I am a resident of Oro…

I am a resident of Oro-Medonte and I am writing to oppose Bill 76 and the proposed boundary adjustment that would transfer thousands of acres from Oro-Medonte and Springwater to the City of Barrie.

You can’t eat concrete. It is very sad to watch productive farmland, forests and green space being treated as “unused” land simply waiting to be converted into subdivisions. Once this land is gone, it is gone. We will pay for this in the near future through higher costs, loss of local food security, and damaged ecosystems.

The government’s messaging focuses on 8,000 homes and “economic development,” but says very little about using Barrie’s existing land more efficiently (intensification, brownfields, empty commercial sites) or about the full, long-term costs of more sprawl – roads, pipes, transit, fire, policing and health services that taxpayers will fund for decades.

I am also concerned about the democratic process. Both Oro-Medonte and Springwater residents and councils raised serious objections. Instead of addressing those concerns transparently, the province is now imposing legislation to force the outcome Barrie wants. That may be lawful, but it does not feel fair, accountable or evidence-based.

I respectfully ask that Bill 76 be withdrawn or, at minimum, significantly amended to:
– protect prime farmland and sensitive lands from urbanization,
– require clear, binding commitments on employment lands and job creation before any expansion proceeds, and
– provide full, public financial and environmental impact analyses, not just high-level talking points.

Residents of the townships deserve more than being told this is a “done deal.”