About Alex Nuttall, Mayor of Barrie

Raised in Barrie

Born in Liverpool, England, Alex immigrated to Canada with his family in 1989. He grew up in Barrie with his mother and two older brothers, spending part of his childhood in government-assisted housing.

Alex attended Allandale Heights Public School and was elected student mayor while attending St. Peter’s Catholic Secondary School. He graduated from Innisdale Secondary School in 2004 and later studied political science at Redeemer University and Laurentian University.

Those early experiences shaped Alex’s belief that a strong community can open doors for families and help young people overcome difficult circumstances.

A Record of Public Service

At 21, Alex was elected to represent Ward 10 on Barrie City Council. He served from 2006 to 2014 and was re-elected in 2010 with more than 82% of the vote.

In 2015, Alex was elected Member of Parliament for Barrie—Springwater—Oro-Medonte. During his four years in Parliament, he held several opposition critic roles, including responsibilities related to economic development, innovation, youth, sport and persons with disabilities. He also served on parliamentary committees focused on industry, science, technology, human resources and social development.

Alex returned to municipal politics in 2022 and was elected Mayor of Barrie. He officially took office on November 15, 2022.

Keeping Barrie Affordable

As Mayor, Alex has focused on keeping taxes low while investing in what matters most. Working with Council, he held City Operations tax increases at 0% for four consecutive years, cancelled the separate Stormwater Charge and invested in fixing Barrie’s roads. His background in finance has helped him carefully review budgets, keep them balanced and make strategic spending decisions.

Alex also worked to reduce the pressure from outside-agency budgets. The much smaller outside-agency tax increase in 2026 was due to a change in the amortization schedule that Alex requested from the County of Simcoe. Read the outside-agency tax breakdown.

Advancing Affordable Housing

Alex’s approach to affordable housing brings Council, developers, housing partners and other levels of government together around practical solutions: lowering the cost of qualifying projects, securing affordable units for the long term and investing in the infrastructure needed for more homes.

Under Alex’s leadership, Council introduced targeted development-charge waivers for new apartment buildings of five storeys or more. The expanded program requires at least 20% affordable units in qualifying rental buildings or 60% in qualifying ownership projects, secured for 25 years. Its first intake supported eight projects moving forward through the program, representing 1,117 homes, including 224 affordable units, with $35.6 million in waived charges. [1]

Separately, Council approved a 50% reduction in residential development charges on September 16, 2026. Canada and Ontario then announced up to $129.2 million for Barrie’s wastewater infrastructure through the Development Charge Reduction Program. Federal support also includes $25.7 million through the Housing Accelerator Fund, with funding allocated to the City’s housing incentives. [2] [3] [4]

These incentives and government partnerships encourage developers and housing partners to build more affordable homes in Barrie, helping more residents find a home they can afford.

Explore Alex’s sourced housing record, the housing program details, his record on greater affordability for Barrie and his next-term commitments on homes and affordability.

Bringing People Together for Barrie

Alex’s collaborative, bipartisan approach puts Barrie ahead of party politics. He brings people with Liberal and Conservative backgrounds together with community leaders, residents and businesses to find common ground and get things done.

His endorsements reflect that approach. Retired municipal lawyer Marshall Green explains that he previously voted for Alex’s opponents and has never considered himself a Tory, but is now on his re-election team. Green praises Alex’s thoughtful balancing of different views and his work to move the Performing Arts Centre forward.

Business leader Stephen Sperling describes Alex as “non-partisan and a true leader in Barrie.” Conservative MP John Brassard credits him with building consensus at Council, among governments and with community stakeholders. Andrea Khanjin highlights his collaboration with community partners and every level of government. Together, their words speak to a Team Barrie approach built around practical results.

Read the full endorsements in their own words.

Making Community Safety a Priority

Alex has also made public safety a priority, from ending Penetang Jail prisoner drop-offs in downtown Barrie to investing in 44 new frontline police officers and supporting addiction treatment through the HART Hub. His focus is on safer streets and neighbourhoods, alongside access to care and recovery. Read his public safety record and his approach to downtown safety.

For the next term, Alex’s safer-neighbourhood commitments include $3 million for traffic calming near parks and schools, support for treatment centres, and compassionate intervention when approved by the Government of Ontario.

Advocating for Better Mental Health Care

Alex has been a proponent of better mental health supports in Barrie, pressing the Province of Ontario for more accessible care and working with municipal and healthcare partners to help people reach treatment, recovery and stable housing. His advocacy alongside Ontario’s Big City Mayors has called for rehabilitation, support and mental health services to be available in the communities that need them. [5]

That work includes supporting the provincially funded HART Hub Simcoe County. In October 2024, Council backed the County’s application to Ontario and authorized a mayoral letter of support. The Hub connects people with mental health and addiction services, primary care, crisis support and supportive housing through a network that includes the County of Simcoe, RVH, the Canadian Mental Health Association, Waypoint and Indigenous healthcare partners. [6] [7]

Alex has also helped bring the community together to fundraise for Royal Victoria Regional Health Centre (RVH) and its expansion through the Boots and Hearts Barn Burner. At the 2025 event, he announced CanadaOne Auto’s $1-million gift to RVH’s Keep Life Wild campaign, supporting expansion of the regional mental health program with more inpatient beds, enhanced outpatient services and new spaces for care. [8]

Read the mental health care FAQ and how Barrie is supporting people facing addiction. For the next term, Alex will keep advocating for treatment centres and compassionate intervention when approved by Ontario.

Community Involvement

Alex’s connection to Barrie extends beyond elected office. In 2010, he helped establish PIE Education, a community program that has provided more than 27,500 backpacks filled with school supplies to students and families in need across Ontario.

Since 2018, Alex has also served as host and chair of the Boots and Hearts Barn Burner charity hockey game, formerly Hockey Night in Barrie. The annual event brings professional hockey players, local leaders and residents together and has raised nearly $3 million for local charities.

Supporting the Arts in Barrie

Alex is a supporter of Barrie’s arts and culture community. He performed with country artist Brett Kissel at the Troubadour Festival, celebrating the live music that brings people together in downtown Barrie.

Working with Council and community partners, Alex has helped develop and advance a plan for a new Performing Arts Centre on Barrie’s waterfront. The planned centre will create a new home for performances, rehearsals and cultural events. Read the City’s Performing Arts and Convention Centre project details and Alex’s record on community spaces.

In his endorsement, Councillor Clare Riepma says, “We worked closely to move the performing arts centre forward as a team.” Completing the centre is also part of Alex’s commitments for the next term.

Moving Barrie Forward

Over the last four years, Alex and Council have worked to restore Barrie to the city residents expect it to be. That work has included ending the prisoner drop-off, restructuring the City’s financial fundamentals, advancing major city-building projects, bringing university education to Barrie and getting new housing built.

Those accomplishments over the last four years provide a foundation for the work ahead: creating a safe and affordable community, bringing jobs closer to home, reducing commutes and giving families more time together. His 2026–2030 commitments focus on greater affordability by keeping taxes low, safer streets, investing in affordable housing, new libraries, recreation services and bringing local jobs to Barrie.

Alex is a father of two, and he and his wife are expecting a new addition to their family soon. He remains guided by the opportunities Barrie provided his own family and is seeking a second term as Mayor to build on the progress made since 2022 and keep Barrie moving forward.