I spent the first 10 years…

I spent the first 10 years of my life living in Wasaga Beach and have worked in the town for 5 years on top of that. In that time I have had the opportunity to experience the unique nature of the town and the amazing natural features it has to offer. Wasaga Beach has always been a cottage filled resort town and tourist trap, while at the same time preserving some of the finest natural features in all of Ontario, including an incredible natural beach. However I am also an Ontario resident, and believe everyone around the province should be able to access this natural beauty without the threat of privatization hanging over their heads. Millions come every year to enjoy the beach and expect it to be there for them every year. In my opinion this land transfer will end that relationship and be massively detrimental to not only the tourists seeking public access, but the residents that rely on their business. This transfer is a completely one sided deal and scams Ontarians out of valuable public lands. While I am quite in favour of the transfer of Nancy Island to the ministry of tourism given that it seems to be in good hands and getting some needed attention/renovations, this seems to be the only appealing part of this proposal. When referencing this transfer the town repeatedly refers to the “$80 million dollars of land” they are acquiring and expecting not to pay for. The town’s focus on profit makes it very hard for me to believe they actually have decent intentions to use this land to revitalize Wasaga’s economy. I will be the first to say that the town's tourist infrastructure has fallen into disrepair, however I think it is very reasonable for them to provide a detailed and comprehensive plan to repair this infrastructure before construction is underway. I think the town has failed to provide this plan up to this point for the development they have started, let alone acres of Ontario Parks land they want to acquire. If the town can not prove to the people of Ontario why they deserve this land more than them then they should not have it.

Ontario parks were created to hold public land in trust so that future generations can have access to natural spaces. It is a disgrace that seemingly whenever the government decides this mission is not in line with their current goals they can just chop off this land and allow it to get into the hands of private developers. As many have said it is a dangerous precedent no matter how small the transfer, and I would argue that this case the transfer is by no means small. These natural beaches are not only used by crowds of people but also a surprisingly diverse array of flora and fauna, inhabiting a globally rare ecosystem. The most significant of course being the Piping Plover. For the last two years I have volunteered and worked with the plovers nesting at Wasaga. This bird is likely the most endangered breeding bird species in all of Ontario and is extremely limiting in where it chooses to nest. Wasaga often composes nearly half of the breeding plover population in Ontario and has by far contributed the most new birds to Ontario's plover population. I have seen the passion that is put into conserving these birds over the last 17 years, and the value it brings to so many in the town and throughout the province. Now more than ever their care should be in the hands of the most qualified individuals, and the fact that this transfer includes the prime scratch of plover breeding habitat located from Spruce Street east to the mouth of the Nottawasaga is extremely concerning. I cannot believe that the town will be able to provide anything near the effort put in by Ontario Parks staff and their dedicated team with years of experience. With this transfer comes the deregulation of the land and the loss of protection provided by the PPCRA, this coming as Piping Plovers have already lost much of their prior protection. All in all I believe this land transfer should not include any plover nesting habitat, historic or otherwise, and should likely not happen at all for the sake of Ontarians.