It did not take Premier Doug Ford long to respond to a request from Mayor Alex Nuttall to visit Barrie and see for himself why the mayor declared a state of emergency in the city on Sept. 9 to address homeless encampments, citing public safety concerns.
Nuttall invited Ford to visit the city as part of an open letter to the premier posted to the mayor's Facebook page last week.
On Saturday, the premier, mayor, and other officials, including Barrie-Springwater-Oro-Medonte MPP Doug Downey and Barrie-Innisfil MPP Andrea Khanjin, visited Milligan's Pond, where an encampment is nestled among the trees and walking paths near Vespra Street.
In a Facebook post shared by Nuttall on Sept. 20, Nuttall and Ford are pictured at the encampment, while another picture shows the two at City Hall, where the mayor said they discussed the need for municipalities to enforce bylaws, as well as mental health, addiction and affordable housing
"This emergency requires coordination across all levels of government," Nuttall stated on Facebook.
In his letter to the premier, Nuttall said the city was requesting the province strengthen the existing system of mandatory community-based and residential mental health care, and to expand service to treat those who have severe and debilitating addictions.
There is no word on what commitments, if any, the premier made to the mayor regarding the concerns he laid out in his letter. Barrie 360 has reached out to Nuttall for comment.
Two days after the mayor declared a state of emergency, a homeless encampment with about 24 tents near the courthouse on Mulcaster Street was dismantled.
Nuttall has said previously that it could take months to clear all encampments.
The mayor also posted an open letter to Prime Minister Mark Carney last week.
Similar to his letter to the premier, Nuttall laid out for the prime minister a variety of concerns experienced in the city, including a double homicide, multiple fires, overdoses, assaults, open drug use, needles, and general lawlessness.
He requested that Carney's government advance bail and sentencing reforms to ensure repeat offenders who pose risks in encampments are held accountable, and for the federal government to expand investments in emergency shelters, supporting housing, mental health treatment, and addiction services to give municipalities safe alternatives when encampments are removed.
There is no word if the federal Liberals have responded to Nuttall's letter.
