I am writing to express my…

I am writing to express my strong opposition to ERO 025-0694, which proposes removing significant portions of Wasaga Beach Provincial Park from public protection. This proposal also includes legislative changes to the Provincial Parks and Conservation Reserves Act that would lower the threshold for future parkland removals, allowing such actions without public or legislative oversight.

Wasaga Beach is not just a destination. It is a vital public health asset and an ecologically rare landscape that provides essential benefits to the people of Ontario. Access to nature and water is strongly linked to physical and mental well-being. Public parks like Wasaga Beach serve as one of the few remaining places where Ontarians, regardless of income or background, can freely connect with nature, restore their health, and find relief from the stresses of modern life.

Studies have shown that people who live near green and blue spaces experience better health outcomes. These include lower rates of anxiety and depression, improved cardiovascular function, and even reduced hospital visits. One study from Northern California found that people living near vegetated areas had health care costs approximately $300 CAD lower per year than those in areas with less green space. In Peterborough, Ontario, researchers estimated that a single urban park generated more than $4 million in annual health benefits through increased physical activity and improved mental health.

Time spent near natural water bodies such as beaches has been linked to better sleep, stress reduction, lower cortisol levels, and even reduced perception of pain. These benefits translate into measurable health cost savings and improved quality of life. Removing access to these kinds of restorative public spaces is likely to result in higher long-term health care costs, reduced social equity, and diminished community resilience.

In addition to its human health value, Wasaga Beach Provincial Park supports critical ecosystems and biodiversity. The proposed removal of these lands would fragment protected areas, threaten the habitat of endangered species like the piping plover, and place a fragile dune and wetland system at risk of irreversible damage.

Public parks are not disposable assets. They are part of Ontario’s collective inheritance and a critical part of the province’s public infrastructure. This proposal prioritizes short-term development and tourism over long-term well-being, ecological integrity, and the right of future generations to access and enjoy these lands.

I respectfully urge the Government of Ontario to:

- Withdraw this proposal in full.

- Reaffirm its commitment to maintaining and enhancing access to public natural spaces.

- Reject legislative amendments that would make it easier to remove land from park protection without public accountability.

Preserving Wasaga Beach Provincial Park is not only an environmental issue. It is a matter of public health, economic responsibility, and intergenerational justice.