Whereas the threat of racist, including, specifically, white supremacist racism, xenophobic, and bigoted extremism, to a healthy, diverse, and multicultural society is clear, and

Whereas such extremism has been shown to be on the rise in Canada and in many parts of the world, and

Whereas reprimanding a Councillor for a post addressing the rise of such extremism and requiring that said post be removed may give the wrong impression regarding Barrie’s stance toward it.

Whereas all too often denunciations of such extremism come only after extremists have committed harmful acts, and

Whereas the City of Barrie should be proactive in combating such extremism.

Whereas we will soon be entering an election period, and warnings have been given by CSIS regarding threats of foreign interference. Such interference has, as shown in the United States, sought to exacerbate political divides by appealing to bias and prejudice.

We call upon the City of Barrie to clearly and unequivocally state that courting such extremism in any way, including by dogwhistleing, has no place in our politics;

We further call upon the City of Barrie to encourage all elected representatives of Barrie, including Members of Parliament, Members of Provincial Parliament, as well as City Councillors, to clearly denounce such extremism;

And finally, we call upon the City of Barrie affirm, by sending a letter to representatives of political parties active in Barrie, the value and importance of them working together to combat this threat, requesting, further, that they commit to doing so publicly.

There are invasive plant species along the NST and the city that are choking out native plants. Our native plants are important for pollination and healthy waterways as well as for creating natural habitat for many species of birds and insects. Phragmites, garlic mustard and dog straggling vine are just a few of the invasives we have that are challenging to eradicate. Cities all over the province are dealing with this problem. This problem will get harder to manage the longer it is neglected. Barrie needs solid policy and an action plan to eliminate this threat to our natural environment spaces across the city. We call upon city staff and City Council to make this a priority when budget planning.

The City has created a plan for how we might prepare for some climate change impacts, but has not yet made a comprehensive plan for how we can prevent catastrophic climate change to begin with! If global greenhouse gas emissions continue on the path that we're currently on, the amount of climate change we will experience in this century will be too much for many of us to adapt to. Therefore, adaptation alone is not enough--we must also work to reduce our emissions. Canadian municipalities have influence over up to fifty percent of Canada's greenhouse gas emissions. That means that each community has both a responsibility to act and a real opportunity to make a difference. Let's do our part to prevent this global crisis! All of our futures depend on it.

The Sunnidale Dog Park has been scheduled to close mid July 2019 to July 2020. There have been no postings about the closure, so everyone who depends on this DOLRA on a daily basis have not had any chance to make alternate arrangements.

This park is the only one in Barrie with a fully fenced natural area. This point is important because when there are a large number of dogs in the facility, they can be separated by the vegetation; dogs at one end of the park can't see dogs at the other end, and owners have better control to move their dogs to less trafficked areas to avoid conflict. This scenario isn't possible at Molson Park which is an open field, and its wooded area is not fully fenced.

To have only one fenced dog park in Barrie makes no sense with the population of dog owners in Barrie growing rapidly. There is already a suggestion created to add another dog park to the North end of Barrie to alleviate the traffic at the existing parks.

I submit that the reasoning behind closing the Sunnidale DOLRA also don't make much sense:
(1) building more bridges; a new bridge from the DOLRA parking lot was constructed late last year. The building of bridges outside of the park in other areas of Sunnidale Park would not impede access to the DOLRA, so closing it would not be necessary.
(2) Regeneration of vegetation inside the DOLRA. Anyone who has accessed the dog park will be able to tell you that vegetation inside the fenced area is healthy and growing rapidly.

If the closure is absolutely necessary for vegetation to regrow, my suggestion is that the DOLRA be closed in sections, allowing dog owners to continue to use the open portion of the park, and the regrowth of vegetation in the closed area. Though this would mean the regeneration of vegetation would occur over a longer period of time, it would also mean that the owners that depend on this facility would be able to continue using it.

Additionally, you can show your support by signing the petition:
http://bit.ly/dolrapetition

Eliminate buttons at traffic lights. Instead, have the 'walk' signal come on each time the light turns green. This would be much safer for pedestrians. So often I get to the light just before it turns green and press the button, but the 'walk' signal doesn't come on. I cross on the green light, but have had drivers yell at me that I should not be crossing. Also, the buttons are in inconvenient locations and I don't want to touch them as they are really dirty. Just have the 'walk' signal come on each time the light turns green. There are many pedestrians in Barrie, and this would improve safety.

Barrie is a beautiful, creative and developing city. The City of Barrie is very family and community oriented. With beautiful scenery, this city is filled with artistic and creative potential. Opening an organization that will further develop the community through helping at risk youth and families by providing a creative platform, will not only have a positive impact on the community but also the future itself!

According to the Barrie Homeless Hub there was estimated 7500+ homeless people in Barrie in 2011. This number has not decreased much over the last 7 years . Youth Haven serves about 200 homeless youth a year, this to me is far too many.

Our organization provides at risk youth free music, fashion, art and dance classes. We also provide opportunities and professional development for youth in the arts. We provide a creative platform for youth who " don't have a chance" a chance. We believe every youth has creative potential, and that ALL youth should be given a chance to showcase this. We believe in helping others and installing inspiration and faith into the community. Currently Barrie is facing a problem (at risk/homeless youth) and I have a solution that not only will decrease the homeless rate, remove youth off the streets but will also provide job opportunities to the community and surrounding areas.

We are a family and school resource, a non-profit organization that has fundraising and charity organization potential, we are a tool for youth who struggle with mental health, behavioral problems or who may be involved in the Youth Criminal Justice Act. We are a safe-haven for families, an outlook for youth and resource for sole-parent families.

There are many run down, forclosed, or for lease spaces downtown that could be renovated into a modern and fresh art studio! Our vision is to have a studio fully equipped with music, fashion, art and dance supplies and equipment. Our mission is to become a professional, diverse organization that is new, refreshing, inspiring and resourceful that provides an outlook and tool for youth and families who may be struggling. We are that placr where the door is always open for anyone, where youth can be creative, innovative, real and unique while providing a safe space to be your creative self!

Vote for a Non-profit Art Centre for At risk youth to follow my dreams of changing the world and making a difference one creative youth at a time!