I am writing to express my…

I am writing to express my strong opposition to the proposed transfer of provincial parkland at Wasaga Beach to the Town of Wasaga Beach.

The ecological protection of Wasaga Beach parkland ensures its accessibility and value to the public experience, contributing joy and heritage value. It is a beautiful refuge for the-more-than-human world and provides rich experiences for a diverse mix of day-visitors, cottagers and increasingly year-around inhabitants. It has for example grown in popularity for day trips from the Brampton and Caledon areas. Wasaga Beach Provincial Park is enduringly popular and a huge asset for the public good; it must be protected and augmented for the public interest and legacy of all Ontarians. All the beach areas (including beach areas 3-6) in the Provincial Park will suffer from increasingly intensive demand should this proposal go through.

Wasaga Beach Provincial Park is not only an iconic public space but also an ecologically significant habitat. It is home to species at risk, including the piping plover, and its dunes, wetlands, and shoreline ecosystems require the highest level of protection. Transferring parkland out of Ontario Parks’ stewardship opens the door to development that would irreversibly harm wildlife, undermine conservation goals, and erode the principle that provincial parks exist for the benefit of all Ontarians.

This proposal sets a dangerous precedent. If sections of Wasaga Beach can be ceded for municipal development today, what prevents the erosion of protections for other provincial parks tomorrow? Such a course risks diminishing one of Ontario’s greatest legacies: land held in trust for future generations. As an artist and art professor, I want to make note of its beauty and potential for creative expression.

I urge you to maintain Wasaga Beach Provincial Park fully within provincial stewardship and to strengthen protections for its natural and cultural heritage. Development interests can and should be met outside protected park boundaries.