Homelessness: 1) Modular facility for those experiencing homelessness arrives in Barrie; 2)(Updated) City of Barrie clears homeless encampment at Milligan’s Pond; 3)(Updated) City of Barrie clears homeless encampment at Milligan’s PondClock appears to be ticking for encampment residents at Milligan’s Pond in Barrie

1) Modular facility for those experiencing homelessness arrives in Barrie

Courtesy Barrie360.com

By Ian MacLennan, November 4, 2025

A 40-bed modular facility arrived in Barrie aboard a convoy of trucks.

The County of Simcoe says this facility will form part of the Campus of Care, announced by Barrie Cares and the county last month.

“The modular building will immediately be utilized to support the County of Simcoe’s winter response strategy, providing a 24/7 40-bed program for those currently living unsheltered. This supportive bridge housing program will also provide 24/7 on-site support and services for unsheltered individuals to secure sustainable and permanent housing outcomes,” the county said in a news release on Tuesday.

The facility is expected to open in the coming weeks after installation is completed.

The modular is located on Tiffin Street, next to a former paramedic station that Barrie Cares plans to renovate into a space featuring a kitchen and dining area, a warming space, and urgent care rooms to connect people with support and health services. Barrie Cares has launched a $250,000 campaign to upgrade the building.

At last month’s news conference, Barrie Cares said the 40-bed modular facility will create a seamless pathway from emergency shelter to stability and recovery for an estimated 1,200 people over the next year.

The County of Simcoe is responsible for shelter services, including those in Barrie, such as the Busby Centre, Youth Haven, Elizabeth Fry Society and the Salvation Army Bayside Mission.

2)(Updated) City of Barrie clears homeless encampment at Milligan’s Pond

Courtesy Barrie360. com

By Julius Hern, November 6, 202

On Thursday, bylaw enforcement from the City of Barrie and police assisted in clearing a homeless encampment at Milligan’s Pond.

Security personnel were positioned at multiple access points to the area, which covers a large swath of land near downtown. The media and public were barred from accessing the property with the threat of a trespass notice. Multiple barriers with attached signs that read “NO ADMITTANCE,” have been in place since Tuesday.

Individuals living in the encampment got notice this week that they had until 9 a.m. Thursday to vacate the city-owned property, or they would be considered to be trespassing.

Cleanup efforts began just after 9 a.m., with heavy machinery operators to facilitate the cleanup of the encampment.

Outreach workers have been able to access the encampment to assist individuals living there.

The City of Barrie said in a statement Thursday afternoon that, in conjunction with the County of Simcoe, it took coordinated action to address the encampment at Milligan’s Pond.

“These efforts are focused on providing individuals with alternate shelter and support, while ensuring public safety and restoring the natural area,” the city stated.

The Milligan’s Pond site is another such site cleared by the city since Mayor Alex Nuttall declared a state of emergency in Barrie on September 9 to deal with homeless encampments.

Barrie firefighters have responded to two fires at Milligan’s Pond in the last two weeks.

The statement from the city quoted Deputy Fire Chief Eric MacFadden as saying encampments like the one at Milligan’s Pond tend to have a number of hazardous materials on site.

“Open flames and makeshift heating devices create a high risk of fires spreading quickly. When our fire crews got on scene last night, the fire was about 60 feet by 30 feet.”

Mayor Alex Nuttall added that fires like these put lives in danger and destroy the natural spaces our community values.

“It’s incredibly sad to see a place that I used to walk through to see swans, beaver dams, and all the beautiful things the outdoors had to offer turn into a place of encampment where suspected arson and crime are happening, ” said Nuttall.

In his statement, the mayor said the city is working every day with its partners to connect people to shelter, support, and safety.

“No one should be living in these conditions. We are here to help if you want help. If not, it is time to move on and allow this area to be restored for the safety of everyone.”

The city said the encampment situated throughout Milligan’s Pond has presented health risks and environmental challenges.

“Through consistent outreach and collaboration with the County of Simcoe, the city has successfully transitioned a number of individuals indoors to safe accommodations and is starting the work of cleaning up the natural environment,” the statement from the city said.

The cleanup at Milligan’s Pond will take weeks, and the park will be closed to the public until further notice.

Barrie’s general manager of community and corporate services Jeff Schmidt said at a recent executive committee meeting that since the emergency declaration, the number of encampments on city-owned property has decreased from 35 to 15.

“Besides the significant sites, Mulcaster Street, Bradford Street and Victoria Street, the majority of the sites have either been identified as abandoned following investigation, or were locations containing debris that only required cleanup efforts,” Schmidt stated.

The mayor said more than 80 per cent of individuals who had been living in encampments are currently receiving housing and support services, which is facilitated by the County of Simcoe.

Both the County and the City’s definitions of an encampment differ slightly. The County describes encampments as outdoor structures that are actively being used overnight by two or more individuals experiencing homelessness, while the City considers an encampment to be one tent or structure on a property.

—with files from Ian MacLennan

3) Clock appears to be ticking for encampment residents at Milligan’s Pond in Barrie

Courtesy Barrie360.com

By Ian MacLennan, November 5, 2025

Signage that reads “No Admittance” is posted at the entrances of Milligan’s Pond in Barrie, in anticipation that the city will remove people who are living in the wooded area, which covers a wide swath near the downtown.

In a statement to Barrie 360, city clerk Wendy Cooke said, “The City of Barrie, in collaboration with the County of Simcoe and Barrie Police Service, has taken coordinated action to address the Milligan’s Pond encampment this week. The City will provide details on the Emergency Order and actions taken to date in the coming days.”

Security personnel were posted at the entrances on Tuesday, preventing the media and public from accessing the property.

A security guard at the entrance to Milligan’s Pond off Boys Street told Barrie 360 on Tuesday that he was not to let anyone into the wooded area for the safety of the public and those living in the homeless encampment.

Outreach workers can access the encampment, and two of them, who had been meeting with several people living in tents up a path from one of the entrances, told Barrie 360 that individuals had until 9 a.m. Thursday to vacate the city-owned property, or they would be considered to be trespassing.

Mayor Alex Nuttall declared a state of emergency in Barrie on September 9 to deal with homeless encampments.

At a recent meeting of the city’s executive committee, Jeff Schmidt, general manager of community and corporate services, said that as of October 27, there were 607 homeless individuals linked to Barrie, and 54 individuals living in encampments.

“166 of these individuals are in shelters, 47 are identified as couch surfing, 340 are currently in the temporary family shelter program, and 54 are in encampments,” Schmidt said.

Since the emergency declaration, he said the number of encampments on city-owned property has decreased from 35 to 15.

“Besides the significant sites, Mulcaster Street, Bradford Street and Victoria Street, the majority of the sites have either been identified as abandoned following investigation or were locations containing debris that only required cleanup efforts,” stated Schmidt.

The mayor said more than 80 per cent of individuals who had been living in encampments are currently receiving housing and support services.

The County of Simcoe, which is responsible for shelter services, and the City of Barrie have slightly different definitions of what constitutes an encampment. The county describes encampments as outdoor structures that are actively being used overnight by two or more individuals experiencing homelessness, while the city considers an encampment to be one tent or structure on a property.