"Failure of Appropriate Democratic Process": Tiny Residents Push Back Against $25 Million Town Hall Plan

What should residents do when they exhaust all democratic means to raise their grievances, and their political leaders still refuse to listen?

That seems to be the story unfolding in Tiny Township.

Located in the northernmost part of Simcoe County, Tiny is one of the largest municipalities by area, spanning more than 300 square kilometres—but it has a relatively small population of around 13,000.

In stark contrast, Barrie, the largest municipality in the county, has a population of over 150,000—more than twelve times that of Tiny—despite occupying just under one-third of the land area.

With its larger population and resources, Barrie operates out of a 90,000-square-foot city administration building constructed in 1972. In 2025, with a gross budget exceeding $300 million, the city chose to shelve an $88-million expansion and renovation plan for City Hall. Instead, they opted for modest upgrades costing around $7 million, less than a tenth of the original proposal.

Tiny Township, by contrast, has a 2025 gross budget of $41.3 million—only $18.4 million of which is tax-supported. Yet the township is proceeding with plans to build a 33,000-square-foot administrative building estimated to cost over $25 million—nearly 70% of its total annual budget.

To understand growing concerns around the project, we spoke with Tiny residents, community organizers, environmental experts, and members of the “Stop the Build” movement. We also reached out to Mayor David Evans, the Township Council, and Unity Design Studio, the architectural firm involved with the project from the beginning.

Angela Vos, a Tiny resident, co-organizer of Stop the Build, and founder of Justice for Jordan, raised concerns about the generational debt the new town hall could impose. “Tiny has never had debt in its entire existence,” she told us. “This project will change that.”

Karen Zulynik, another co-organizer of Stop the Build, provided a detailed account of how the approval process kept residents in the dark. She called for democracy, transparency, and accountability.

Dave Wulff, also a co-organizer, said the new town hall is unnecessary, expensive, and pushed through without public input. He emphasized that Tiny has no debt, no growth mandate, and that residents were never asked. He believes the project can still be stopped, and taxpayers spared from generational debt.

Environmental concerns have also emerged. Forest anthropologist Paul Bell reported that the site was clear-cut during owl nesting season, destroying habitat for rare owls, woodpeckers, and endangered Ice Age grass.

Back in 2019, under then-Mayor George Cornell, and following years of assessments, site tours, and consultant reports, the committee recommended constructing a new municipal building. The goal at the time was to remain fiscally cautious, particularly amid the uncertainties of the Regional Government Review.

That original decision emphasized transparency and restraint. But over time, the project ballooned in both scope and cost, now projected at over $25 million, without meaningful resident involvement.

We submitted a detailed set of questions to Mayor Evans and the entire council, asking about:

• The project’s cost relative to Tiny’s overall budget and future debt.

• Transparency issues raised by residents.

• Tax impacts on seniors and low-income residents;

• Accessibility concerns for residents without transportation.

• Environmental damage, including reported clear-cutting;

• Calls for a referendum and public consultation;

• Oversight mechanisms for major spending.

• Ongoing resident concerns.

We received a brief statement from Mayor David Evans, which did not address any of these questions. When we followed up, we were informed that the statement was being provided in place of direct responses. Instead, we were directed to the Township’s webpage: www.tiny.ca/newtownhall.

Unity Design Studio also declined to respond. Bill Lett, Principal at Unity, said they had been instructed to direct all media inquiries to the Township’s general email: newtownhall@tiny.ca.

Below are our full interviews. We will continue to follow this major story in Simcoe County and bring you updates.

Thank you for watching.