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Ward 7 Councillor

2 certified candidates, listed alphabetically by last name.

Candidates

Gary Harvey

Incumbent
Background
Ward 7 resident for 27 years. Retired police officer (35 years). Ward 7 councillor since 2018 (46.9% in 2018; acclaimed in 2022). Chairs the Finance and Responsible Governance Committee. Part-time member of Ontario's Licence Appeal Tribunal.
Ward-specific priorities
Splash pad and pickleball and basketball courts at Peggy Hill Community Centre (2027); Holly library branch; Essa Road widening with sidewalks (2028).
Public record
Not yet reviewed.
Contact
Profile sources: City of Barrie [S001]; BarrieVotes.ca [S008]; Campaign [S011]; BarrieToday [S168]

Michael Lewis

Background
Barrie resident since 1980; graduated from Eastview in 1985 and worked at several Barrie employers. Retired, and in his fourth year of a counselling and psychology degree at Georgian College. No party affiliation. Says he has no formal election platform and is running to give Ward 7 residents a voice at city hall.
Ward-specific priorities
Parking shortages, which he links to overcrowded single-family homes; lack of municipal services for the property taxes paid.
Public record
Not yet reviewed.
Contact
Profile sources: City of Barrie [S001]; BarrieVotes.ca [S007]; BarrieToday [S015]

Compare positions

Each issue lists every candidate in the same alphabetical order.

Property taxes and budget

Gary Harvey
Points to four straight 0% operating budgets and Barrie's first AAA credit rating; says tax-bill increases came mainly from service partners.
Sources: BarrieVotes.ca [S008]; BarrieToday [S168]
Context: Total property-tax increases, which include service partners such as police and the County of Simcoe, were 4.82% (2024), 4.31% (2025) and 3.95% (2026). The 0% applies to the City operating budget only; the City also kept a 2% infrastructure levy.
Sources: BarrieToday [S020]; BarrieToday [S021]; Barrie 360 [S018]; CTV News Barrie [S019]; BarrieToday [S022]; City of Barrie [S023]
Michael Lewis
Concerned about ever-increasing property taxes and a lack of the municipal services those taxes should fund.
Source: BarrieToday [S015]

Housing affordability

Gary Harvey
Cites $80M in development charge waivers and 779 affordable homes approved.
Sources: BarrieVotes.ca [S008]; Campaign [S011]
Context: The City reports its Housing Community Improvement Plan has supported 248 affordable housing units since 2020. We found no City count of affordable units approved.
Source: City of Barrie [S016]
Michael Lewis
Concerned about a lack of affordable housing; says the city cannot provide it while it cannot choose the lots to build on.
Source: BarrieToday [S015]

Homelessness and encampments

Gary Harvey
Has called for accountability on the Redwood Park supportive housing project and its unpaid $3M city loan.
Source: BarrieVotes.ca [S008]
Michael Lewis
Homelessness is a main issue; his biggest concern is bringing social services back under city control from the County of Simcoe.
Source: BarrieToday [S015]

Public safety and policing

Gary Harvey
Supports added police and special constables downtown and says more are needed. Says residents name traffic safety, community safety and affordability as top concerns.
Sources: BarrieVotes.ca [S008]; BarrieToday [S168]
Michael Lewis
No stated position found.

Transit and roads

Gary Harvey
Cites expanded Transit On Demand in Ward 7, free Tuesday and Thursday transit for seniors, and the Essa Road widening (2028). Points to new crosswalks, a 40 km/h limit on the south end of Marsellus Drive and added traffic calming.
Sources: BarrieVotes.ca [S008]; BarrieToday [S168]
Michael Lewis
No stated position found.

Strong-mayor powers

Gary Harvey
No stated position found.
Michael Lewis
No stated position found.

Growth and development

Gary Harvey
No stated position found.
Michael Lewis
Expects Barrie to pass 300,000 people within one to two decades; says the city, not the County of Simcoe, should have full control over its own services.
Source: BarrieToday [S015]

Addiction and public drug use

Gary Harvey
Says Barrie needs more psychiatric and addiction beds. Wants continued partnership with the County of Simcoe, which is responsible for social services.
Sources: BarrieVotes.ca [S008]; BarrieToday [S168]
Michael Lewis
No stated position found.

Jobs and economic development

Gary Harvey
Says more than 3000 jobs have been created since 2022.
Source: BarrieVotes.ca [S008]
Context: Statistics Canada put Barrie's unemployment rate at 9.2% in April 2026, easing to 6.4% by September (seasonally adjusted, three-month moving average).
Source: Statistics Canada [S017]
Michael Lewis
No stated position found.

E-bikes and e-scooters

Gary Harvey
No stated position found.
Michael Lewis
No stated position found.

Transparency and council accountability

Gary Harvey
No stated position found.
Michael Lewis
No stated position found.

Parks, green space and environment

Gary Harvey
Points to a splash pad, pickleball courts and basketball courts coming to the Peggy Hill community centre.
Source: BarrieToday [S168]
Michael Lewis
No stated position found.