For the holidays, Global News is releasing questions and answers with local leaders in Barrie and Simcoe County so that residents can get to know their officials better.
In this installment, Barrie Mayor Jeff Lehman reflects on the last decade and how the city has grown.
Global News: What were you doing in 2010 and how does that contribute to where you are today?
Jeff Lehman: In 2010, I was running my consulting company, MKI, as an economist. We were working with cities across the country on transit projects and employment lands development (job growth), which was experience I brought with me to the position of mayor.
GN: How were you hoping things might shape up in your community over the last decade (from 2010 until now)?
GN: Were you right or wrong in terms of how you thought Barrie was going to develop over the last decade? If you were wrong, how so?
Lehman: Our economy has been extremely strong. In November 2019, 121,800 people in the Barrie Census Metropolitan Area had jobs. In January 2010, that number was 99,700. Just over 22,000 more people have jobs today than 10 years ago. We have seen whole new sectors grow in our city, like big data, SEO, web design and new advanced manufacturers. Also, we have clearly changed the way we grow – just drive up Essa Road or Yonge Street to see the evidence of that. However, our affordable housing challenges got worse over the decade as real estate tripled in value, although we’ve recently made progress toward providing more affordable housing.
GN: What is the single biggest change that has happened for you as Barrie mayor over the past 10 years that has been a game changer?
Lehman: How the city grows. Prior to 2010, almost all our commercial and residential development was suburban. Today, we have a much broader range of housing choices inside urban areas, including great new condo communities, a mix of homes and townhomes, and commercial investment in new areas. Related to this, we have also seen transit ridership grow by almost 40 per cent, from 2.5 million riders in 2010 to nearly 3.5 million in 2019.
GN: What has been your biggest win as Barrie mayor?
GN: What has been your biggest disappointment or miss as Barrie mayor? What did you learn from it?
GN: In your opinion, what was the biggest story of the last decade in Barrie?
Lehman: I would say there have been some incredible stories in sports and culture. I think of the Baycats winning six championships, the Colts making playoff runs and things like the Rolling Stones concert at Burl’s Creek. There were also some crime stories, such as the bombs found in the house on Virgilwood Crescent. Overall, I think the job market was the biggest story of the decade. We started the decade with high unemployment and slow growth, but then the economy took off, and Barrie added more jobs on a percentage basis than any other city east of Alberta through the first half of the decade. As mentioned above, 22,000 more people have jobs in Barrie today compared to 10 years ago, and so many of our top companies are now holding job fairs as they grow.
GN: How has the make-up of Barrie changed over the last decade? How does this drive your decisions?
Lehman: Barrie is rapidly becoming more diverse, both ethnically and economically. Barrie is now attracting immigration from across Canada and around the world, which has changed everything from the cultural events now available in Barrie (I think of the huge, multiple Diwali celebrations every year) to international foods and products, to the growth of sports like cricket. In addition, the city is seeing more young entrepreneurs grow businesses as our economy has diversified from one based on a few sectors to a wide variety, with new companies choosing to grow here and serve global markets. This has shifted a lot of our thinking to focus on supporting talent, whether in tourism-related, food, technology or business service sectors.
GN: What’s your biggest hope for Barrie for 2020-2030?
GN: What do you think is the biggest challenge facing the Barrie community over the next decade?
Lehman: Getting growth right. We can’t fall behind on infrastructure investment the way we did before. We need to build a city that works well because it is planned and built well. This means growing smarter and investing in infrastructure when it is needed – not many years later.
Do you think Barrie will ever receive an express transit service to Toronto? If so, how far away in the cards do you think this is?
Lehman: Yes, but I think it’s still a few years away. A double track on the Go line will make this happen.
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
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