Greetings, Thank you for the…

Greetings,

Thank you for the opportunity to comment on the Wasaga Beach Provincial Park Management Plan.
My family has owned property in Wasaga Beach since the 1920’s, and I am passionate about our beach. I also possess photographic records of how the beach has changed over the years and feel this places me in a good position to discuss the present state of the beach and the management of the park.

We are in a unique situation where the park is located within town limits and the ratepayers must answer to more than one authority (the Park, the Town, and the Nottawasaga Valley Conservation Society).

I am attempting to be brief in my comments, but would be happy to expand, if contacted. Thank-you.

1. It is vital that Wasaga Beach retain the recreational designation. Although difficult to discern from this plan, the Park’s own survey show that residents and visitors believe that Wasaga Beach should be destination for beach and water activities – in other words, recreation. This is a location where many people come to play, to enjoy the soft sand, and the fresh water. Unfortunately, in recent years, the park has taken decisions making it harder and harder for the tourists to visit and play. A couple of examples follow. The park has allowed invasive species, including phragamites, to overtake the beach. There are now spots on the beach where the weeds are growing right to the water’s edge. Yes, the water is high this year, but the weeds encroach farther every year. This is mismanagement and, I suspect, contravenes the Invasive Species legislation. Another example: some years ago, John Fisher, the then-superintendent of the Park, signed off and allowed the town to leave a tarp and 10,000 cubic metres of dirt and rocks dredged from the Nottawasaga River on the beach at New Wasaga. This was a beach that had only sand, no rocks, and now it is contaminated and the tarp is creating a water danger. As well, the dump has resulted in a change in elevation creating standing water, which encourages mosquitos and such. This act may have been allowed legally, but, morally, it was criminal. Years of trying to have the situation rectified have proved fruitless, and each year the relationship between the park and the residents and visitors becomes more damaged. Over the years, countless park employees have stated that the beach is returning to a natural condition. Natural conditions do not include invasive weeds and trees at the water’s edge, or river rock covering a large swath of land. Unlike many, I have photographic proof that these park staffers do not speak the truth. Tourism is a major driver of the town’s economy. Property taxes are high for beachfront properties, but there are now weeds and not sand on the beachfront. This mismanagement will have a financial impact on the town and ratepayers. The recreation designation must stand and the Park must begin to rehabilitate this beach. Immediate plans should be set in place.

2. More access paths, to accommodate easier access is a great idea.

3. The HMS Nancy is a valuable resource centre and should be expanded to include the history of Wasaga Beach.

4. As this is a beach primarily used for recreation, scientific research should be secondary.

5. Under no circumstances should the boundaries be expanded until the Park has proven that they are capable of properly managing the park within the existing boundaries. Presently, the Park is a terrible neighbour: garbage, including toxic and hazardous materials, remains on the beach until complaints are lodged; the washrooms (vault privy) at New Wasaga and Allenwood beaches do not have running water and sewer connections, although residents were forced to tie into town water in 2007; and they are rude and dismissive towards the residents (one example, John Fisher said his constituents were the day visitors and only the day visitors). There are more egregious examples of falsehoods – some from the current superintendent, Greg Forbes, but the list would serve little purpose here.

6. Camping, as long as it is placed a long distance away from the beaches, is a great idea, and will promote more recreational use of the beaches.

7. Re-naming the beaches is akin to putting lipstick on a pig. Please, please, please return the beaches to their former beauty before wasting money on a renaming project, or worse a re-branding exercise.

8. Lastly, an unasked-for suggestion: please bring back the lifeguards. We have had two preventable drownings at Beach1 already this year. What a plan that would be.

Since the early days of the park creation, when cottages were expropriated, the relationship between the Park and the residents, permanent and seasonal, has been poisoned. There are days when I feel that the best course of action would be for the park to leave Wasaga Beach entirely. Both John Fisher and Greg Forbes complained at length about not having adequate funding. Here’s an idea: take your paltry funds and add them to the park at Craigleith. Let the town run the beach: at least there is a process for civic engagement when dealing with a municipality.

In closing, it reads to me that this proposed plan attempts to lead to an outcome of a ‘natural environment’. This would be a grave mistake. I am disappointed with the park and with the Ministry that signed off on this plan as a viable proposal.

The state of our beaches is shameful and the blame lies with the Park. The days of the park being recognized as one of the top ten beaches in the country are numbered. As are the days were the designation of the longest freshwater beach in the world – no beach with the invasive species. This issue needs to be addressed.

Respectfully submitted