Speed cameras

Barrie ran automated speed enforcement for just under two years. Council voted 9–2 in September 2025 to wind the program down by year-end; before that end date arrived, the Province banned speed cameras outright, and Barrie's came down with the ban on November 14, 2025. The program is over, and what remains is an election-season argument about what it was for and what replaces it.

The arc

June 20, 2022: Council approves an ASE program for school zones and community safety zones (motion 22-G-131).
December 1, 2023: the first two cameras go live, rotating between zones.
May 21, 2025: tickets move from provincial-offences charges to the City's Administrative Penalty System (By-law 2024-086); the number of cameras had grown to four.
September 24, 2025: Council votes to phase the program out by year-end, negotiate red-light-camera agreements funded from the ASE reserve, and ask the Province for traffic-safety funding. The recorded vote was 9–2, Councillors Courser and Hamilton opposed: the vote, with every name (item 25-A-090).
November 3, 2025: the Province's Bill 56 receives Royal Assent. Schedule 5 repeals the Highway Traffic Act part that authorizes municipal speed cameras, effective November 14, 2025.
November 14, 2025: Barrie's cameras come down. The City's page states that tickets already issued remain valid and refunds will not be issued.

Sources: Speed Limits & Enforcement (City program page, as of 2026-08-09), City of Barrie. Original document. The City's own record of the ended ASE program: authorization (motion 22-G-131), cameras live 2023-12-01, the end date of 2025-11-14, the no-refunds statement, and the full camera-location history with serial numbers and Certificates of Accuracy. A live page; re-capture before citing anything new from it. Bill 56, Building a More Competitive Economy Act, 2025 (S.O. 2025, c. 11) — status page, Legislative Assembly of Ontario, dated November 3, 2025. Original document. Royal Assent November 3, 2025. Schedule 5 repeals Highway Traffic Act Part XIV.1, the authority for automated speed enforcement, in force the later of November 14, 2025 and Royal Assent — hence the province-wide end date of 2025-11-14. All retrieved August 9, 2026.

The money

The City has published no end-of-program accounting. What is on the record:

The 2026 budget book carries a $660,000 net ASE revenue transfer, priced before the program's end date moved.
Figures obtained under freedom-of-information law and reported by BarrieToday in December 2025: 99,841 tickets issued from December 2023 through the end of October 2025, totalling $9,037,066 in fines, with staff saying about 70% of fines issued were actually paid, and almost $1.7 million transferred to the traffic-calming reserve. The busiest camera location was southbound Veterans Drive (15,840 tickets); the quietest was westbound Rose Street (143). Note the distance between the headline figures: $9.0 million is fines issued, not money received — about 70% collection puts receipts around $6.3 million, and vendor and program costs come out before anything reaches a reserve, which is how $9.0 million issued becomes $1.7 million reserved. The reporting does not itemize the steps between, so neither does this page.
On the way out, council committed $500,000 ($50,000 per ward) in interim traffic-calming money and directed staff to ask the Province for $5 million for traffic-safety measures.

The FOI totals are the outlet's reporting of City records rather than a City publication; no staff report states them, and this page will switch to the City's own accounting if one appears.

Sources: Service Areas — Tax Rate (2026 Business Plan & Operating Budget), City of Barrie. Original document. "Barrie's speed cameras issued $9M worth of tickets over two years" (BarrieToday, syndicated to OrilliaMatters), BarrieToday / Village Media, dated December 23, 2025. Original document. Speed Limits & Enforcement (City program page, as of 2026-08-09), City of Barrie. Original document. The City's own record of the ended ASE program: authorization (motion 22-G-131), cameras live 2023-12-01, the end date of 2025-11-14, the no-refunds statement, and the full camera-location history with serial numbers and Certificates of Accuracy. A live page; re-capture before citing anything new from it. All retrieved August 9, 2026.

Why it belongs in an election

Two framings of the same program ran through council debate and the coverage: a road-safety tool that slowed drivers in school zones, and a revenue tool that taxed drivers who live on arterial roads. The figures above support arguments in both directions, which is exactly why the question is political. What candidates now differ on is what replaces it: red-light cameras are in negotiation by council's own direction, the traffic-calming reserve holds ASE money, and any future speed camera would need the Province to reverse a ban it enacted months before this election.

The full recorded-vote record for this term, including this vote, is at council votes.

What the candidates have said

Verbatim, attributed, dated. Every passage below is copied exactly from an archived copy of its source — a campaign website, a news article, or the candidate's own social media post — and links to it. Nothing is paraphrased by this site and no for-or-against label is applied: read the words, follow the link. Passages from news coverage say whether they are the candidate quoted, the reporter's reported speech, or the reporter's characterisation.

Compiled in a research batch dated September 11, 2026, reviewed by hand before publication on September 11, 2026. Passages are capped at 60 words. Campaign pages are undated, so only the retrieval date is shown for them. A candidate with nothing located on an issue is listed as such, with the date their sources were checked; a race is shown only once every candidate in it has been checked. See methodology.

Mayor

No published statement on this issue located for 4 candidates. Campaign website did not answer when checked (September 10, 2026): Alex Nuttall. Campaign website read, nothing located on this issue (September 10, 2026): Tanya Saari. No campaign website on the City's list: Kay Sayer, Russell Tighe. Indexed news coverage checked September 11, 2026: none quoting any of them on this issue. Social media posts not yet checked.

Ward 1

Shaughna Ainsworth

Traffic calming measures on high-speed residential streets

Source: ainsworth4ward1.ca, Platform page, section '01 Safe and Welcoming Neighbourhoods', first bullet. Page. The page is undated; retrieved and archived September 10, 2026. site
I believe and will always advocate for traffic controls, as well as dedicated regular maintenance of local sidewalks, roadways, parks and lighting because they are important to providing safe welcoming neighbourhoods.

Source: As quoted in barrietoday.com, Ainsworth running on safety, accountability in Ward 1, August 25, 2026 (paragraph 9, second sentence). Read September 11, 2026. news

Pauline Stevenson

Traffic calming measures work, but there are not enough options available for our neighbourhoods. Measures are distributed sparingly and often only after mounting complaints from concerned citizens.

Source: stevenson4ward1.ca, Home page, priority 03 'Safe Neighbourhoods', second paragraph, first two sentences. Page. The page is undated; retrieved and archived September 11, 2026. site
We must change this approach by proactively investing in and implementing measures where they are needed.

Source: stevenson4ward1.ca, Home page, priority 03 'Safe Neighbourhoods', second paragraph, third sentence. Page. The page is undated; retrieved and archived September 11, 2026. site

No published statement on this issue located for 4 candidates. Campaign website did not answer when checked (September 10, 2026): Stefano Agostino. Campaign website read, nothing located on this issue (September 11, 2026): Brent Bowser. No campaign website on the City's list: Christian Cadera. Campaign website read, nothing located on this issue (September 10, 2026): Hafiz Rahman. Indexed news coverage checked September 11, 2026: none quoting any of them on this issue. Social media posts not yet checked.

Ward 2

No published statement on this issue located for 5 candidates. Campaign website read, nothing located on this issue (September 10, 2026): Frank Casera, Shanicka Edwards, Craig Nixon, Ajmal Noushahi. No campaign website on the City's list: Tracy Strohm. Indexed news coverage checked September 11, 2026: none quoting any of them on this issue. Social media posts not yet checked.

Ward 3

No published statement on this issue located for 4 candidates. Campaign website read, nothing located on this issue (September 11, 2026): Amy Courser. Campaign website read, nothing located on this issue (September 10, 2026): Ben Hughes. No campaign website on the City's list: Bryan Jones, Ryan Rijo. Indexed news coverage checked September 11, 2026: none quoting any of them on this issue. Social media posts not yet checked.

Ward 4

Iradat Ahmad

Speeding on residential streets, with Hurst Drive raised more than anywhere else in the ward.

Source: ahmad4ward4.ca, Home page, under 'PRIORITY 03 Traffic calming', first line. Page. The page is undated; retrieved and archived September 10, 2026. site
Real traffic calming on the streets residents keep flagging.

Source: ahmad4ward4.ca, Home page, under 'PRIORITY 03 Traffic calming', second line. Page. The page is undated; retrieved and archived September 10, 2026. site

Show 2 more passages

'I ran a road-safety and driver-training business for years. Speeding on residential streets is a solvable problem,' says Iradat Ahmad

Source: As quoted in barrietoday.com, Road safety, speeding among top issues in newly redrawn Ward 4, September 10, 2026 (Feed summary (article page not archived)). Read September 11, 2026. news
Street design, enforcement where it is actually needed, and a council that treats it as a safety issue rather than a complaint can make a difference

Source: As quoted in barrietoday.com, Road safety, speeding among top issues in newly redrawn Ward 4, September 10, 2026 (paragraph 10, third sentence of the quotation). Read September 11, 2026. news

Lori Galeazza

Our main roads have become a racetrack. Let's take back the speed, with year-round, 24-hour reduced limits in our community safety zones, so no family loses a loved one to a speeding car again.

Source: lorigaleazza.ca, Home page, 'What She Stands For', item 02 Slowing Traffic. Page. The page is undated; retrieved and archived September 10, 2026. site

Arif Khan

Traffic calming, better crosswalks, and complete street networks so you can walk to school, transit, and parks with confidence.

Source: arifforward4.ca, Home page, under 'PRIORITIES', item 01 'Safer local streets'. Page. The page is undated; retrieved and archived September 11, 2026. inferred site

No published statement on this issue located for 2 candidates. No campaign website on the City's list: Matthew Corbett, Patrick Harriott-Stewart. Indexed news coverage checked September 11, 2026: none quoting any of them on this issue. Social media posts not yet checked.

Ward 5

Robert Thomson

Installation of permanent speed humps to improve neighbourhood road safety

Source: thomsonward5.ca, Accomplishments page, 'Delivering Results for Ward 5', first bullet. Page. The page is undated; retrieved and archived September 10, 2026. site
I’ve also worked to advance traffic-calming measures to address neighbourhood safety concerns and improve quality of life.

Source: As quoted in barrietoday.com, Thomson looks to draw on experience in re-election bid, September 1, 2026 (paragraph 8, second sentence). Read September 11, 2026. news

No published statement on this issue located for one candidate. Campaign website read, nothing located on this issue (September 10, 2026): Duarte Da Silva. Indexed news coverage checked September 11, 2026: none quoting them on this issue. Social media posts not yet checked.

Ward 6

No published statement on this issue located for 3 candidates. No campaign website on the City's list: Nasar George Nader. Campaign website read, nothing located on this issue (September 10, 2026): Nigussie Nigussie, Christel Pena. Indexed news coverage checked September 11, 2026: none quoting any of them on this issue. Social media posts not yet checked.

Ward 7

Gary Harvey

Expanded Community Safety Zone and traffic calming

Source: garyharvey.ca, Home page, under 'THE FIVE POINT PLAN', 'COMMUNITY SAFETY', first bullet. Page. The page is undated; retrieved and archived September 11, 2026. site

No published statement on this issue located for one candidate. No campaign website on the City's list: Michael Lewis. Indexed news coverage checked September 11, 2026: none quoting them on this issue. Social media posts not yet checked.

Ward 8

Jim Harris

I would advocate that Ward 8 be the first area in Barrie to pilot Speed Camera Enforcement.

Source: votejimforward8.ca, Blog post 'Speeding in Our Neighborhoods', paragraph 2, last sentence. Page. The page is undated; retrieved and archived September 10, 2026. site
I agree we can certainly benefit from more traffic calming methods - particularly speed bumps, and would support residents request for such.

Source: votejimforward8.ca, Blog post 'Speeding in Our Neighborhoods', paragraph 2, sentence 2. Page. The page is undated; retrieved and archived September 10, 2026. site

No published statement on this issue located for 2 candidates. No campaign website on the City's list: Samina Alim. Campaign website read, nothing located on this issue (September 10, 2026): Amanda Fellows. Indexed news coverage checked September 11, 2026: none quoting any of them on this issue. Social media posts not yet checked.

Ward 9

Norm Costello

He also called Canada an “underpoliced society” and said traffic enforcement should replace speed bumps and bollards.

Source: As reported by Frequency News, Barrie Ward 9: Former New Blue Party Official Costello raises communication gap, police budget in bid to unseat Morales, August 3, 2026 (paragraph 5). Read September 11, 2026. news reported

Asmar Naveed

Traffic safety and speeding continue to be important neighbourhood concerns. I'll follow the implementation of these measures and post updates here as work progresses.

Source: asmarforward9.com, 'What's Happening in Ward 9' page, '2026 Traffic Calming Measures' entry, 'What this means' paragraph. Page. The page is undated; retrieved and archived September 10, 2026. site

No published statement on this issue located for 2 candidates. Campaign website read, nothing located on this issue (September 11, 2026): Sergio Morales, Dave Weingarten. Indexed news coverage checked September 11, 2026: none quoting any of them on this issue. Social media posts not yet checked.

Ward 10

Bryn Hamilton

Continue addressing speeding, cut-through traffic and difficult intersections while expanding practical traffic-safety measures where they’re needed.

Source: brynforbarrie.ca, Home page, 'My Commitment', under 'Safer Roads & Neighbourhoods'. Page. The page is undated; retrieved and archived September 10, 2026. site
Expanded use of speed cushions and radar feedback signs

Source: brynforbarrie.ca, Home page, 'Delivering Results For Ward 10', under 'Safer Neighbourhoods', second bullet. Page. The page is undated; retrieved and archived September 10, 2026. site

Georgy Kapustin

Strengthen road safety through active enforcement. Intersections with repeated collisions, unsafe turns, blocked crossings, or rush-hour conflicts, and roads where speeding is common, should receive active monitoring, visible police presence, and enforcement.

Source: georgyk.com, Priorities page, under 'Safe Streets, Real Support', first bullet. Page. The page is undated; retrieved and archived September 10, 2026. site

No published statement on this issue located for one candidate. No campaign website on the City's list: William Cadeau. Indexed news coverage checked September 11, 2026: none quoting them on this issue. Social media posts not yet checked.

School board trustees

None of the 19 trustee candidates across 7 races has a located statement on this issue; trustees do not decide it. Their statements are on the education page, and each candidate's own page says what was checked.

Common questions

Does Barrie have speed cameras?

Not any more. Council voted 9–2 in September 2025 to wind the program down by year-end; before that date arrived, the Province banned speed cameras outright, and Barrie's came down with the ban on November 14, 2025.

How much money did Barrie's speed cameras make?

Figures obtained under freedom-of-information law and reported by BarrieToday: 99,841 tickets from December 2023 through the end of October 2025, totalling $9,037,066 in fines issued — with about 70% of fines actually paid and almost $1.7 million transferred to the traffic-calming reserve. The City has published no end-of-program accounting.

Are Barrie speed camera tickets still valid?

Yes. The City's page states that tickets already issued remain valid and refunds will not be issued.