Municipalities lend support, push back on military radar plan in Clearview
By: Wayne Doyle, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Source: BarrieToday.com, Nov 22, 2025
Neighbours helping neighbours.
That’s how Springwater Deputy Mayor George Cabral describes his township’s support for Clearview’s opposition to a Department of National Defence (DND) plan to build the Arctic Over the Horizon Radar (A-OTHR) receiving site on a parcel of land just west of Springwater’s western border, about 30 kilometres west of Barrie.
“Springwater borders Clearview. We’re neighbours, and neighbours should support one another,” Cabral told BarrieToday. “I’ve also noticed that signs opposing the DND A-OTHR have already appeared, and continue to appear, on many properties within Springwater.
“Clearly, our residents are concerned and, as their representative, I felt it was appropriate to bring the matter before council for support,” he added.
At its meeting earlier this week, Springwater council voted unanimously to support a resolution backing Clearview, which was tabled by Cabral and Coun. Matt Garwood.
In the preamble, Cabral said the impact of the DND’s decision to locate the facility in Clearview would result in the loss of thousands of acres of prime agricultural land that has been in production for generations.
Cabral also said he hopes the minister responsible for the DND will exhaust all other options to relocate the facility in order to safeguard agriculture farmland.
Garwood wanted the letter to address three primary concerns:
Recognize the value of the agricultural land under consideration and the serious local impacts permanent conversion would cause to food security, farms and businesses in the surrounding area.
Prioritize alternative site options that avoid productive farmland.
Commit to a transparent, meaningful consultation with the affected municipalities, landowners, farmers, conservation authorities and Indigenous communities before irreversible steps are taken.
Cabral and Garwood found an ally in Mayor Jennifer Coughlin, who was born and raised in Clearview.
“This is causing quite the stir in Clearview and I have reached out to (Clearview Township) Mayor (Doug) Measures as well as our MP, (Terry) Dowdall, who’s advocating heavily for them, to discuss this,” Coughlin said. “I’m happy to be supporting our neighbours and their cause.”
Earlier this year, on July 17, as part of Canada’s $38.6-billion plan to modernize North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) over the next two decades, the DND announced the selection of the first transmit and receive sites for the A-OTHR project.
“The selection of the first two sites sets the foundation for further development and expansion, and is a major milestone toward reinforcing Canada’s security and sovereignty in the Arctic,” a news release stated. “The A-OTHR project is anticipated to reach initial operational capability by the end of 2029. It will ultimately require four sites to be fully operational: two transmit sites and two receive sites.”
For a permanent transmit site, the DND acquired 163 hectares (403 acres) of vacant property in the northern part of Thistle Trail, just north of Bexley Township in the City of Kawartha Lakes.
In Simcoe County, the preliminary receive site consists of 288 hectares (712 acres) of agricultural land at 2225 Sideroad 15 and 16 in Clearview Township.
Springwater is not the only local municipality supporting Clearview. The Township of Essa, the Town of Innisfil and the Municipality of Grey Highlands have also stepped up.
In a letter dated Sept. 22, Essa council wrote to Clearview’s mayor, expressing its full support of Clearview’s position regarding the protection of valuable farmland.
“Agricultural lands are a vital resource not only for Clearview but for all of Simcoe County and beyond,” said the letter, penned by Essa Mayor Sandie Macdonald. “These farmlands sustain our local economy, support our rural way of life and, most importantly, put food on everyone’s table.
“Once these lands are lost, they cannot be replaced — and the long-term impact on food security and the rural character of our region would be irreversible,” she added.
The letter noted Essa stands firmly alongside Clearview in advocating for the preservation of agricultural land and in calling for a balanced approach that protects national interests while respecting local communities and food-producing farmland.
The support means a lot to Clearview’s mayor.
“We’re very pleased that our concerns for our municipality have been heard by our neighbours and they’ve submitted their support for our community,” Measures told BarrieToday during an interview Friday afternoon. “As an agricultural community, farmland is our No. 1 priority.”
Preserving it is not easy, he acknowledged.
Clearview, like many municipalities in southern Ontario, is under pressure to build homes to realize the province’s goal of 1.5 million new homes by 2031.
Measures noted residential developers have to follow a prescribed route that takes years.
With the proposed radar system being built by the federal government, it doesn’t follow the same path.
“We are part of a democratic monarchy and so, as a result, the queen or king — the king, in this case — has clear authority to use and take land for the purpose of the country,” Measures said. “They don’t have to take a lot of time. They just need to secure the property.”
According to Measures, the DND has secured one parcel of land in Clearview that is about 280 hectares (700 acres) in size. He said the department is looking for an additional 1,600 hectares (4,000 acres).
“There’s probably about 2,000 acres of it that is going to be antennas because they’ll have a big buffer area to keep people from getting into it,” he said.
Taking 1,600 hectares of prime farmland out of production for this project will not only affect many generational farmers, but it will impact the township financially, said Measures. Businesses that support the agricultural industry will slowly disappear, their services and goods no longer needed in a township that isn’t focused on agriculture, he added.
Measures said he’s “floored” that the Canadian government hasn’t found another location for the radar system, one that doesn’t involve taking prime farmland out of production.
“They absolutely could find another location,” he said. “It’s right nearby and it’s got 21,000 acres — Base Borden.”
CFB Borden is located 25 kilometres southwest of Barrie, just outside of Angus in Essa Township.
According to the federal government, the local base is the largest training establishment in the Canadian Armed Forces and is home to a variety of other military and defence team organizations. On average, CFB Borden trains 20,000 military personnel annually. It also employs approximately 3,250 military members and 1,500 civilians.
The base is comprised of 8,500 hectares (21,000 acres) of land, including an approximately 2,800-hectare (6,000-acre) training area.
BarrieToday reached out to the DND for comment but did not receive a response prior to publication of this article.
City of Barrie welcomes proposed Provincial legislation supporting regional growth
(Barrie, ON) – Yesterday, the Province of Ontario introduced the Barrie-Oro-Medonte-Springwater Boundary Adjustment Act, 2025. If passed, the legislation would transfer lands from the Townships of Oro-Medonte and Springwater into the City of Barrie to support long-term housing, employment, and infrastructure growth.
“On behalf of the City of Barrie, I want to thank the Province of Ontario for taking this important step to support our region’s economic future,” said Mayor Alex Nuttall. “For too long, many Barrie residents have had to leave our community every day to find good-paying jobs. This proposed legislation gives us the land we need to change that. It will help attract new employers, expand our local job market, and create the kind of long-term, stable employment opportunities that allow families to build their lives right here at home. We look forward to continuing our strong relationship with the Province, the OPLDF, and our neighbouring municipalities to ensure a smooth transition and to deliver the economic opportunities families in this area deserve.”
Barrie is one of the fastest-growing urban centres in Ontario and serves as a regional hub for health care, education, transportation, and employment. With the city nearing a shortage of developable land, the proposed boundary adjustment will help unlock up to 8,000 new homes, support business expansion, and position Barrie to accommodate long-term population and job growth.
Barrie has made significant investments over the past two decades in water, wastewater, and transportation infrastructure to support future growth. The proposed legislation would enable the City to efficiently use existing servicing capacity to advance housing and job-creating projects.
The City will continue to work closely with the Province, the Office of the Provincial Land and Development Facilitator (OPLDF), and neighbouring municipalities to support the transition for residents and businesses.
For more information, visit barrie.ca/BoundaryExpansion.
Springwater mayor optimistic talks can continue with Barrie over boundary expansion
By: Wayne Doyle, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Source: BarrieToday.com, Nov 26, 2025
The mayor of Springwater is hopeful for further negotiations with Barrie’s mayor after the provincial government moves ahead with boundary adjustment proposal.
Heading into a three o’clock meeting yesterday afternoon to receive an update on Barrie’s boundary expansion proposal, Springwater Township Mayor Jennifer Coughlin was expecting the worst.
“Going into that meeting I thought I was going to hear ‘congratulations, you got the same deal that Innisfil got, which was nothing,” Coughlin said in an interview with BarrieToday early this morning.
“Yesterday, learning that there is still an opportunity to negotiate with the City of Barrie, that Barrie Mayor (Alex) Nuttall is still open to that, to me, it’s a massive win,” she added.
Coughlin said Nuttall was still looking to offer Springwater Township the compensation that was included in the framework agreement – $22,930,000 – and an additional payment of $850,000 spread over five years, related to economic development initiatives.
Yesterday, the Ontario government introduced the Barrie-Oro-Medonte-Springwater Boundary Adjustment Act, 2025 that will, if passed, transfer approximately 1,673 hectares (about 4,100 acres) of land located in the townships of Oro-Medonte and Springwater to the City of Barrie.
The provincial government introduced the legislation after the City of Barrie, the townships of Springwater and Oro-Medonte and the County of Simcoe failed to reach a full agreement.
Oro-Medonte and the County of Simcoe were the identified hold-outs.
BarrieToday reached out to both for more information.
We received the following prepared statement from Oro-Medonte Tuesday evening.
“The Township of Oro-Medonte has been an active and willing participant in the facilitation process over the past two years,” the statement began. “Throughout this period, we successfully advanced the proposal with the City of Barrie, and achieved consensus on the terms of a boundary adjustment agreement.
“The Township recognizes that full agreement among all participants in the facilitation process was not reached, which was required for the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing to endorse the proposal.
“As a result, the province of Ontario is now enacting legislation.”
According to Kelly Oakley, director of Barrie’s boundary adjustment team, Oro-Medonte’s council voted to endorse the framework agreement, subject to Barrie agreeing to additional conditions.
“Barrie was not supportive of those conditions,” Oakley said in an email to BarrieToday Wednesday.
“In addition, Oro-Medonte’s council voted to request the province impose additional changes around the actual land to be included in the annexation, to put limitations on future land use of any lands that were moved into Barrie, and defer decision on employment lands.”
How that affects Barrie’s decision to offer Oro-Medonte compensation remains to be seen.
Simcoe County Warden Basil Clarke issued his own statement.
“The county, through public statements and council decisions, has made our position known,” Clarke said. “While we acknowledge the intent of the process, and the decision of the Minister, we look forward to the province providing further support to address the entire region’s needs for the future.”
Yesterday’s announcement was the latest development in Barrie’s boundary expansion proposal, which first came to light in November of 2023, when Nuttall presented to the standing committee on heritage, infrastructure and cultural policy during a meeting in Barrie.
He provided the committee with an update on Barrie’s housing targets and highlighted why the city requires additional employment land so more residents can have jobs closer to home.
According to Nuttall, Barrie is in dire need of land that would be suitable for large-scale manufacturing and industrial development. He said Barrie needs space to grow as a community and it needs space to bring in jobs from outside the region.
Nuttall said the city was eyeing industrial land outside its municipal borders for the purpose of job creation.
Update from Doug Shipley, MP
As your federal Member of Parliament, I work to keep you informed on what the federal government is up to in Ottawa. While I am always happy to answer your questions about policy, a significant part of my job is to help constituents navigate federal government programs and services.
My team and I are happy to greet in person visitors and answer phone calls and emails Monday to Friday in my local office. You can find us at 48 Alliance Boulevard, Suite 104, in Barrie. You can also reach us by telephone at 705-728-2596.
We can assist with the following matters:
- Passports
- Canada Revenue Agency Inquiries
- Employment Insurance
- Canada Pension Plan and Canada Pension Plan Disability
- OAS and the Guaranteed Income Supplement
- Immigration Refugee Citizenship Canada inquiries
- Any other federal matters
How we can help is determined on a case-by-case basis, so the best thing to do is contact my office by telephone or email to discuss your specific situation. Then we can let you know what steps we might be able to take to assist you.
When contacting my office, you will often reach one of my knowledgeable team members as I am juggling responsibilities both here in Barrie – Springwater – Oro-Medonte and in Ottawa. If you would like to reach me directly to share your concerns around policy, legislation, or government service the fastest way to connect with me is by sending an email to Doug.Shipley@parl.gc.ca
With the various demands on my time every day I may not be able to respond immediately. I do review all emails and if I think that you will be best served by a direct conversation with a member of my team then I will ask them to follow up. Otherwise, you will receive a response from me.
We look forward to hearing from you.
Sincerely,
Doug Shipley
Member of Parliament
Barrie – Springwater – Oro-Medonte
Conservation authorities weigh pros, cons around sweeping merger plan
By: Wayne Doyle, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Source: BarrieToday.com, Nov 18, 2025
When it comes to the province’s plan to amalgamate 36 conservation authorities into seven, those who manage those organizations are of two minds.
While there’s a general sense of support if the planned amalgamation delivers services more efficiently and more economically, there’s also great concern about how the plan would be rolled out and how it would impact the local municipalities the conservation authorities were created to protect.
“The goal of modernizing conservation authorities to better address today’s challenges, and to create more consistency in permitting and technical expertise across the network, makes sense. And, if executed thoughtfully, it could lead to efficiencies and much more resilience across the province,” Rob Baldwin, chief administrative officer at the Lake Simcoe Regional Conservation Authority (LSRCA), told BarrieToday in an email.
The LSRCA’s catchment area includes Barrie, Oro-Medonte, Innisfil, Bradford West Gwillimbury and Ramara, as well as other municipalities in the watershed in York and Durham regions.
“The government has said that no changes to day-to-day operations are being proposed, so I think that’s reassuring and brings a level of confidence that services to municipalities won’t be impacted,” Baldwin added.
Jonathan Scott, chair of the Nottawasaga Valley Conservation Authority (NVCA), which includes Barrie, The Blue Mountains, Bradford, Collingwood, Clearview, Essa, Innisfil, Oro-Medonte, Springwater and Wasaga Beach, among other municipalities, says he agrees with some of the proposed changes.
“The government is right to want a conservation authority system that is more consistent, transparent and efficient to build more homes faster,” said Scott, although he was concerned that such a drastic consolidation could wreak havoc if not properly managed.
Scott, who’s also a Bradford councillor, will be in front of Springwater Township council on Wednesday evening pitching the organization’s budget request for 2026, starting at 5 p.m.
He contends the government’s amalgamation plan could risk creating a larger, more distant bureaucracy that’s less accountable and less responsive to local needs.
“The strength of Ontario’s current model lies in its local expertise — staff who understand the watersheds, municipalities, businesses and communities they serve,” Scott told BarrieToday. “Losing that local connection could make the very housing and infrastructure approvals the province wants to speed up more cumbersome and less responsive to local assistance to move files forward.
“In other words, a bigger, less nimble, more distant bureaucracy could well have the opposite effect of the government’s goal to speed up approvals for building homes and creating jobs,” he added.
Scott’s opinion might carry some additional weight as he’s already heard municipal reaction to an amalgamation proposal earlier this year.
In January, Oro-Medonte Township Deputy Mayor Peter Lavoie introduced a motion to amalgamate the LSRCA and the NVCA.
The majority of member municipalities for both organizations rejected the idea out of hand.
A couple of months after Lavoie floated the idea, municipal councils in Bradford, The Blue Mountains and Wasaga Beach opposed the idea.
By the beginning of May, the idea was dead in the water.
In an email to BarrieToday at the time, Scott said every municipality that considered the amalgamation proposal had passed a resolution to oppose it.
“It is now a mathematical reality that if an amalgamation meeting were called, the resolution would not pass,” Scott said in May. “We believe the question of an amalgamation of our two authorities is a closed matter given the clear municipal opposition.”
Conservation authorities were created by the provincial government in 1946 in response to deforestation, and were strengthened to prevent repeats of the extreme flooding caused by Hurricane Hazel in 1954.
A conservation authority’s main job is to monitor waterways for potential floods by regulating development near waterways and wetlands, in flood plains and along Great Lakes shorelines.
Today, 31 of the province’s 36 conservation authorities are in southern Ontario where development is the most extensive.
Each authority was created to manage its own watershed — an area of land that drains all the streams and rainfall into a lake, bay or river.
The government’s proposal is to create seven regional conservation authorities: Lake Erie, Huron-Superior, Western Lake Ontario, Central Lake Ontario, Eastern Lake Ontario, St. Lawrence and Northeastern Ontario.
According to Alexandru Cioban, spokesperson for the Minister of Environment, Conservation and Parks, the role of conservation authorities across the province would not change.
“To be clear, conservation authorities will continue to provide the same programs and services they deliver today,” Cioban wrote in an email to BarrieToday. “This includes protecting people and property from natural hazards, safeguarding sources of drinking water and managing conservation lands, trails and other recreational and educational facilities.
“Their mandate, service areas and funding models will remain unchanged, and boards will continue to be municipally appointed,” Cioban added.