As a concerned Ontarian, I…

As a concerned Ontarian, I am writing in strong opposition to the proposed sale and development of portions of Wasaga Beach Provincial Park, as outlined in ERO 025-0694.

This proposal is nothing short of alarming. It represents yet another short-sighted attempt by the Ford government to prioritize the interests of well-connected developers over the well-being of people, wildlife, and the long-term health of our province. This is a blatant and devastating continuation of a pattern: profit over protection, and destruction over stewardship. Neglecting environmental responsibilities to the people of Ontario and future generations.

Wasaga Beach Provincial Park is not just a tourism destination. It is one of the last remaining nesting grounds for the endangered Piping Plover in Ontario. Since 2007, this fragile species has made a slow and hopeful comeback, thanks to deliberate and sustained conservation efforts. Selling off this land for development puts all of that progress at risk. If this nesting habitat is lost, it may be lost forever.

This move comes on the heels of Bill 5, which weakened critical protections under the Endangered Species Act. It is becoming clear that this government is systematically dismantling environmental safeguards, while Ontarians face the accelerating realities of climate change and biodiversity loss. These public lands, these rare and irreplaceable ecosystems, are not surplus - they are vital. They belong to the people of Ontario and to the generations that will follow us.

Wasaga Beach does not need this type of development. What it needs is investment in its existing ecological, passive recreational, and cultural significance. The area should be protected, restored, and enhanced as a vital part of Ontario’s natural heritage. That is what responsible, future-facing leadership would look like.

This land and its ecosystems likely holds cultural, historical, and ecological significance for local First Nations. Any decision regarding its future must fully involve Indigenous communities as equal partners in environmental stewardship. The province has a responsibility to uphold its commitments to reconciliation, Indigenous rights, and to move beyond the bare minimum of the duty to consult. Anything less is a continuation of colonial practices that disregard Indigenous voices and knowledge systems. Premier Ford previously demonstrated these harmful patterns through the language used when addressing Bill 5 - despite assurances that such practices would not continue.

To proceed with this sale would be an egregious betrayal of public trust and an irreversible blow to Ontario’s biodiversity. I urge the Ministry to reject this proposal and commit instead to safeguarding the land, water, and wildlife that make Wasaga Beach Provincial Park so extraordinary.

We owe it to future generations and to the endangered species clinging to survival, not to sell off the places that sustain us.