‘Technical challenges’ causing project delays on Finlay Mill Rd.
By: Wayne Doyle, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Source: BarrieToday.com, May 14, 2025
When it was announced at a public information session in January 2024, the installation of five kilometres of force main from the Midhurst Heights development to the wastewater treatment plant on Snow Valley Road was scheduled to take 35 weeks.
“A year at the outside,” officials added then, providing themselves a small cushion in case of complications.
Almost 70 weeks later, the job isn’t finished and Finlay Mill Road, just north of Barrie, remains a one-way thoroughfare, causing traffic delays and congestion throughout the community.
Contrary to community speculation, the delay has little to do with the “financial difficulties” of the company that was hired to do the installation, Earth Boring Company Ltd.
“The Township of Springwater became aware of Earth Boring Co. Limited’s financial difficulties in April 2025, which was a matter of public record,” Trevor Harvey, the township’s director of public works, told BarrieToday in an email. “The implications associated with these difficulties do not affect the township directly as there are no contractual arrangements between the township and the contractor.
“The agreements are strictly with the developer,” he added.
According to information presented at the public information session, the developer, Rose Corporation, was footing the bill for the force-main installation with no contributions coming from municipal tax dollars.
According to a posting on BDO Canada’s website, on April 17, 2025, “Earth Boring Co. Ltd., Yarbridge Holdings Inc., Trolan Investments Ltd., and Yarfield Services Ltd. (collectively ‘Earth Boring’ or the ‘Debtors’) sought and obtained an initial order from the Ontario Superior Court of Justice (commercial list) pursuant to the Companies’ Creditors Arrangement Act.”
Harvey explained that the delay has been caused by what’s in the ground along the planned path of the force main.
“The issues contributing to the delays are related to technical challenges,” he said. “Specifically, the construction process is facing difficulties due to the presence of cobbles and boulders in the planned path for drilling, which complicates the construction methods.
“Additionally, there are pending approvals needed from the Ministry of Transportation Ontario (MTO), which extends the progress of the timeline,” Harvey added.
He said the combination of these factors is what is causing the project delays.
Harvey said the township has requested an updated schedule and he expects one will be provided next week.
“We understand that delays in construction can be frustrating for residents,” he said. “The project is designed to bring significant long-term benefits and improvements to the community.”
Originally designed to be completed in stages, stage one — Finlay Mill Road between Wattie Road and Doran Road — was supposed to take 12 weeks.
Stage two targeted Doran Road between Finlay Mill Road and Gill Road and was scheduled to be completed in six weeks.
Stage three was scheduled for 17 weeks and was to cover Finlay Mill Road between County Road 27 and Wattie Road.
Harvey said the township will keep the community informed about the progress of the project by providing regular updates through its official social-media channels and website.
Midhurst farmer furious after drainage issue creates ‘bathtub’ on his land
By: Wayne Doyle, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Source: BarrieToday.com, May 10, 2025
Appearing before Springwater Township council Wednesday night, Glenn Beer wanted to know which member of council he should send the bill to for repairs to his Gill Road farm.
He said his farm, which is located across the street from the Midhurst Heights subdivision development on the north side of what is known as the unopened Craig Road allowance (Ganaraska Trail), has been the dumping ground for the subdivision’s runoff and its caused washouts, erosion and damage to his property to such an extent that his wife, Penny, has had to forfeit her horse riding business, fearful that riders and horses could suffer an injury.
According to Beer, some of the riding trails that traverse the 100-acre property have been inundated with so much runoff, the formerly stable soil has turned to muck — unable to support the weight of a horse and rider.
“Yesterday, Penny sunk about two feet with a horse in the bush on our trails from all the water they’ve dumped down through our property,” Beer told council. “They pumped water onto our property for 10 days straight.
“It’s a joke,” he added.
Beer said he was never asked if the water could be dumped on his property and he’s upset that the developer, the Rose Corporation, abandoned the original plans, which, according to township officials, called for a discharge pipe to be built to Matheson Creek, four kilometres north of the site.
He addressed council after the Rose Corporation presented a proposal to amend the subdivision agreement to permit open cut construction of the storm outfall, which would be located on the unopened Craig Road allowance.
According to Rose’s presentation, the storm outfall design, which was approved in late 2023 to be installed via tunnelling, would be completed with an alternative construction method. The revised construction method would mean another 20 trees, in addition to the original 46 that were slated for removal, would need to be removed and new limestone screening trail surface would replace the current dirt surface.
According to Beer and his neighbour, Dan Caw, the runoff issues have been a concern for the past three years. It reached a head last month when the developers enlisted two heavy-duty diesel pumps to remove the water that had built up in the development’s stormwater management pond following the ice storm and the heavy rains that followed it.
“There was so much water it was coming out of the holes in the manhole covers,” Beer said. “They (the developers) ran two hoses and two big diesel pumps 24 hours a day for more than a week.
“They pumped that pond dry into my property,” he added.
According to Caw, the water issues have been present since the development started.
“When Glenn Beer had that farm, right where that subdivision is right now, it was crops, it was fields and it was trees,” Caw said. “The water was going into the ground. There used to be a drainage pipe that was beside my neighbour’s house and that was the natural swale.”
He said he didn’t experience any runoff issues at the time.
Today, he said, the volume of water has increased substantially, resulting in wash outs, significant soil erosion and soil transportation into the valley that forms part of Beer’s property.
Caw said he’s seen water flows that are two or three feet wide that wash out everything in its path, including the trail.
“There’s rutting and gouging all the way down the trail,” he said. “With the amount of water that’s being directed there, it’s not surprising.”
According to Trevor Harvey, director of public works for Springwater Township, the stormwater management design, which was approved by the Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks and the Nottawasaga Valley Conservation Authority (NVCA), is supposed to mimic the existing drainage.
“The natural drainage course was to a ravine that is on the unopened Craig Road land, which discharges across Mr. Beer’s property and several other properties before it gets to a subsection of the Matheson Creek,” Harvey said. “When the EA (environmental assessment) was approved, the original outlet was to go all the way to Matheson Creek on Gill Road, about four kilometres to the north.
“After the EA, and with approval from the Ministry of Environment and the NVCA, they (the developers) got approval to obviously modify this and do two discharges, one at McGowan place, which is a natural ravine, and the second was to be the unopened Craig Road allowance in the ravine that is next to Mr. Beer’s property.”
According to Harvey, the developers have an inherent right and a ‘riparian’ right to discharge on the unopened Gill Road allowance. He added that up to 40 per cent of the runoff can be directed to that outfall location. The remaining 60 per cent would go to McGowan Place.
However, he noted, the discharge must mirror what was naturally occurring.
Harvey said what happened this past spring shouldn’t happen again.
“What happened this spring was that without approvals for the outlet, which was before you in a delegation today, there we no outlet for the existing Gill Road pipe that they put in the ground,” he said. “It was, for lack of a better term, a bathtub — it overflowed, surcharged and caused drainage issues on Gill Road as well as down the unopened Gill Road allowance.
“They built a pipe to nowhere,” Harvey added.
Township council directed staff to report back on the history of the Midhurst Heights project and address concerns raised during the meeting.
Historic Drury farm faces uncertain future amid urban expansion
By: Wayne Doyle, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Source: BarrieToday.com, May 12, 2025
For more than 200 years, the Drury family has been farming land in the southwest corner of what is now called Springwater Township.
Generations of Drurys, including Ernest Charles (E.C.), the first premier of Ontario to have been born in the province after Confederation, have worked the fertile land that lies north and northeast of Little Lake.
The land’s current steward — he goes by the title of farmer — is Jim Drury and he has a lot on his mind these days.
He’s feeling the squeeze of development.
“This is our homestead, you know,” Drury said Sunday morning during an interview at his farm on Brown Road. “Seven generations of Drurys have lived here and farmed here. I feel obligated to carry on that tradition.”
He eyes well up and his voice cracks as he recalls the highs and lows of a life spent on the land.
“My ancestors cleared this land, they opened up the roads,” he said. “This is all I’ve ever done and all I ever want to do.”
He said his grandfather, E.C., would be rolling over in his grave right now if he knew what was going on as development pressure grows.
Drury owns and farms about 800 acres spread out over a number of farms on both sides of Highway 400, from Crown Hill to Dalston. He also actively farms a number of rental properties.
One of his farms, located on the south side of Partridge Road, is in an area that could become part of the City of Barrie as part of the proposed deal the city and Springwater Township announced in a news release Friday afternoon.
The City of Barrie has offered to extend municipal water and wastewater services to a portion of Springwater — 183 hectares (453 acres) north of the city’s limits on both sides of Bayfield Street, halfway to Carson Road.
In exchange for the servicing, Springwater would transfer 1,769 hectares (4,373 acres) of land currently abutting Barrie’s boundaries to the city.
Drury said he never imagined his rural farm would become part of the city.
“We always thought we were a good distance away, but the last 10 or 20 years there’s been so much development, you can’t get away from it,” he said.
“Developers come in and they start to pick up some land here and some land there,” Drury added. “Before you know it, you’re being squeezed out. There’s too much congestion, too much traffic, too much of everything.”
He’s seen folks he’s farmed with for 30, 40 and 50 years sell off their farms because it’s the easiest thing to do.
“It hurts,” Drury said. “I want to keep the tradition going. I think it’s important to have food.
“What else do you know of that is more important?” he asked rhetorically.
Drury said an acre of good agricultural land in his neighbourhood would cost between $30,000 and $40,000.
He said he’s had offers that are up to four times that amount, but he’s not interested.
“It’s not about money. This is prime agricultural land — it should be protected,” Drury said.
Every day, he added, development moves a little bit closer, making him a little more uncomfortable than he was the day before.
Drury said he’s seeing development from the west as much as he sees it from the south. He pointed to a motion Springwater council passed at its Feb. 5 meeting.
Council said the December 2024 report, titled the Joint Land Needs Analysis and Study and done by Hemson Consulting as part of Barrie’s boundary expansion proposal, confirmed that Barrie and Springwater are part of the same regional market area and that housing growth in Springwater’s Midhurst Secondary Plan area may necessitate “the expedited designation of additional employment land to maintain balanced community development.”
It also noted the township is working on a growth management study to examine growth potential looking forward to 2051 and beyond, including “increased residential and employment development beyond current settlement area boundaries.”
Council directed staff to report back with information regarding the planning processes — i.e. Simcoe County Official Plan amendment, Springwater Township Official Plan amendment and/or zoning bylaw amendment — necessary to consider an expansion of the Midhurst Secondary Plan area to the east of Midhurst to include the Highway 400 corridor.
Drury said that’s a pretty good indication of what’s to come.
“The pressure has been building for about 10 years,” he said. “They (developers) get one farm, then they get another. I’m not interested in their money.
“Where would I go? What would I do?,” he asked.
“I’m a farmer,” he said. “I always will be.”
Motion to ‘reject’ strong mayor powers on Springwater’s agenda
By: Wayne Doyle, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Source: BarrieToday.com, May 06, 2025
Across the province, some municipalities are “declining” the strong mayor powers that came into effect on May 1.
Last week, municipal councils in Timmins, Stratford and Owen Sound voted to reject strong mayor powers.
Prior to that, mayors in Essex, Leamington, Lakeshore and LaSalle said they have no interest in having or using the strong mayor powers that were bestowed upon them and 165 other municipalities by the Ontario government last month.
Largely a symbolic act, their opposition means little. According to the legislation, no Ontario municipality can unilaterally decline strong mayor powers.
But that’s not stopping Springwater Township Deputy Mayor George Cabral.
He has a motion on Wednesday’s council agenda that calls for council to “oppose strong mayor powers and formally express its opposition to the Ontario government’s expansion of the strong mayor powers to preserve local democracy, transparency and accountability.”
“To be frank, I really don’t know exactly where I stand on the issue of strong mayor powers today, but on reading comments from some mayors who have just recently been granted these powers and questioning the need themselves, it certainly gives me pause to reflect on the matter,” Cabral told BarrieToday in an email when the Ontario government announced the introduction of strong mayor powers to the additional 169 municipalities in April.
“If everyone was happy with these powers, I suppose I would lean that way as well, but that doesn’t seem to be the case and I do see some areas of general concern,” he added.
A review of four letters attached to the motion — from the municipalities of Aylmer, Parry Sound, Greater Napanee and North Middlesex — illustrates the following concerns:
the centralization of power, erosion of local democracy, reduced accountability and the potential for the abuse of power
proposed expansion of strong mayor powers undermines the collaborative nature of municipal governance and diminishes the role of elected municipal councillors in representing the diverse interests of the community
the negative impacts on public trust, democratic participation and municipal decision-making processes, if mayors are given the ability to bypass council decisions without adequate consultation or oversight
“Do I believe that our council will function differently now?” he asked rhetorically. “I most certainly do. The mayor has been granted these powers and I would expect, like most anything given to someone, they’ll be used simply because they can.”
Cabral’s colleague on council, Coun. Brad Thompson, thinks giving Springwater Mayor Jennifer Coughlin strong mayor powers is long overdue.
He said based on the success the province has had with upper-tier municipalities having strong mayor powers, it was only a matter of time before it trickled down to lower tier municipalities like Springwater.
“I am sure our mayor will use her strong mayor powers judiciously and that other council members will adjust to this new model so that we can all get on side for the betterment of our community,” Thompson said. “I think, going forward, better data-driven decisions will be made.
“The strong-mayor model will prove to be extremely beneficial for our community as we progress towards our goals,” he added.
Cabral believes that if something isn’t broken, it doesn’t need to be repaired.
“I believe municipal councils have worked, and continue to work, in achieving outcomes through collaboration, consensus and through the vein of majority rule, a fundamental principle in a democratic system,” he said. “In our governmental system, the elected representative is expected to act on behalf of all constituents in their respective ward.”
Cabral added that it’s difficult to understand how the strong mayor powers, applicable to a broad scope of what would otherwise be considered either operational matters or decisions once debated and voted on by council as a whole, are not eroding municipal council authority, in order to expedite and accommodate questionably achievable goals.
“With great power comes great responsibility, and we’ve already just recently seen in the news locally what has been perceived by a municipal council as a misuse of strong mayor powers,” he said, referring to Orillia Mayor Don McIsaac, who used strong mayor powers — acquired to deal with the aftermath of the ice storm — to cancel council’s recent decision to hire Trevor Lee as CAO and appoint Amanpreet Singh Sidhu, the city’s current deputy CAO/solicitor, to the position.
“Additionally, one might even suggest that not all mayors are equipped to respect and properly use their strong mayor powers given that there are no specific qualifications required to be a mayor other than being eligible to vote in the municipality where you run and winning the election,” Cabral said.
Coughlin said she has not received any comments about strong mayor powers from local residents.
“Governing with integrity and determination will never change,” she said.
Strong mayor powers were extended to Barrie Mayor Alex Nuttall in June 2023. He recently used those powers to have city staff prepare a bylaw to rezone 43-acre property for a manufacturing building on Lockhart Road, and to establish a conservation trust to protect the area around Little Lake.
Springwater Township council starts at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday.
City of Barrie and Township of Springwater Develop Shared Principles for Boundary Adjustment and Cross Border Servicing
By Township of Springwater, May 9, 2025
Barrie, ON – The City of Barrie and the Township of Springwater met following direction from Springwater Council to resume discussions. The meeting focused on shared priorities and mutual commitments related to servicing and boundary adjustments that benefit both communities.
Mayor Nuttall and Mayor Coughlin met to develop the key principles of a framework reflecting a shared commitment to advance growth and collaboration. The meeting represents a critical step towards addressing the future need for residential and employment lands, supporting long-term economic growth and fostering collaboration for sustainable development in alignment with Provincial priorities.
Under the proposed principles, the City of Barrie has offered to extend municipal water and wastewater services to a portion of the Township of Springwater. In exchange for the servicing, the Township of Springwater would transfer supplementary lands to the City of Barrie for long-term residential and employment growth, as per the attached map. The proposed arrangement and associated compensation would be modeled similar to the St. Thomas/Central Elgin boundary adjustment agreement executed in 2024.
A key pillar of the framework is a commitment to environmental sustainability by confirming the Mayor of Springwater as a member of the Little Lake Conservation Trust which will ensure the long-term preservation and protection of these lands.
“Mayor Nuttall and I met to develop draft principles for a possible agreement between our two communities. These draft principles reflect discussions of Springwater Council this term and ensure overall benefit to Springwater Township. The principles include preserving and enhancing Little Lake conservation area, investments in Economic Development, cross border servicing and access to recreation for our residents. I agree with these proposed principles, and I am committed to bringing this back to Council and residents for discussion” stated Mayor Jennifer Coughlin, Township of Springwater.
“The development of these shared principles is a critical step forward on this important issue for our region,” said Mayor Alex Nuttall. “We are running out of shovel-ready employment lands, which limits our ability to attract new businesses and create high-quality jobs for residents. These principles not only secure space for long-term, sustainable growth, but also reflects our shared vision with Springwater for a prosperous future for the region. This opportunity for Barrie to determine the use of our water and wastewater capacity in exchange for additional supply of employment and residential land is mutually beneficial to Barrie and Springwater and I look forward to securing more employment lands to create more jobs for our area.”
MEDIA RELEASE Friday, May 9, 2025
“Mayors know the needs of their communities best,” said Rob Flack, Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing. “I commend the City of Barrie and Township of Springwater on working together to deliver better results for the people they serve. I look forward to our continued collaboration as our government strengthens local governance and gives municipalities the tools they need to get shovels in the ground for critical infrastructure projects, faster” stated Minister Flack.
“Throughout this process I have encouraged local dialogue. This kind of partnership between the Mayors of Barrie and Springwater is how communities move forward in the collective best interest,” said MPP Doug Downey. “By developing shared principles for growth and servicing, they’re creating a local solution that supports the broader goals of housing, job creation, and smart planning for the region. This kind of collaboration is exactly what we need to see more of across Ontario.”
Shared principles include:
- City of Barrie boundary expanded in exchange for water and wastewater servicing in defined area and compensation aligned to the St. Thomas/Central Elgin agreement;
- Formation of a joint economic development committee to support coordinated growth and investment strategies and dedicated economic development resources for the Township of Springwater;
- A collaborative approach to regional healthcare services will be pursued to ensure accessible care across both municipalities;
- A property tax phase-in program to ease the transition for affected property owners;
- Access to City of Barrie recreational facilities, programs and waterfront parking passes ;
- Confirmation of the Mayor of Springwater as a member on the Little Lake Conservation Trust;
- A request for the Ontario Energy Board to consider an alignment of the Alectra service area.
This matter will be brought forward to the Township of Springwater Council in the coming weeks.
Township of Springwater Launches Consolidated GIS Mapping for Enhanced Community Engagement
Submitted by Township of Springwater, May 8, 2025
The Township of Springwater is proud to announce the launch its newly consolidated Geographic Information Systems (GIS) mapping page, Explore Springwater, aimed at enhancing community engagement and transparency. While the innovative GIS program continues to serve our community, this updated mapping resource represents a significant advancement in how residents can interact with geographic data.
This project highlights our commitment to utilizing technology to promote informed decision-making, efficient resource management, and robust community engagement. This initiative not only aids in the efficient management of resources but also enhances communication through visually compelling tools and boosts productivity through innovative technology and self-service applications.
“The GIS program represents a significant step forward in utilizing technology to better serve our community,” said Michael Burnie, IT Manager at the Township of Springwater. “It empowers residents with the tools they need to engage with their environment in an informed and interactive manner.”
We encourage the community to revisit our website regularly, as we continuously expand our GIS offerings. Residents, stakeholders, and businesses can explore a variety of maps, including additions to community maps, maps of current and potential growth areas, ward maps, zoning maps, and the interactive County of Simcoe mapping. Explore the GIS maps in person at the Township’s upcoming Town Hall on Wednesday, May 14, 2025, to experience firsthand the innovative technology that is driving our community forward.
To learn more and to view Township maps, visit: www.springwater.ca/Maps