Friends of Nancy Island and…

Friends of Nancy Island
and Wasaga Beach Park
11-22nd Street North
Wasaga Beach, ON
L9Z 2V9

Ontario Parks – Southwest Zone
659 Exeter Rd,
London, Ontario
N6E 1L3

Re: Proposed legislative amendments to the Provincial Parks and Conservation Reserves Act, 2006 and Historical Parks Act to support the Town of Wasaga Beach’s Tourism Enhancement Proposal (ERO Number: 025-0694)

On behalf of the Friends of Nancy Island and Wasaga Beach Park, please accept the following comments on the proposal to transfer Nancy Island Historic Site to the Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Gaming (MTCG) and the removal of portions of Wasaga Beach Provincial Park and transfer of these Crown-owned lands to the Town of Wasaga Beach.
The Friends of Nancy Island and Wasaga Beach Park is a registered non profit charitable organization with a mandate to assist with education initiatives related to the rich natural and cultural features of Wasaga Beach. Since 1997, the Friends have contributed close to $1 million to the historic site and environmental projects. We are very proud of our work and contributions that include initiatives such as the Plover Guardians Program, hosting special events at Nancy Island and sponsoring staff positions at the provincial park and historic site.
Since we have a dual mandate to support both cultural and environmental education, our comments will address the transfer of the historic site and the removal of lands from the provincial park.
Transfer of Nancy Island to the Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Gaming
The first museum opened on Nancy Island in 1928 and was later operated by Huronia Historical Parks (HHP) under the then Ontario Ministry of Tourism and Information between 1966 to 1976, at which time it was transferred to Wasaga Beach Provincial Park.
During that time many wonderful initiatives have taken place - hosting Jazz in the Park concerts from 1998-2005, War of 1812 re-enactments from 2002-2018 and the building of the Wasaga Beach Welcome Centre in 2012. We would like to thank Wasaga Beach Provincial Park for those initiatives and for a positive working relationship. Park staff provided encouragement and support for the formation of the Friends of Nancy Island and Wasaga Beach Park in 1997 and have provided support ever since.
Having said that, the Friends began raising concerns about the deteriorating condition of the Island in 2021 to the Provincial and Federal levels of government and have been advocating for the needed repairs and program updates ever since. We support the transfer of Nancy Island to HHP and the MTCG. We are confident that the conservation of the remains of the HMS Nancy will be a top priority and look forward to working with HHP on the revitalization of the island.
However, with a new operational structure for the Nancy Island site the Friends are unclear about our role both during and after this operational transition. Our mandate when created 28 years ago was to assist with educational initiatives related to the rich natural and cultural features of Wasaga Beach, including Nancy Island. We hope to be able to continue to do this important work with HHP.
Removal of portions of Wasaga Beach Provincial Park and transfer to the Town of Wasaga Beach
The lands proposed for transfer (Beach Areas 1, 2, and New Wasaga) include an environmentally sensitive relict beach and nesting areas for the endangered Piping Plover. We are concerned that the Town of Wasaga Beach’s proposal for use of these lands is focused on tourism only with no consideration of environmental impacts.
The mandate of Ontario Parks is ecological integrity in addition to recreational and educational opportunities for the public. Wasaga Beach Provincial Park has achieved this balance.
The Park has invested considerable resources over the years to maintain the ecological integrity of sensitive areas including a natural protected area from east of the main beach to the mouth of the river. This includes marram grass planting, invasive plant removal, signage and fenced off sand dunes with designated pathways. Protection of these dunes is critical as the sand on this relict beach is non renewable.
The fragile spit or point portion of Beach Area 1 has been managed by Wasaga Beach Provincial Park as a Protected Natural Area since the mid 1990s due to its significant vegetation and habitat for breeding shorebirds – terns, sandpipers, plovers etc. This is a rare ecosystem that is considered globally imperilled and is designated as a provincial earth science Area of Natural and Scientific Interest (ANSI).
Critical habitat for Piping Plovers may be in jeopardy from the land transfer. Ontario Parks has made the significant investments that are essential to protect these endangered shorebirds. This includes staffing, plover guardian coordination, perimeter fencing, exclosures, signage, and educational materials. Plover guardians are volunteers who monitor the plovers, record data and provide education to beach visitors about the plovers and their habitat. Over the years they have dedicated thousands of hours to the protection of these highly endangered shorebirds. Since 2008, Wasaga Beach has fledged a total 87 plover chicks and has been the most successful breeding and nesting site in Ontario.
Sauble Beach is an example of what can happen when a municipality controls the beach. In 2017 extensive raking and removal of sand dunes dramatically affected the ecological integrity of the beach including plover habitat. There have been no plover nests in Sauble Beach the last four seasons, and nests failed in the two years preceding this. This is a sad example of what stands to be lost when habitat and nesting sites are destroyed.
The recent passing of Bill 5 in Ontario repeals the Endangered Species Act, 2007 and no new legislation has been passed to offer the same level of protection for species such as Piping Plovers. We believe that nesting sites for Piping Plovers must be protected in Wasaga Beach, and this includes sections of the beach areas that are proposed to be removed from the provincial park and sold to the municipality.
Plover guardians have found that the majority of people embrace the idea of giving up a very small section of the beachfront (less than a ½ km of a 14 km stretch) for Piping Plovers. Photographers, naturalists and interested visitors come to Wasaga year after year to see the plovers. Many beach visitors have expressed a preference for a natural beach over a highly raked beach.
We are concerned that the Town of Wasaga Beach is focused only on the enhancement of tourism and economic development. While these are admirable goals, we strongly believe that protecting the environment and endangered species must not be forgotten. Eco-tourism and interest in natural features should become an important part of the Destination Wasaga tourism strategy, as they have elsewhere.
Wasaga Beach Provincial Park was created by purchasing (or expropriating) privately owned land to create a public park that provides both recreation opportunities and environmental protection. The areas proposed for transfer include provincial parking lots adjacent to the beach with long stretches of beachfront comprised of trees, dunes and shaded picnic areas. Permitting these lands to be sold to a municipality raises the possibility that private development or ownership could follow. The beach is for everyone and must remain public and accessible to all.
Many of the details of the future use of these lands under municipal ownership are unknown at this time. The information that we do have, such as the Destination Wasaga tourism strategy and public comments by municipal officials, do not contain any consideration of the environmental concerns we have detailed in this letter.
Due to our concerns over the potential loss of irreplaceable environmentally sensitive lands and threats to endangered species, the Friends of Nancy Island and Wasaga Beach Park opposes the removal of Beach Areas 1, 2 and New Wasaga from Ontario Parks and the transfer of these lands to the Town of Wasaga Beach.
We strongly urge the Ontario Parks and the Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks not to proceed with transferring park land to the Town of Wasaga Beach.
Thank you for taking the time to consider our comments.
Sincerely,
Friends of Nancy Island and Wasaga Beach Park