Hello, Please this is one of…

Hello, Please this is one of the largest freshwater beaches in the world, why would we change that and it is a main summer destination for us all, one of the largest ontario parks and we care about protecting our provincal parks and we need to preserve it for future generations. please do not take the land away. Please do not remove the beach areas. As a concerned citizen committed to protecting Ontario’s natural heritage, I strongly oppose the proposed removal of Nancy Island and the beach areas (1, 2, New Wasaga, and Allenwood) from Wasaga Beach Provincial Park. This decision has wide-reaching implications that undermine environmental protection, public access, and the precedent for all provincial parks across Ontario.
Wasaga Beach is not just any park — it is home to the largest freshwater beach in the world and an internationally recognized natural area. Its dune ecosystem supports numerous sensitive and endangered species, including the Piping Plover, a federally and provincially protected species under the Species at Risk Act.
Removing areas from provincial park protection jeopardizes not only habitat conservation but also our legal obligations under provincial and federal species protection legislation. Transitioning oversight from the PPCRA to the HPA risks prioritizing development and tourism over careful ecological stewardship.
Wasaga Beach is one of the most visited provincial parks in Ontario and an essential public recreation space, especially for families and residents who may not have access to private waterfront property. Transferring ownership and control to municipalities or tourism-focused ministries shifts these lands from public stewardship to commercial interests.
Also the sale of Crown lands sets a dangerous precedent that weakens the sanctity of Ontario Parks, potentially turning cherished public spaces into privatized, pay-to-play zones. This undermines the core mission of the Ontario Parks system: to protect natural heritage for all Ontarians, now and into the future.
This decision has ramifications far beyond Wasaga Beach. It signals a disturbing shift in provincial policy — one where parks can be dismantled in pieces to suit local development agendas. If allowed to proceed, this could open the door for other municipalities to lobby for park boundary reductions to enable commercial expansion, fracturing Ontario's protected areas network.
Wasaga Beach was established as a provincial park in 1959 for a reason — and that reason hasn’t changed: its irreplaceable ecological, recreational, and cultural value.
Framing this change as a choice between economic development and environmental protection is a false binary. Nature-based tourism thrives because of intact, well-managed parks. Downgrading protections for short-term gains risks degrading the very assets that make Wasaga a tourism draw.
Instead of removing lands from the park, the government should invest in eco-sensitive revitalization that aligns with conservation goals, supports local economies, and enhances public use.
I urge the Ministries to reconsider this proposal in light of its irreversible impact on Wasaga Beach and the dangerous precedent it sets for the rest of Ontario. Protecting our parks, biodiversity, and equitable access to nature must remain a non-negotiable priority — not an optional line item in a budget strategy. Thank you