Editor's note: The following story has been updated from its original version to clarify the amount the City of Barrie would pay to Springwater Township and how that money would be dispersed. BarrieToday apologizes for the error.
There are potentially millions of reasons for Springwater Township to say yes to a boundary expansion deal with the City of Barrie.
And Barrie Mayor Alex Nuttall will share some of them at Springwater council tonight, as he has accepted Springwater Mayor Jennifer Coughlin's invitation to speak to township council and residents.
It’s expected Nuttall will present the salient points of a proposal sent to Coughlin almost two weeks ago by Michael Prowse, Barrie’s chief administrative officer. In the proposal letter, Prowse referenced July 1, 2025 and Jan. 1, 2026 as payment dates under the agreement.
"We would like to see an agreement as soon as possible to allow for adequate time for transition," Nuttall told BarrieToday in an email. "The July 1, 2025 date was proposed as the first date for the first payment and the Jan. 1, 2026 date was the proposed effective date."
The proposal, which Prowse noted was modelled after a similar one done between the municipalities of St. Thomas and Central Elgin, would see Barrie pay Springwater $7,500 per developable acre of land.
Preliminary analysis indicates approximately 733 hectares (1,811 acres) of the 1,769 hectares (4,373 acres) of land identified for annexation may be developable, resulting in a payment of $13,582,500 from Barrie to Springwater.
Those funds would be dispersed as follows:
- A one-time payment of $6.825 million, payable upon signing the agreement, on July 1, 2025
- Annual payments of $1 million for 5.5 years for a total of $5.5 million, starting July 1, 2025
- Barrie would contribute $100,000 annually for five years to Springwater toward a dedicated economic development resource for the township
- Barrie would provide $103,513 annually for five years so Springwater residents can participate in Barrie recreation programs at a price point equal to Barrie residents, starting Jan. 1, 2026
- The City of Barrie would provide 500 waterfront parking passes, valued at $90 each, per year for five years ($225,000 total), starting Jan. 1, 2026.
Barrie would also provide water and wastewater services for 183 hectares (453 acres) east and west of Bayfield Street, from the city’s northern limits to about halfway to Carson Road.
The value of the water and wastewater servicing could be north of $60 million, according to a source close to negotiations who was not authorized to discuss the proposal publicly.
According to Nuttall, Coughlin specifically requested Barrie's support for the economic development resource, the continuation of the recreation program pricing and the waterfront parking passes.
Prowse’s letter followed another one from Nuttall — a draft of the shared principles for boundary adjustment and cross-border servicing.
The shared key 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
- All applicable development charges would be collected in full, supporting responsible infrastructure investment
- Land-use planning would follow future studies, but is expected to include residential areas, employment land and environmental protection zones
- Formation of a joint economic development committee to support co-ordinated growth strategies and investments in dedicated economic development resources for Springwater
- A collaborative approach to regional health-care services would 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 waterfront parking passes and recreation programs and facilities
- Confirmation of the mayor of Springwater as a member on the Conservation Trust for Little Lake
- A request for the Ontario Energy Board to consider an alignment of the Alectra service area.
Springwater Township’s council meeting begins Wednesday night at 6:30 p.m.
