The proposed amendment seeks…

The proposed amendment seeks to amend the Provincial Parks and Conservation Reserves Act "to remove" land from Wasaga Beach Provincial Park. There is, however, already a process within the Act which allows the Ontario government to make any significant adjustments to park lands. There is no need to change the Act. The existing process contained within the Act should be used. Have the proposal go to vote by elected MPPs and maintain the integrity of the Act.

By amending one piece of legislation after another to suit its needs, the present government simply tears up existing protections for our environment and fragile ecosystems, thus failing to represent a significant part of Ontario's population while displaying a deep cynicism for anything other than fiscal returns. Shame on you.

The proposal also seeks to transfer the land to the Town of Wasaga Beach while "protecting the area's natural heritage". The area's "natural heritage" includes rare ecosystems that have been successfully managed thanks to land and use protections conferred under the Act and specialized expertise within Wasaga Beach Provincial Park staff. With this proposed transfer from the Park to the municipality, who has the expertise within the municipality's staff to preserve the area's natural heritage? How will the increasing pressures of developing the area into "a premier tourist destination" be managed while protecting the area's natural heritage? The proposal shares no plan with the public.

The proposal as a whole appears to seek amendments which allow for further development of an environmentally significant site, once again choosing profit over any other consideration while opening the door to future land removals from the province's most beloved assets - its Provincial Parks.

Retract the proposed amendment, retain the Act in its current form and hold a vote. Public lands need to stay public.