Latest news with #AlexNuttall
CTV News
5 days ago
- General
- CTV News
Photo radar cameras in Barrie cut speeds, net $1.2M - and they're here to stay
The City of Barrie aims to make its speed camera program permanent with additional cameras. The City of Barrie aims to make its speed camera program permanent with additional cameras. City plans for more speed cameras after program brings in millions Nobody likes to find a ticket in the mail, but in Barrie it's been a game-changer. A staff report presented to council this week revealed the City's two-year automated speed enforcement (ASE) pilot project has made a measurable impact on how fast people drive, and has brought in over $1.2 million in revenue. As a result, city council voted Wednesday in favour of making the program permanent and expanding it. The report showed average speeds dropped at all 12 locations where speed cameras were studied. 'Not only does it bring down the speeds in the areas during the time that the cameras are active, but also to a high percentage of the time, the speeds actually continue to be reduced even after the cameras are gone,' said Ward 7 Councillor Gary Harvey. The program started with two cameras and the city intends to add two more as permanent fixtures in school and community safety zones with high pedestrian activity, specifically involving children. 'We're putting them in school and safety zones where our children are playing,' said Mayor Alex Nuttall. 'We should have these types of devices to ensure that if the habit of the public is to speed in school zones, we need to find a way to slow that down.' Of the revenue generated by the program, more than half-a-million will be allocated toward community safety initiatives. Council is also considering introducing red light cameras, a measure that's currently under review by staff. A final report is expected in the coming months for council's consideration.
CTV News
6 days ago
- Business
- CTV News
‘Is it a fulsome proposal?' Oro-Medonte responds to Barrie's proposal after ongoing boundary talks
Barrie Mayor Alex Nuttall made headlines earlier this month when it was announced that a shared principles agreement had been struck with Springwater over ongoing boundary talks. On Wednesday, a proposal was put forward to the other partner in the discussions, Oro-Medonte. Council chambers were packed with residents widely in opposition to any potential agreement that could have been found. Barrie's proposal, according to the letter, addressed to council reflected an agreement that was in line with the City of St. Thomas and Central Elgin, in which the city would pay about 1.27 million dollars to the township annually over the course of five years. In exchange for the money, Barrie is looking for roughly 850 acres of land to develop and would approve about 935 units of servicing capacity over 10 years. Nuttall saying, 'Our focus is to get jobs and housing in places that they aren't currently in, you know, my real push has been the focus on, on jobs to ensure that if you live in the City of Barrie, you don't have to work in Toronto' Randy Greenlaw, Oro-Medonte Mayor stated, 'Is it a fulsome proposal? Not to the fullest degree we want, the financials aren't there, a bunch of elements or key pillars within, what the proposal should have, were lacking but that's fine, the process will flush this stuff out over time.' These conversations are not rejecting negotiations outright. Instead, the township will be sending its own principles back to Barrie, a lot of which the mayor says will be done through the province's facilitator. But the idea here is that an agreement can be found in the long term without the Ford government's intervention.
CTV News
20-05-2025
- Entertainment
- CTV News
Emerging artists invited to perform in front of thousands at Barrie's Troubadour Festival
We are now less than one month away from Dean Brody taking the stage to kick off the Troubadour Festival Summer Concert Series in Barrie. The festival is proud to announce the return of its Local Openers Showcase, an exciting opportunity for emerging artists to step into the spotlight and perform live in front of thousands at Meridian Place. The series is a four-part celebration of live music, presented by CTV Barrie, Pure Country 106, BOUNCE 104.1, and the Downtown Barrie BIA. Open to solo performers, duos, and bands, the showcase features separate categories for youth and adult artists (18+). Selected performers will be chosen by a local jury and given the opportunity to open one of the major concerts in this year's summer series. 'Events like the Troubadour Festival and Open Air Dunlop are what define our city's spirit. They connect people, energize local businesses, and draw thousands to our beautiful waterfront and downtown core,' said Barrie Mayor Alex Nuttall. Each event in the concert series includes three local opening slots, offering a total of twelve performance opportunities. How to apply Submissions are open now and will close on Fri., May 23. Interested artists should send an email here. Selections will be announced on Fri., May 30.
Epoch Times
14-05-2025
- Politics
- Epoch Times
Flag-Raising Events to Celebrate World Falun Dafa Day Held in Multiple Ontario Cities
Flag-raising ceremonies were held in multiple cities and towns across Ontario on May 13 to commemorate the public introduction of Falun Dafa more than 30 years ago. Official proclamations and congratulatory letters were also issued to mark the occasion. At the flag-raising celebration in Barrie, Ont., on May 1, Conservative MP for Barrie-Innisfil John Brassard commended practitioners for sharing the values and principles of the practice with Canadian society. 'The values of Falun Dafa are universal values—they're values that we hold dear as Canadians, ensuring that we are free as a nation, free to practice our faith or any other type of practice that we want,' Brassard told NTD, The Epoch Times' sister media, during the event. Falun Dafa, also known as Falun Gong, is a traditional Chinese discipline combining meditative exercises and moral teachings based on the principles of truthfulness, compassion, and tolerance. Falun Dafa practitioners at a flag-raising event in Barrie, Ont., to mark the 33rd Annual World Falun Dafa Day on May 1, 2025. NTD/The Epoch times Barrie Mayor Alex Nuttall at a flag-raising event in Barrie, Ont., to mark the 33rd Annual World Falun Dafa Day on May 1, 2025. NTD/The Epoch times Members of the Ontario provincial parliament Andrea Khanjin and Doug Downey issue letters commemorating the the 33rd Annual World Falun Dafa Day. NTD/The Epoch Times At the event, Barrie Mayor Alex Nuttall highlighted the freedom Falun Dafa adherents have in Canada to practice their faith, contrasting it with the conditions in China, where practitioners have been subjected to severe For over two decades, practitioners in China and abroad have Related Stories 5/13/2025 7/30/2020 'The great compassion and forbearance demonstrated by Falun Dafa practitioners have touched the hearts of kindhearted people all over the world,' Nuttall said in a Falun Dafa Day proclamation. Brassard also highlighted the importance of freedom of belief and Canada's commitment to upholding it. 'Canada is a free country. It's a democratic country where people are free to practice their faith, their rights, their religion,' he said. 'They're so fundamental to the success of any democracy, to ensure that we have those rights, and that we work to defend them as well.' Members of the Ontario provincial parliament (MPP) Andrea Khanjin and Doug Downey also marked the event by sending congratulatory letters to practitioners. Khanjin said that by adopting Falun Dafa's principles, people can 'build strong relationships, navigate difficult situations, and create a more compassionate world.' 'Thank you for sharing this renaissance of traditional Chinese wisdom and values, which helps to achieve a strong sense of meaning and purpose,' she wrote in a letter to practitioners. Downey, for his part, described Falun Dafa Day as a 'meaningful celebration' of spiritual discipline, inner peace, and personal growth. 'The principles of Truthfulness, Compassion and Tolerance are foundational values that resonate deeply within our diverse society,' Downey wrote in his letter. 'Your commitment to promoting these virtues through meditation and self-cultivation is both admirable and impactful.' A Duty to 'Stand Up' Brian Ostrander, mayor of Brighton, Ont., hosted a flag-raising ceremony on May 2 outside the city's municipal centre to commemorate Falun Dafa Day. He said the practice's values reflect principles important to Canadians. 'These are the exact values that we have in Canada,' he said in an interview. 'We are about the truth, we are about compassion, we are about making sure that everyone is treated fairly and equitably.' He said all free societies have a duty to stand up against religious persecution, adding that freedom of belief is 'a value we hold dear here in Brighton.' 'I think anybody facing persecution for how they worship or what they believe, regardless of where that is happening, we have a duty as a free society to stand up against that everywhere we see it happening, and everywhere we know it's happening,' he said. Brighton Mayor Brian Ostrander at a flag-raising event in Brighton, Ont., to mark the 33rd Annual World Falun Dafa Day on May 2, 2025. NTD/The Epoch times David Piccini, MPP for the riding that includes the city of Brighton, sent a congratulatory letter to practitioners, commending 'the dedication that your teachings have offered to the community.' 'The commitment that your members have gifted to various communities shows that when a community comes together exceptional things happen,' he wrote. 'Thank you for being part of a healthy and harmonious society over the past 33 years.' Beyond Beijing's Transnational Repression Michael Prue, mayor of the Ontario town of Amherstburg, joined practitioners on May 6 for the fourth consecutive year to raise the Falun Dafa flag in front of the town ' s municipal building. Prue served as an MPP for 13 years and has, on several occasions, spoken out against the persecution campaign against practitioners in China. 'I'm always hoping that one day that persecution will go away and the people will be free to practice what is just a beautiful and simple thing with exercise and correct thought,' he said in an interview. 'I want to be part of that, and when it happens, I want to say I had something to do with it.' He noted that the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has attempted to target Falun Dafa practitioners in Canada, including through propaganda campaigns aimed at shaping public opinion of the practice. Mayor of the Ontario town of Amherstburg Michael Prue (2nd L) at a flag-raising event to mark the 33rd Annual World Falun Dafa Day on May 6, 2025. NTD/The Epoch times A Falun Dafa flag was raised on the Amherstburg Municipal Building on May 9, 2022. The Epoch Times In a Those included letters to Canadian officials to discourage them from supporting the meditative practice, physical and verbal abuse against practitioners in Canada, and intimidation of practitioners' relatives in China. Mayor Prue said the practice's principles are 'values that every Canadian holds dear.' 'That's why every Canadian thinks that Falun Dafa is good,' he said. 'I have never met anyone who thought that Falun Dafa was ever doing anything wrong, and even though there's propaganda from the Chinese Communist Party, even though those kinds of things come to Canada, we try not to pay any attention to them, because we know they're not true' Flag-raising events were also held in the Ontario municipalities of Brock, Orangeville, and Orillia on May 12, where officials proclaimed Falun Dafa Day. Among them was Walter Schummer, mayor of the township of Brock, who said that recognizing and supporting Falun Dafa and its core values can help raise awareness about the importance of religious freedom. 'I think if our governments, whether it's federal government, provincial, municipal, if they're just recognizing it and supporting it worldwide, then, hopefully we will come to a day when all the countries, including China, will recognize and give those rights and freedoms,' Schummer said. On May 13, the official day honouring the spiritual practice, the Ontario cities of Cambridge and Cornwall raised the Falun Dafa flag in recognition of the occasion. Cornwall Mayor Justin Towndale noted that the ancient practice is followed by people from all walks of life. 'Falun Dafa has demonstrated a steadfast commitment to improving health in mind, body and spirit, as well as enhancing the well-being of people from diverse cultural backgrounds in over 100 countries,' he wrote in a proclamation. Cornwall Mayor Justin Towndale (L) with Falun Dafa practitioner Shizhong Lei at a flag-raising event in Cornwall, Ont., to mark the 33rd Annual World Falun Dafa Day on May 13, 2025. NTD/The Epoch times Cornwall Mayor Justin Towndale at a flag-raising event in Cornwall, Ont., to mark the 33rd Annual World Falun Dafa Day on May 13, 2025. NTD/The Epoch times
CTV News
09-05-2025
- Business
- CTV News
Pilot program aims to fast-track housing construction in Barrie
A new pilot program is in the works that could help fast-track housing construction in Barrie by easing up-front costs for builders. Barrie Mayor Alex Nuttall directed city staff to create a Development Change Deferral Program aimed at stimulating new development and supporting the creation of much-needed housing across the city. The initiative is being designed as a 12-month pilot and would allow eligible builders to delay paying development charges - a fee currently due before a building permit is issued. Instead of requiring the full payment upfront, developers would be able to defer charges interest free until either the date the building is occupied or two years after the permit is issued, whichever comes first. "This is about getting homes built faster and reducing the red tape that slows down construction,' said Nuttall. 'By deferring development charges up front, we're giving builders the flexibility they need to get shovels in the ground and deliver the housing our community desperately needs.' Details of the program, including eligibility requirements and the application process, have yet to be released.
