Barrie will join Simcoe County’s growth steering committee – but only as an observer.

Until now, Barrie had declined the county’s invitation to discuss how growth in the region should occur in the next 25 years and how services should be delivered. The invitation came after the Intergovernmental Action Plan (IGAP) came out last year, which recommended growth be focused in Barrie and south Simcoe. As well, Ontario’s Places to Grow policy has designated Barrie as the region’s urban growth centre.

“The city previously said, ‘we don’t want to participate’, period. Now, we’re saying, ‘yeah, OK. It’s positive’,” said Barrie CAO Jon Babulic, after being asked why the two Barrie representatives will only be observers at the county committee, which meets Sept. 5.

“We spent $4 million on an IGAP study and we’ve studied enough. We’ll be there (but) we’re not part of the county and the committee is a county committee. If we were there as an equal partner, that’s one thing.”

But Simcoe County Warden Tony Guergis said while he’s glad to hear Barrie will send two reps to the 13-member steering committee, he’s disappointed Barrie will not join in the discussions.

“We were really hoping for full participation,” he said. “The province, in every conversation right back to the beginning of IGAP, was optimistic we’d find that level of maturity to work together, and that means equal partners at the table. We’ve tried to make that well understood. (Barrie’s) concern is this will be a plan for a region. We’re well beyond that discussion.”

Barrie’s decision to co-operate will allow the city to provide up-to-date information on population and servicing statistics, which hadn’t been the case – and frustrated the county’s growth consultant.

Babulic said Barrie is trying to get involved, but it is a separated city.

“We’re neighbours. We’ll co-operate and send them information, but it is a Simcoe County initiative,” added Babulic.

The IGAP study recommended Barrie focus its growth on its southern border, with Innisfil, and Barrie has been negotiating with Innisfil about its boundary. Political talks are in recess, while engineers and planners await more information from the Ministry of the Environment regarding Lake Simcoe’s ability to absorb phosphorous, and Barrie’s sewage treatment capacity.

The county committee also includes Orillia Mayor Ron Stevens, as well as reps from North Simcoe, Collingwood, Wasaga Beach, Innisfil and Bradford West Gwillimbury.

There has been some concern at the county that the steering committee does not include representatives of each of the 16 member municipalities, but the county has stressed municipalities that aren’t on the steering committee can join subcommittees, working committees that examine issues such as health and education infrastructure. Another committee includes CAOs and planners from throughout the county to discuss technical issues.

Guergis said another committee will examine tourism and economics, and the business community in the region expects the various municipal governments to work together, just as tourism brings together the various municipalities.

“Barrie generates the shopping and jobs. Skiing and golf are external to the city,” said Guergis, noting golf and skiing packages attract thousands to the area each year. “The business community is expecting that kind of leadership from us.”