For the first time in years, Barrie sat in on a Simcoe County meeting to discuss how the region will grow over the next 25 years.

On Tuesday, Barrie Mayor Dave Aspden and Coun. Mike Ramsay – chairperson of the city’s Development Services Committee and boundary negotiating team – attended the county’s Growth Process Steering Committee.

That committee is examining the population projections Ontario provided last year, specifically 228,700 more people for the area by 2031, which would bring the area’s population to 667,400. The committee is also planning a series of public consultations to create more complete communities, and minimize sprawl and its environmental impact.

“The city’s official stance is we’re not officially taking part, but the CAO felt, because we’re on summer break and this issue will be discussed at the first council meeting in August, he felt the mayor and myself as chair of Development Services and BIN (Barrie-Innisfil negotiating committee) should take observer status today,” said Ramsay.

“We’re here as observers. We did not vote or speak,” he added, noting council declined the county’s invitation to join in the growth plan talks earlier this year.

A similar invitation was also extended to Orillia, and Orillia Mayor Ron Stevens has been attending and participating in the meetings.

The committee has the responsibility to allocate the 228,700 additional people, but must also consider the province’s Places to Grow plan, which encourages settlement in urban growth centres, which not only minimizes consumption of prime agricultural land, but which reduces the environmental impact as full water, sewer and transit services are available in urban areas.

The steering committee will lead the process, which will also include presentations at each municipality’s council meetings and a series of public consultations through the fall.

As well as the politicians, planners and CAOs from throughout the county are meeting about growth and how to best handle it.

A series of subcommittees have also just been struck, including one on how to handle the rising demands for health care, which is expected to examine the long-term capital needs of the area’s hospitals.