Updated November 6, 2025 @ 4:47pm
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
