As a resident of Innisfil, I attended a rally at Queen’s Park yesterday to protest the annexation of any Innisfil land by Barrie.
I can tell you unequivocally that Innisfil residents are tired of being bullied by the wants and supposed needs of Barrie for more Innisfil land.
Municipal Affairs Minister Jim Watson, Culture Minister Aileen Carroll and the provincial government need to carefully review what Barrie has done with Innisfil land annexed in the past.
I submit that previously annexed land has been squandered, poorly planned and severely under utilized consisting mostly of industrial ghetto areas and strip malls. Try and access any of these areas by public transit or on foot and you will experience the true definition of sprawl.
If the Barrie team favoured a solution, which benefits all sides, then why not side with the solution proposed by all members of Simcoe County? In fact, to be a part of a solution to benefit all of Simcoe County, you would
have to become a member of Simcoe County rather than a non-participant.
Barrie was invited to participate in a negotiated plan with Simcoe County, refused to do so and then refused to accept the consensus solution claiming the process was unfair and flawed?
Secondly, if Barrie has agreed to grow in a new and smarter way, please provide one example of where Barrie is building today in this revolutionary new way.
As far as creating new employment for the people of this region, if this is truly Barrie’s goal, what difference does it make if the work is located across the road in Innisfil?
Innisfil has matured tremendously since the last Barrie land annexation and deserves to retain the land previously designated as “moratorium lands”.
Barrie has constantly marched into Innisfil taking land at will with little benefit to the people and considerably less regard for the environment.
Ask the citizens of Painswick how they have benefited since their annexation. An example of this environmental disregard is Barrie’s proposed expansion of water treatment facilities in Kempenfelt Bay, which could potentially wipe out the cold-water fish spawning grounds and severely affect fish stocks.
The requirement to service annexed lands in this fashion could effectively kill sport fishing in this beloved area.
On behalf of Innisfil residents, I implore Barrie's boundary team to go back to your citizens, go back to Minister Carroll and go back to Minister Watson and tell them that taking more Innisfil land is not right and certainly not
“fair” for anyone.
Derrick Pirie
Innisfil
