:: Kempenfelt Bay is Barrie's most valuable resource ::

Barrie appears at times to have forgotten its greatest asset is the bay on which it surrounds.

It's why Barrie exists at all and the magnet that draws thousands to its edge to recreate and celebrate each year. Our city officials must never take this for granted for one minute and it should be plainly reflected in each and every decision they make regarding her.

Homes on the bay’s edge trade for five to ten times the premium of their inland equivalents to owners willingly paying three to five times or more in taxes for the unique privilege. The esteemed opportunity to build a commercial project on the few remaining waterside properties in the City of Barrie is no less a unique privilege yet we devalue the opportunity by wholesaling and waiving development charges.

Forgive my ignorance if I say I don’t get it, but might I suggest that the beneficiaries of those millions in forfeited charges that then have to come from the pockets of existing taxpayers at least be required to offset their investment windfall over time through a newly created annual waterfront development surcharge?

Funds collected through such a surcharge could be earmarked for future waterfront projects like keeping our city marina on par with the growing demand these projects bring, creating additional transient boat slips to bring more boaters to our downtown shops and restaurants, building a world-class public pier that could be the pride of Barrie and further put us on the map, creating a skating path along the bay's edge between the Barrie dock and the South-Shore Centre similar to the canal rink that attracts thousands to Ottawa in the winter or just be used to save us the embarrassment of having to abandon our prided heritage symbols Like the Waterfront Steam Engine to museums in other townships rather than showcasing them ourselves as we should because we can’t justify the cost to do so.

:: Shakespeare in the Alley ::

I am all for the building of a new Performing Arts Centre and I recognise the arts are a valuable component of any community. I still have to ask; why does Barrie City Council believe the Five Points to be a practical place to locate a Performing Arts Centre? Would it not benefit more by being located where there is room for dedicated parking facilities such as the Train Station or Arena sites, or the existing and soon available properties at Vespra and Innisfil Streets?
If we create even more competition for existing downtown parking for businesses that are disadvantaged already by parking limits it is going to hurt not help downtown businesses and probably cause more to move or fold.Seniors and the disabled are being ignored by council with this location choice as many won't be able to walk the one two or even more city blocks to and from their cars to the Five Points.
Doesn’t good City planning dictate that a new Performing Arts Centre should be built with consideration for future expansion as Barrie grows? The Five Points does not offer this potential.
Area businesses will gain far less benefit than anticipated from this as I think many arts related events are held in the evenings. I can’t imagine that retail shopping on Dunlop Street is a priority for arts patrons immediately before an event and certainly not afterwards when they step out onto Dunlop to see the bar crowds have taken control of the street. (There's a tragic comedy for you!)Dunlop Street’s best intended use is still retail and select service related businesses. Barrie should be doing more to encourage reputable businesses to locate down town. Barrie should encourage a market like the Mariposa Market in Orillia to locate at the Five Points. It would set the tone for downtown. We should offer incentives to our areas best existing bakeries, butcher shops, produce markets, delicatessens etc. to lour them to downtown Barrie. We would then begin to see a revitalized downtown that local residents and visitors would choose to shop in and future businesses would be anxious to be a part of. An arts centre is not going to bring even one additional person to downtown Dunlop Street on a Saturday or Sunday morning or afternoon.