The proposal to remove 60%…

The proposal to remove 60% of beach areas from Wasaga Beach Provincial Park represents a serious threat to one of Ontario’s most fragile and ecologically significant public spaces. By shifting control from the Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks to the Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Gaming, and opening the door to commercial development, this plan risks irreversible environmental degradation for the sake of short-term economic gain.

Wasaga Beach is not just a tourist destination—it is a rare and sensitive coastal dune ecosystem that supports species at risk, including the Piping Plover. The protections provided under the Provincial Parks and Conservation Reserves Act ensure that development is balanced with conservation. Removing areas from the park strips away those safeguards and exposes the land to increased erosion, habitat destruction, water pollution, and overuse—particularly from intensified tourism and privatization.

The idea that the area’s natural and cultural heritage can still be “protected” under a tourism-focused ministry is misleading. The proposed changes signal a shift in priorities—from environmental stewardship to economic development—without a clear plan for how ecological integrity will be maintained. Once parkland is sold or removed from provincial protection, the public loses control over how that land is used, and the natural systems we rely on begin to degrade.

This proposal also sets a dangerous precedent. If one provincial park can be dismantled to support local investment goals, what stops others from facing the same fate?

Ontario’s parks are a shared public good, not assets to be sold off or repurposed to boost tourism. Please reconsider this proposal and instead invest in sustainable tourism strategies that work within the existing park framework, preserving the natural landscape for future generations—not paving over it for today’s profit.