The mayor of Barrie, Ont., has declared a city-wide state of emergency in response to homeless encampments that have led to a rise in municipal property damage and public safety concerns stemming from the ongoing opioid crisis.
Mayor Alex Nuttall made the announcement during a news conference on Sept. 9, saying the city is focused on restoring the safety of its streets by shutting down encampments on public property.
“The City of Barrie is immediately instituting a state of emergency to reclaim our streets, our boulevards, our parks, our squares, our feeling of safety, and our order,” he said.
The mayor referenced a sequence of incidents over the past few months that led to the decision, including overdoses, thefts, assaults and, encampment fires….