I am submitting this comment…

I am submitting this comment as a concerned Ontario resident in strong opposition to the proposed amendments to the Provincial Parks and Conservation Reserves Act, 2006 and the Historical Parks Act. These changes would significantly weaken the legal protections that safeguard some of our province’s most ecologically and culturally important lands.

Ontario’s provincial parks and conservation reserves exist to protect biodiversity, preserve endangered species, and provide vital spaces for people to connect with nature. These lands are not commodities to be sold off to private interests. Turning protected parkland into real estate opportunities for politically connected developers is not only short-sighted—it is profoundly irresponsible.

I am particularly alarmed by the proposal to allow the sale of land within Wasaga Beach Provincial Park, which is one of the last remaining nesting grounds for the endangered Piping Plover. Years of conservation efforts have helped this species make a fragile comeback. Jeopardising that progress for private development would be a devastating setback.

In addition, the proposed amendments would undermine democratic and transparent processes that are essential for public trust. Changing the law to make it easier to quietly sell or repurpose public parklands sets a dangerous precedent.

These lands belong to the people of Ontario—not to the government of the day, and certainly not to private developers. Once sold, they are gone forever. The long-term ecological, cultural, and recreational costs will far outweigh any short-term gains.

Scientific and Legal Evidence of Harm

Independent research and government reviews consistently identify development and human disturbance as major threats to Piping Plover survival:

Recovery Strategy for the Piping Plover (Ontario, 2022): “Threats from predation, human disturbance, and declines in habitat extent and quality continue.”
https://www.canada.ca/en/environment-climate-change/services/species-ri…

COSEWIC Report (2013): Human activity can destroy plover eggs and nests.
https://www.sararegistry.gc.ca/virtual_sara/files/cosewic/sr_Piping%20P…

Ontario Nature – Sauble Beach Case: Even routine beach maintenance using heavy equipment has resulted in convictions under the Endangered Species Act.
https://ontarionature.org/news-release/appeals-court-upholds-ontario-to…

Additional resources:

https://ecojustice.ca/news/a-tiny-bird-with-a-giant-fight

https://sora.unm.edu/sites/default/files/210-227%20De2016-OB%20Vol34%23…

Broader Environmental & Public Interest Implications

This is not just about one bird species. Provincial park protections preserve wetlands and dune systems that buffer against flooding, erosion, and the impacts of climate change. The proposed sale of 645 acres of Wasaga Beach Provincial Park would eliminate natural defences critical to local communities.
Source: https://environmentaldefence.ca/2025/07/22/wasaga-beach-to-be-sold-to-d…

The Auditor General of Ontario’s 2020 report found significant weaknesses in Ontario Parks’ planning and monitoring processes—issues that would only worsen if oversight is reduced.
https://www.auditor.on.ca/en/content/annualreports/arreports/en20/ENV_c…

Access to public green space is also declining. A 2019 report by the Green Infrastructure Ontario Coalition warns that per-capita access to large parks in urban regions is shrinking—exacerbating social inequity in outdoor access.
https://greeninfrastructureontario.org/app/uploads/2019/06/StateofParks…

Conclusion

Ontario’s parks are not excess assets to be liquidated. They are essential to our identity, our wellbeing, our biodiversity, and our future. I urge you to withdraw the proposed amendments and instead strengthen protections for these irreplaceable public lands.