OrilliaMatters welcomes letters to the editor at [email protected] or via the website. Please include your full name, daytime phone number and address (for verification of authorship, not publication). The following letter is in response to 'Springwater, Oro-Medonte agree to keep border talks going with Barrie,' published Dec. 11
Oro-Medonte has proposed a partnership with the City of Barrie to collaboratively address housing and infrastructure needs while sharing services.
This innovative approach would enable Oro-Medonte to construct more affordable homes while helping Barrie secure the revenue necessary to develop critical infrastructure for industrial expansion in its south-end lands.
By working together, the two communities can create a win-win solution:
- Oro-Medonte can expand its housing options, providing families with an affordable, peaceful lifestyle supported by a lower tax base
- Barrie can use the additional revenue from service sharing to fund essential infrastructure projects, paving the way for industrial growth and fostering excellent regional economic prosperity in the city's south end.
The recently released Hemson report provides critical insights that support this collaboration.
The report strongly indicates that Barrie has enough employment and industrial land to meet its needs until 2051. It suggests that the city should prioritize expanding infrastructure in the south-Barrie industrial lands to stay competitive.
The report also notes that the land Barrie proposes to annex in Oro-Medonte is unsuitable for industrial or employment purposes due to their topography and location.
The Hemson report forecasts a need for 2,340 additional housing units in Oro-Medonte over the next 30 years. To address this, Oro-Medonte proposes to build homes within its jurisdiction and form a collaborative partnership with Barrie on shared water and wastewater infrastructure.
This partnership aligns with the provincial mandate to expedite housing development, benefiting residents across the region.
Premier Doug Ford has called for regional collaboration. He has emphasized the importance of municipalities working together to overcome "invisible borders" and leverage existing infrastructure for mutual benefit.
"Forget about this invisible border … I encourage you to co-operate — it’s going to benefit your community and everyone’s community and drive prosperity," Ford has said.
Cross-border service sharing of water and wastewater between Barrie and Oro-Medonte would be financially rewarding to the city. Research into cross-border ‘service sharing’ has shown successful outcomes across Ontario, with examples including Oxford County and Town of Ingersoll, as well as York and Durham Region.
These collaborative models demonstrate how shared services can meet infrastructure challenges while delivering value and prosperity to communities.
As you can see, cross-border servicing can benefit all of our residents of Simcoe County. It can help the City of Barrie finance their need for industrial infrastructure growth, while helping to build affordable housing in the Township of Oro-Medonte.
In the end, I believe that Oro-Medonte can collaborate with the province and Barrie and help deliver results that strengthen both our municipalities and the broader region of Simcoe County.
In the words of our premier, “let’s get it done.”
Jane Voorheis
Oro-Medonte
