‘Now could be the time for residents of Barrie, Orillia and Simcoe County to insist on daring options for our communities from MPPs,’ says letter author
BarrieToday welcomes letters to the editor at [email protected] or through the web site. Please embody your full title, daytime telephone quantity and tackle (for verification of authorship, not publication).
As a younger, civically minded resident, I’ve watched with concern as dwelling prices rise, transit struggles and native governments are left to shoulder rising tasks with out satisfactory sources.
These usually are not summary points — they have an effect on our associates and households, our neighbourhoods and probably the most weak.
The Affiliation of Municipalities of Ontario (AMO) just lately launched its first-ever provincial elections marketing campaign (VoteOnQualityofLife.ca) to attract consideration to those challenges and demand provincial motion. With a snap provincial election looming, now could be the time for residents of Barrie, Orillia and Simcoe County to insist on daring options for our communities from MPPs.
Take Barrie, which constantly ranks among the many least inexpensive locations in Ontario. In December 2024, the typical residence worth in Barrie reached $822,184, and rents now exceed $2,000 month-to-month for a two-bedroom unit — I do know this primary hand. For younger households, seniors, ODSP recipients and dealing folks alike, housing is more and more out of attain or just unaffordable.
In rural communities like Springwater and Oro-Medonte, zoning restrictions and restricted infrastructure make inexpensive housing growth even more durable.
Municipalities lack the sources and authority to deal with these systemic challenges on their very own.
Public transit, one other subject near my coronary heart as a daily rider, highlights the cracks in provincial assist. Barrie residents rely closely on automobile commuting, with many spending over an hour on their day by day commutes. Lengthy commutes and restricted native and regional public transit choices isolate folks from jobs, schooling, healthcare, and their neighborhood.
Cuts to native transit definitely don’t assist, and rural areas face even fewer transit choices. With out accessible public transit, individuals are left remoted from jobs, schooling, well being care and their neighborhood.
This all comes all the way down to municipal governments, who handle 60 per cent of public infrastructure however obtain solely eight and 10 cents of every tax greenback collected. This inequity forces municipalities to rely closely on property taxes, burdening residents and small companies.
In the meantime, provincial governments management income instruments like earnings and gross sales taxes. Successive governments have failed to deal with this imbalance, leaving municipalities fighting growing calls for. This similar failure has led to over 80,000 Ontarians being unhoused. We want a shift.
The AMO marketing campaign isn’t about assigning blame — it’s about options. Fairer funding fashions, similar to these outlined in AMO’s platform or initiatives like “A New Deal for Municipalities,” can empower native governments to fulfill right now’s challenges and plan for tomorrow.
Addressing housing, social helps, transit, infrastructure and local weather adaptation requires provincial management and partnership.
With this snap election, residents of Barrie and Simcoe County should take motion. Go to the AMO website to be taught extra, ask native MPP candidates the place they stand and demand significant commitments to assist our communities’ wants.
Our vote is about greater than electing leaders — it’s about shaping a future the place everybody can thrive. Let’s ship a message to provincial leaders: high quality of life issues, and we’d like motion now.
Brandon Rhéal Amyot
Barrie
