Public Comment on Proposed…

Public Comment on Proposed Amendments to the PPCRA and Historical Parks Act – ERO #025-0694

I am writing to express my strong opposition to the proposed legislative amendments that would enable the transfer or sale of parts of Wasaga Beach Provincial Park to the Town of Wasaga Beach for tourism redevelopment.

I have worked directly in the region’s tourism sector. I witnessed firsthand how invaluable the park system is—not just as protected land, but as a vital infrastructure for the social and ecological health of the region. That 14-kilometre stretch of public beach isn’t just a tourist attraction. It’s one of the most democratic, accessible, and ecologically sensitive pieces of shoreline in the province, and possibly the world.

The park’s stewardship by the province provides more than just environmental protection. It offers:
• Consistent enforcement of park rules to ensure safe, inclusive use.
• Public facilities and upkeep that allow families and visitors to gather with dignity.
• Long-term ecological management of the dunes, wetlands, and endangered species habitats.

Private development threatens to erode all of that. And let’s be honest—there is zero evidence that removing land from park status is necessary for tourism to thrive. In fact, the very appeal of Wasaga Beach is the park. Businesses have long benefited from proximity to the protected shoreline. People come for the beach—not for mid-rise hotels, gift shops, or condo towers.

This proposal feels eerily reminiscent of Niagara Falls: a globally significant natural wonder encroached upon by cheap commercialism and paved-over access. Don’t let that tragedy repeat itself on the shores of Georgian Bay.

This is the longest freshwater beach in the world. It should not be sold. Not piecemealed. Not offloaded under the guise of economic development.

Keep it public. Keep it protected. Keep it provincial.