Barrie: 1)City of Barrie provides tips for protecting Lake Simcoe and drinking water; 2)City of Barrie offering residents free watering bags to help new street trees thrive; 3)City of Barrie resurfacing over 18 kilometres of roadway in 2026

1)City of Barrie provides tips for protecting Lake Simcoe and drinking water

Courtesy Barrie360.com and News Release

By City of Barrie, July 24, 2026

The City of Barrie is reminding residents of simple ways they can help keep Lake Simcoe clean this summer. In Barrie, our drinking water comes from both Lake Simcoe and local groundwater sources. Protecting these sources from contamination helps preserve the quality and safety of the city’s drinking water.

“The best way to ensure we have safe drinking water now and in the future is to protect it at its source,” said Stephanie Mack, Director of Waste Management and Environment. “Small actions can make a big difference. We all have a role in keeping Lake Simcoe clean and protecting our drinking water.”

There are simple, everyday actions residents can take this summer to help protect the city’s sources of drinking water:

Visit the car wash instead of washing your car in your driveway. Car washes are required to treat wastewater before it enters the sewer.

Fuel up your boat on land or at a marina where spill response materials are readily available.

Use compost instead of fertilizer. If you do use fertilizer, use it sparingly, especially near water sources or before heavy rainfall.

Drain water from your pool or hot tub across your lawn on a dry, sunny day so that it soaks into the ground and avoids flowing to the storm sewer. Avoid adding chemicals to your pool or hot tub for two weeks before draining.

When enjoying Barrie’s beaches and parks, please help keep these shared spaces clean by disposing of litter properly. To help protect our lake and shoreline, do not leave garbage on the ground or near the water.

2)City of Barrie offering residents free watering bags to help new street trees thrive

Courtesy Barrie360.com and News Release

By City of Barrie, July 24, 2026

The City of Barrie is providing free tree watering bags to residents who have received a new boulevard tree, as part of the City’s efforts to replace trees lost in the 2025 ice storm.

The tree watering bags will be available for pick up at Sunnidale Park (located at 265 Sunnidale Road), in the parking lot area, on the following dates:

Saturday, July 25, 2026 – 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

Saturday, August 1, 2026 – 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

Residents who received a new boulevard tree in 2025 or 2026 can attend one of the events and provide their address to confirm eligibility. Eligible residents will receive a free tree watering bag and instruction sheet. Please note that quantities are limited and will be provided on a first come, first served basis.

The contractor planting the trees is watering the new boulevard trees once a month, but additional watering by residents is helpful, as young trees require extra care to help their roots establish. The watering bag is easy to use and will help support the health of new trees.

The ice storm caused significant damage in Barrie, resulting in the loss of more than 5,000 street and park trees, and damaging approximately 46,000 municipal trees. The City took immediate action to undertake cleanup after the ice storm and is working quickly to replant trees that were lost.

In June 2025, Barrie City Council approved a replacement planting program to support rapid replanting and care of trees lost in the storm to help restore Barrie’s urban canopy.

For more information about street trees and the tree watering bag program, visit barrie.ca/StreetTrees.

3)City of Barrie resurfacing over 18 kilometres of roadway in 2026

Courtesy Barrie360.com

By Newsroom, July 18, 2026

The City of Barrie is resurfacing approximately 18.4 kilometres of roadway this year as part of its annual Pavement Management Program, with work already underway on several major streets and more projects scheduled throughout the construction season.

The annual program focuses on repairing surface issues such as cracking, rutting and deterioration in the upper layers of pavement. City officials say resurfacing roads before they deteriorate further helps extend the lifespan of existing infrastructure, improve driving conditions and reduce the need for more extensive and expensive reconstruction projects in the future.

Several resurfacing projects have already been completed or are nearing completion, including:

• Bayfield Street (Simcoe Street to Sophia Street)
• Clapperton Street (Dunlop Street West to Collier Street)
• Collier Street (Bayfield Street to Mulcaster Street)
• Ross Street (Bayfield Street to Sophia Street)
• Bayview Drive (Mapleview Drive East to Lockhart Road)

Additional work will continue throughout the construction season in neighbourhoods across Barrie.

ROADS SCHEDULED FOR RESURFACING IN 2026

CUNDLES

• Coles Street (Livingstone Street East to Gloria Street)
• Craig Crescent (Ford Street to Gloria Street)
• Gloria Street (Lillian Crescent to Kozlov Street)
• Heather Street (Bayfield Street to Oren Boulevard)
• Hilderbrandt Court
• Kozlov Street (Heather Street to Livingstone Street West)
• Noam Drive (Gloria Street to Lillian Crescent)
• Oren Boulevard
• Wells Crescent (Gloria Street to Coles Street)

DOWNTOWN

• Bayfield Street (Simcoe Street to Sophia Street)
• Clapperton Street (Dunlop Street West to Collier Street)
• Collier Street (Bayfield Street to Mulcaster Street)
• Belcourt Avenue
• Cundles Road East (St. Vincent Street to Bayfield Street)
• Davies Crescent
• Livingstone Street West (Bayfield Street to Sunnidale Road)
• Milne Court
• Ross Street (Bayfield Street to Sophia Street)

LETITIA HEIGHTS AND SOUTH BARRIE

• Bayview Drive (Mapleview Drive East to Lockhart Road)
• Broadfoot Road
• Eden Drive
• Fox Run
• Hemingway Crescent
• Little Avenue

Motorists can expect periodic lane restrictions and construction activity in affected areas while work is underway. The City is encouraging drivers to slow down in construction zones and follow posted signage to help keep workers and road users safe.