county also updated city council on other measures it is taking to tackle homelessness in the city, including the controversial clearing of an encampment at Berczy Park last summer. According to the county, since crews moved in to help offer support, 75 per cent of those living in the encampment have now transitioned into permanent housing. 'Of those who are in and out of shelter, they're still being supported with our traditional supports,' said Mina Fayez-Bahgat, the County's Social and Community Services Manager. 'it's a very good pilot of what a 'Streets to Homes' model looks like, where you take someone literally from outside, consistently work with them to ultimately result in housing, permanent housing.' Councillor Jim Harris asked how the County's work on tackling homelessness relates to ongoing affordable housing projects, such as on Rose Street. Fayez-Bahgat told council that while the two are not directly tied together, supportive housing can provide an avenue for those going through the HART hub system to find housing that's more appropriate to their needs. 'The idea is by creating net new housing, you can start to move around your properties to create openings so that you can dedicate it for more specific health-based service,' he said. 'We knew that we need to end homelessness using these units, but we want to do it in a strategic way that allows people to come with supports – we create it through the creation of more housing.' The County said its next steps are to look at creating more transitional and supportive units, such as modular rapid-rehousing programs that it has currently set up across the region. Over the next decade, it will look to create at least 1000 affordable county-owned units across Simcoe County, as part of its affordable housing master plan.
