Community Safety and Well-Being (CSWB) plans are what result when municipal governments, police, local organizations and residents discuss local issues and then commit to working together in new ways to create a safer, healthier city. The Ontario Government requires municipalities to prepare and adopt these plans.
A safe community is one where harms to its members are prevented whenever possible, and where harms that cannot be prevented are reduced and healed as effectively as possible. Safety and well-being are interlinked. When people are well, they are more able to prevent, reduce, and heal from harms. And when communities are safe, it is easier for people to thrive.
The 2025–2029 CSWB Plan was approved by City Council in June 2025. The plan builds on the foundation of our original 2021–2024 CSWB Plan work and reflects input from residents, service providers, and community partners. A presentation concerning the 2025–2029 Community Safety and Well Being Plan took place at the May 28, 2025, General Committee Meeting:
Community Input
In addition to an initial review of the original (2021–2024) CSWB Plan by the Community Safety & Well-Being Plan Committee and data analysis (available local data), the 2025–2029 CSWB Plan was informed by:
- An online (Barrie Police) Community Safety Survey (Sept – Oct 2024)
- An online Resident CSWB Survey (Jan.–Feb 2025) – 407 responses
- An in-person Provider Session (Feb. 2025) – 26 providers participated
- In-person County-Wide Provider Session (Mar. 2025) – 27 providers participated
- An online Provider Survey (Mar.-Apr. 2025) – 35 responses
Key Priorities & Strategies
This CSWB Plan outlines eight aligned strategies on how to address these priorities. Each strategy in the CSWB Plan has a lead organization and partners responsible for moving the work forward. These groups will coordinate activities, track progress, and report regularly to the Community Safety and Well-Being (CSWB) Committee, a committee of council that serves as a collaborative forum for guiding, monitoring, and supporting the implementation of the plan.
| Key Priority | Strategies | See pages 17–25 of the CSWB Plan for detail |
|---|---|
| Housing & Homelessness | Housing Development & Supply: Brings partners together to increase housing options for people with minimal income. Safe & Supported: Strengthening Pathways Out of Homelessness Improves safety and stability through better housing access, outreach, and referral supports. |
| Mental Health & Addiction (MHA) | Coordinated & Integrated MHA Outreach Services: Aligns outreach services to reduce duplication, close gaps, and improve client outcomes. Transitional-Aged Youth Services Network: Supports the coordination of youth mental health and addiction services across agencies. Alternate Response for Mental Health Needs: Pilots the pairing of specially trained paramedics with mental health professionals to respond to non-violent mental health crises. |
| Access to Services & Navigation | Social Service Community Campus: Co-locates key providers to make it easier for people with complex needs to access services and for providers to collaborate to mitigate crisis and justice involvement. Campus of Care: Creates more integrated, accessible service spaces for people with complex needs. |
| Data | County-Wide Phased Data Approach: Establishes a practical, collaborative foundation for data sharing to guide decisions, track CSWB progress, and support providers in preventing crisis and justice involvement. |
Organizations & Voices that Helped Inform the Plan
- Barrie and Area Ontario Health Team
- Barrie Area Native Advisory Circle / Mamaway Wiidokdaadwin
- Barrie Cares
- Barrie Council (participating members)
- Barrie Municipal Non-Profit Housing Corporation
- Barrie Native Friendship Centre
- Barrie Police Service
- Barrie Public Library
- Barrie residents (survey participants)
- Biminaawzogin Regional Aboriginal Women’s Circle
- Canadian Mental Health Association Simcoe County
- Catulpa
- CFS Counselling + Well-Being
- Child Youth & Family Services Coalition of Simcoe County
- City of Barrie
- Community Connection
- Contact Community Services
- County of Simcoe – Health and Emergency Services
- County of Simcoe – Housing and Community Social Services
- Downtown Barrie Business Association
- Elizabeth Fry Society Simcoe Muskoka
- Empower Simcoe
- Family Connexions
- Georgian College
- Huronia Transition Homes
- John Howard Society of Simcoe & Muskoka
- New Path Youth and Family Services
- North Simcoe Muskoka Specialized Geriatric Services
- Royal Victoria Regional Health Centre
- Salvation Army
- Shak’s World
- Simcoe County District School Board
- Simcoe Muskoka Catholic District School Board
- Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit
- The Gilbert Centre
- The United Way of Simcoe County
- Waypoint Centre for Mental Health
- Women and Children’s Shelter of Barrie
Addressing the Issues Downtown
City Council identified Community Safety and a Thriving Downtown as two key strategic priorities. The City is committed to working with our partners at the County of Simcoe as the service provider for social services and homelessness support; the Barrie Police Service, and the Downtown BIA to address the issues downtown.