I strongly oppose the…

I strongly oppose the proposed legislative amendments that would remove Nancy Island and several beach areas from the protection of the Provincial Parks and Conservation Reserves Act (PPCRA) and transfer them to the Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Gaming. While economic development and tourism are important, these changes represent a significant threat to the ecological integrity of the area, especially the vital habitat for the endangered piping plover.

Nancy Island and the adjacent beach areas, including Allenwood and New Wasaga, are part of a unique and sensitive coastal dune ecosystem that serves as one of the few nesting sites in Ontario for the piping plover, a species protected under both federal and provincial law. The protections afforded by the PPCRA are essential to maintaining this fragile habitat. Transferring control to a ministry with a tourism mandate — and stripping these lands of their current ecological protections — raises serious concerns about how conservation will be prioritized.

Tourism development in these areas could fragment or degrade critical nesting grounds, increase human and pet disturbance, and lead to habitat loss. Even with assurances that natural and cultural heritage will be “protected,” the shift in administrative oversight from a conservation-focused ministry to one centered on tourism and investment fundamentally alters the balance of priorities — to the detriment of species and habitats that depend on strong, enforceable environmental protections.

This proposal sets a dangerous precedent by removing lands from the provincial park system to enable development. It undermines long-standing conservation efforts and calls into question the government’s commitment to protecting Ontario’s biodiversity and threatened species. I urge the government to withdraw this proposal and instead strengthen the protection of these ecologically significant areas under the existing framework