I am writing to express my…

I am writing to express my strong opposition to the proposed removal of lands from Wasaga Beach Provincial Park and their transfer to municipal control.

This land is not surplus. It is part of an ecologically significant and culturally important protected area that supports rare and at-risk species, including the endangered piping plover. The legal protections afforded under the Provincial Parks and Conservation Reserves Act have enabled decades of responsible stewardship and ecological recovery that could be undone if the area is removed from the provincial system.

While I understand the desire for economic revitalization and tourism development, those goals should not come at the expense of the environment, public access, or long-term ecological health. Transferring parkland to municipal control—without clear, legally binding commitments to maintain or enhance conservation protections—opens the door to incompatible land uses, short-term decision-making, and the gradual erosion of one of Ontario’s most precious public assets.

This is not just a local issue; it’s a dangerous precedent. If provincial parks can be reduced and repurposed for development without strong justification and public consent, we risk undermining the entire protected areas system in Ontario.

I urge the province to halt this proposal unless the following minimum conditions are met:

Full legal habitat protections equivalent to those currently under the Provincial Parks Act must be maintained
Binding and transparent conservation agreements must be in place before any transfer occurs
There must be no option for future privatization, sale, or infrastructure development that would compromise the ecological integrity of the beach and dune ecosystems
Wasaga Beach is part of a shared natural heritage. It should remain protected for future generations—people and wildlife alike.