A woman from Barrie is taking legal action against the City of Barrie, the mayor, and the Barrie Police Service regarding the state of emergency declared on September 9, 2025, to address homeless encampments.
Dannielle S. Laundry filed her statement of claim in the Ontario Court of Justice on June 30, 2026.
“The state of emergency is and was negligent,” says the statement of claim. “The state of emergency violates … the Charter (of Rights and Freedoms) because they deprive unhoused persons of their life, liberty and/or security.”
The state of emergency “prevented or deterred the plaintiff (Laundry) from using a tent, shade structure, other temporary shelter, or other similar items on city property when no accessible alternative shelter was available (and) breached the plaintiff’s rights under … the Charter and was not justified,” according to the statement.
The statement mentions that between September 2025 and May 2026, there were approximately 865 to 974 unhoused individuals in Barrie but only around 125 to 142 shelter beds available.
As of Wednesday at 9:15 a. m., no defense had been submitted at Barrie’s courthouse; however, a notice indicating an intent to defend has been recorded as of July 31.
A Barrie police official noted that since this case relates to the city’s state of emergency declaration, it would be inappropriate for them to comment. They suggested that either the city or Office of the Mayor should address it instead.
Mayor Alex Nuttall mentioned that such legal actions are expected since other municipalities like Waterloo Region, Toronto, Kingston, Hamilton have faced similar situations.
“For me, we just need to keep doing what we’re doing which is following the letter of the law and continuing to remove encampments,” he stated while noting that a defense will be forthcoming before an unspecified court date.
“I’ll leave court matters to lawyers. They will handle this step by step,” Nuttall added.
“What we’ve done is follow all legal requirements closely to ensure support has been provided,” he explained. “And we want to make sure there are pathways for individuals facing addiction issues and homelessness.”
The city also released a statement today concerning this claim.
“The City of Barrie continues working with County of Simcoe to manage encampments while adhering to relevant laws and court rulings. We aim for safe public spaces while connecting people with suitable housing options and support services through County services,” said Michael Prowse, CAO for Barrie.
“The city plans on defending these actions in court,” he added.
The claim identifies Laundry as being 50 years old who is currently unhoused and dealing with several diagnosed mental health issues. She lived in a tent at Mulcaster and Mc Donald streets until her eviction on September 10, 2025.
“Ms. Laundry has suffered physical and mental harms,” states her claim including increased exposure risks for illnesses or infections along with threats to her safety as well as loss in self-worth, dignity, privacy issues along with worsening mental health.”
Nuttall declared a state of emergency on September 9 under provisions set forth by the Emergency Management and Civil Protection Act.
The statement requests a permanent injunction based on rights outlined in The Charter which would prevent enforcement against unhoused individuals without accessible alternatives when it comes to setting up tents or temporary shelters within city limits.
Laundry’s attorney could not be reached for comments by Barrie Today.
The lawsuit seeks unspecified damages related specifically to negligence claims.
No allegations have yet been proven in court.
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