As a resident of Wasaga…

As a resident of Wasaga Beach I am commenting on the proposed legislative amendments to the Provincial Parks and Conservation Reserves Act, 2006 and Historical Parks Act to support the Town of Wasaga Beach's Tourism Enhancement Proposal (ERO Number:025-0694)
I support the transfer of the Nancy Island Historical site to the Ministry of Tourism, Conservation and Gaming.
However I wish to express my strong opposition to the proposal to transfer Beach Areas 1, 2 and New Wasaga to the Town of Wasaga Beach, and in particular I oppose the fact that these areas include highly sensitive natural areas to the east of the main beach, namely from Spruce Street to the mouth of the river. It should be noted that this section includes the Provincial Beach Area 1 parking lots. The reasons for my opposition are as follows:
Consistent with its mandate Wasaga Beach Provincial Park has achieved an admirable balance between protecting the ecological integrity of the beach and catering to the needs of tourists. Any criticism leveled against the Park indicates a lack of understanding of the critical elements that make up a healthy beach, and reflects the assumption that a beach should be nothing but expanses of uninterrupted sand. A little understood fact is that Wasaga's beach is a relict beach formed thousands of years ago, and as such is completely different from an ocean beach. Sarasota's pristine beach has been cited but an ocean beach cannot be compared to a freshwater non renewable beach. As sand is eroded it is gone forever. That is why vegetation and sand dunes are critical to the sustainability of the beach. When looking at the area to the east of the main beach and comparing it with the overly raked main beach, (where the sand that is full of waste material plowed in over the years, and there is complete lack of vegetation), the contrast is stark. The natural section to the east has not been raked since prior to 2008. It contains cleaner sand, vegetation, sand dunes and other components that make it a healthy beach that has attracted the endangered Piping Plover every year since. Wasaga Beach Park has invested a significant amount of time and resources in this area. This includes marram grass planting to prevent erosion of sand, signage and fenced off sand dunes to protect them from trampling and avoidance of any raking or disturbance by machinery in that entire section. This natural beach is, of note, a favorite of many beach visitors.
In addition, dating back to the mid 90s, the section closest to the mouth of the river has been closed off as a Protected Natural area that provides undisturbed habitat for any breeding shorebirds and has been used by various species for that purpose. Sand dunes in this area have burgeoned from being completely undisturbed.
Contained within the section east of the main beach is the habitat favored since 2008 by the highly endangered shorebird, the Piping Plover. Here is another example of significant investments by Wasaga Beach Provincial Park. Protections offered by the Park have included staffing assigned specifically to the plovers, and who coordinate Plover Guardians (volunteers who monitor the plovers’ behavior and activities, record information and talk to beach visitors about why the plovers and their sensitive habitat are protected, plus they give out stickers and educational materials to supplement these discussions). A plover hut has been constructed on Park property that contains educational panels about the plovers, dunes, vegetation and beach integrity, as well as how to help the plovers and support beach ecology. The Park has also invested in the materials required for the program, including purchasing and erecting perimeter fencing and nest exclosures and providing signage and educational materials along with other related resources. As the most successful breeding site in Ontario, Wasaga Beach has added 87 young plovers to the species over the years. It should also be noted that other successful repeat nesting sites have been in Provincial Parks, including Darlington beaches, Presqu'il and a remote Provincial site to the north.
Of great concern is the passage of Bill 5, which has removed protections for endangered species and it is unknown at this point whether any replacement legislation will provide sufficient, or indeed any protections.
Sauble Beach had successful piping plover nests every year dating back to 2007. In 2017 the Town conducted heavy tractoring of the beach, which removed sand dunes and vegetation, drastically altering the habitat. There have been no plover nests there in the last 4 seasons, and nests failed in the two years preceding that. It is of great concern that the same could happen at Wasaga Beach, especially given that a word used repeatedly by a Town official about a desirable beach is “pristine” even when referencing tourism in the plover area.
It is my strong opinion that Provincially owned lands, especially those that include environmentally sensitive areas, should remain under the mandate of Ontario Parks. They should not be deregulated and sold/given to a municipality. At an open public meeting it was repeatedly stated that there is no plan currently in place, that it is an open slate and that the future of these areas will be determined through a public consultation process. However it was also stated that all options were on the table and that could include mixed use residential buildings. It was also stated that the Province is aware that the Town has no money to purchase the land, which they say is valued at $80 million, and that they are expecting to be given them at no cost. I am incredulous that the Province would hand over this land with no stated plan for its use and the high potential for some of it to be sold for development. The Provincial parking lots could be considered prime waterfront property for housing (none of which would be affordable to the average person). These parking lots currently contain trees, vegetation, sand dunes, picnic areas and picnic shelters. Any such development would have a negative impact on beach ecology. The Province should have required a clear, publicly available plan first before even contemplating this proposed transfer.
In summary, I strongly urge the Ministry of Environment and Parks NOT to proceed with the transfer of Wasaga Beach Areas 1, 2 and New Wasaga to the Town of Wasaga Beach in the absence of any clear plan for how it will be used. Should all opposition to this transfer fail, then at the very least the particularly sensitive natural, unraked section to the east of the main beach from Spruce Street to the mouth of the river should be excluded from the proposed transfer.
Respectfully submitted.