‘To say we were shocked would be an understatement,’ says man, who described person bragging loudly about doing drugs in front of child
With the dust now settled on Canada Day events around Barrie last week, the city’s new “enhanced downtown presence” program isn’t impressing at least one resident, as city police say the number of reported incidents mirrored previous years.
The increase in the number of police officers and patrols in the downtown core and waterfront areas this summer was announced June 16.
“In general, there were very few incidents, and no major incidents during the day,” police communications coordinator Jennett Mays told BarrieToday, an affiliate of BradfordToday and InnisfilToday.
She said call volume across the city was comparable to Canada Day last year, and to the previous Saturday.
However, in the evening, police said there was a stabbing involving teenagers which resulted in non-life-threatening injuries, as well as another incident involving youths and fireworks at the waterfront. No injuries were reported at that scene, and two youths were charged with causing a common nuisance.
The increased police presence through the downtown engagement team and City Guardian Program covers mainly daytime hours, into the evening, when the area is the busiest, Mays said.
“However, for special events, schedules are shifted to accommodate and attend the events,” she added.
“As a 24/7/365 service, our officers on duty regularly visit and patrol the downtown and, as always, will respond on a priority basis when a call for service is received,” Mays said.
Barrie resident Kyle Tilley said he wasn’t impressed with his downtown experience on Canada Day.
“My family and I had a wonderful time celebrating Canada Day at Painswick Park this year,” he said.
“The City of Barrie did a fantastic job organizing the festivities — the upbeat music from the DJ, the family-friendly games, delicious food options and the ever-popular bouncy castles made it a truly enjoyable day for parents and children alike,” Tilley added. “The atmosphere was vibrant and welcoming, just what a national celebration should be.”
However, he said the family’s experience “changed drastically” when they decided to continue the celebrations downtown later in the afternoon.
“To say we were shocked would be an understatement,” said Tilley, who described a situation on Dunlop Street where a man loudly bragged about doing drugs, right in front of his young daughter.
Tilley said a boisterous, shirtless man also interrupted a Canada Day ceremony with local dignitaries, calling it “uncomfortable and unsettling to watch.”
“As we made our way to a local restaurant, an individual was seen aggressively harassing a vendor outside Dollarama (on Dunlop Street East),” he said. “A few feet away, someone else was persistently panhandling diners on a patio.
“It wasn’t until we had been downtown for 40 minutes … that we noticed four Barrie police officers walking by,” Tilley said. “Their presence was appreciated, but it felt far too delayed, given the atmosphere we had already encountered.”
He says it’s situations like this that make people think twice about going downtown.
“This isn’t about criminalizing poverty or homelessness,” Tilley said. “It’s about ensuring a balanced approach that keeps our public spaces safe and welcoming for everyone, especially children.”
City police say 10 officers, including constables, special constables and a sergeant, were assigned to the downtown core last summer. Police said the plan for this summer is to have 17 officers providing “increased presence and visibility.”
They will be seen on foot, on bikes, in marked cars and in a utility terrain vehicle (UTV), according to police.
As part of our enhanced downtown presence for the busy summer months, our Downtown Engagement Team will be sharing weekly statistics as they provide visibility and presence on downtown streets, our waterfront trails, beaches, and surrounding parks. pic.twitter.com/7oVjbJkBjY
— Barrie Police (@BarriePolice) July 4, 2025