As someone who was partially…

As someone who was partially raised in Wasaga Beach and still holds many ties and memories to its town and beaches, I must firmly appose the proposed land transfer to the city. As an aspiring naturalist studying environmental sciences at the university of Guelph I have a better understanding then many of what this land transfer could do to both the local ecosystem and Canada's environments as a whole.

The Georgian Bay region specifically the Wasaga Beach area has incredible biodiversity, with many species being found no where else in Ontario or even Canada including piping plovers and the Easter hognose. The region as a whole also contained many unique land formations such as the oxbow dunes and the minesing wetlands.

These reasons alone are enough to warrant the protection of the land, however if this land were to be handed over to the town it would set a dangerous precedent for the rest of the province. With the passing of bill 5 the endangered species act was essentially repealed for areas deemed of "economic interest". This means that the only remaining protection is the PPCRA, if this land transfer were to go through then it would set the idea that environmental protections have no meaning and corporations can disregard them in the name of profit.

While the expansion of tourism in the town is an important topic to discuss I firmly believe that it is not worth the risk that the land grab would cause both on a local and provincial level. I urge you all to please block this transfer.