BradfordToday and InnisfilToday welcome letters to the editor at [email protected] or via the website. Please include your full name, daytime phone number and address (for verification of authorship, not publication).
As a young, civically minded resident, I’ve watched with concern as living costs rise, transit struggles and local governments are left to shoulder growing responsibilities without adequate resources.
These are not abstract issues — they affect our friends and families, our neighbourhoods and the most vulnerable.
The Association of Municipalities of Ontario (AMO) recently launched its first-ever provincial elections campaign (VoteOnQualityofLife.ca) to draw attention to these challenges and demand provincial action. With a snap provincial election looming, now is the time for residents of Barrie, Orillia and Simcoe County to insist on bold solutions for our communities from MPPs.
Take Barrie, which consistently ranks among the least affordable places in Ontario. In December 2024, the average home price in Barrie reached $822,184, and rents now exceed $2,000 monthly for a two-bedroom unit — I know this first hand. For young families, seniors, ODSP recipients and working people alike, housing is increasingly out of reach or simply unaffordable.
In rural communities like Springwater and Oro-Medonte, zoning restrictions and limited infrastructure make affordable housing development even harder.
Municipalities lack the resources and authority to address these systemic challenges on their own.
Public transit, another issue close to my heart as a regular rider, highlights the cracks in provincial support. Barrie residents rely heavily on car commuting, with many spending over an hour on their daily commutes. Long commutes and limited local and regional public transit options isolate people from jobs, education, healthcare, and their community.
Cuts to local transit certainly don’t help, and rural areas face even fewer transit options. Without accessible public transit, people are left isolated from jobs, education, health care and their community.
This all comes down to municipal governments, who manage 60 per cent of public infrastructure but receive only eight and 10 cents of each tax dollar collected. This inequity forces municipalities to rely heavily on property taxes, burdening residents and small businesses.
Meanwhile, provincial governments control revenue tools like income and sales taxes. Successive governments have failed to address this imbalance, leaving municipalities struggling with increasing demands. This same failure has led to over 80,000 Ontarians being unhoused. We need a shift.
The AMO campaign isn’t about assigning blame — it’s about solutions. Fairer funding models, such as those outlined in AMO’s platform or initiatives like “A New Deal for Municipalities,” can empower local governments to meet today’s challenges and plan for tomorrow.
Addressing housing, social supports, transit, infrastructure and climate adaptation requires provincial leadership and partnership.
With this snap election, residents of Barrie and Simcoe County must take action. Visit the AMO site to learn more, ask local MPP candidates where they stand and demand meaningful commitments to support our communities’ needs.
Our vote is about more than electing leaders — it’s about shaping a future where everyone can thrive. Let’s send a message to provincial leaders: quality of life matters, and we need action now.
Brandon Rhéal Amyot
Barrie
