LETTER: Waterfront sports field 'completely inappropriate'

BarrieToday welcomes letters to the editor at [email protected] or via the website. Please include your full name, daytime phone number and address (for verification of authorship, not publication). The following is a letter to the editor and an open letter to Barrie city council.

As residents of Barrie’s north shore, we are strongly opposed to the proposed location of a multi-use sports field on the south shore of Barrie’s beautiful waterfront.

We recently moved to this area because of the natural walking paths and proximity to nature, and our family uses these well-maintained trails every day.

We were impressed with the City of Barrie for its foresight in preserving this precious shoreline and for caring enough about the ecosystem to open the area to everyone without endangering habitat.

However, it appears this current council is prepared to backtrack and ignore earlier strategic plans — developed via consultations with residents — and instead listen to a very vocal and organized elite group of sports teams.

I emphasize to you: This is not what the majority of citizens in Barrie want. Our family may not live in the Allandale area, but we are devastated at the thought of trees being removed (new tree plantings are not equivalent replacements), sport-speaker sounds and lights carrying across the water, an ugly and barrier-building fence in an area that is currently green and accessible to all, and further parking chaos. This is a completely inappropriate location.

We are also concerned about the disruption of soil in the area that may have toxins buried beneath due to past use of the land.

If there is a crucial need for such a high-end sports facility, then prove to us residents that this is the only and best location — that there is no other location anywhere in the city — and show to us voters why the city needs to reverse course and disrupt our precious ecosystem.

We implore you to step back from this full-throttle, single-minded plan and consult fully with your citizens — and to look seriously at other locations.

Just because there is no concrete, asphalt, turf or construction on this land does not mean it is “undeveloped.” Just visit the area any day/evening and you will see it is well used and loved.

Brett and Kim Caldwell
Barrie