Barrie

Barrie boy turns foul experience at Blue Jays game into a positive

Barrie boy turns foul experience at Blue Jays game into a positive

To say the Hillcrest Public School third-grader was excited to go to the Oct. 1 home game with his dad would be an bit of an understatement, but that joy quickly turned to sadness and frustration after the pair was forced to leave the game following a complaint they made about the amount of water the youngster received from one of the concession stands. Father and son used to regularly attend games, but this was their first time back to Rogers Centre since prior to the pandemic. “I said to him, ‘Here’s $15 to spend at the game’ and he could spend it however he liked. He wanted to get popcorn and a pop, so we went to the concession,” father Bob Cole tells BarrieToday. “He said he was still thirsty because pop doesn’t really quench your thirst and asked if he could get some water. I told him he wouldn’t have to worry about (not having enough money) because water is free.” Bob says when they asked for a cup filled with water, they didn’t provide much more than four ounces in the large cup, adding he spoke to a manager at the stadium and was told to “take it or leave it” and that "because they sell water on site, they can’t be giving it away for free.”

City's plan to help Indigenous communities with water services remains up in the air

City's plan to help Indigenous communities with water services remains up in the air

A city plan to improve water services to Indigenous communities is heading downstream. Barrie city council approved a motion Monday night to consult with Indigenous communities, including the Barrie Native Friendship Centre and the Barrie Area Native Advisory Circle, on the possibility of dedicating 0.2 per cent of its water and wastewater revenue forecast in the 2022 budget toward Water First, and that organization’s efforts to improve water services in First Nations communities.

City could help Indigenous communities overcome 'unacceptable' drinking water situations

City could help Indigenous communities overcome 'unacceptable' drinking water situations

Barrie could dedicate 0.2 per cent of its 2022 water and wastewater revenue — or about $100,000 — toward efforts to improve water services in Indigenous communities. City councillors will consider a motion to that effect Monday night, to help overcome the effects of colonization, discrimination and racism on Indigenous communities in Canada. “About 40 per cent of Ontario’s (Indigenous) reserves are currently operating under a boil water advisory. That is unacceptable,” said Deputy Mayor Barry Ward, whose motion is an item for discussion Monday. “I thought making a direct contribution to improve access to clean drinking water in Indigenous communities would be a wonderful gift from the residents of Barrie in the spirit of reconciliation.