Please accept the following…

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/sale of these Crown-owned lands to the Town of Wasaga Beach.

I support the transfer of Nancy Island Historic Site to Huronia Historic Parks (HHP) as a part of MTCG. However, I do question why the designated funds of $25 million to make improvements were not simply directed to Wasaga Beach Provincial Park and the site remain under their control?

In regards to the removal of Wasaga Beach Provincial Park lands and transfer to the Town of Wasaga Beach, I have many serious concerns, questions and objections to this proposal. I have lived in Wasaga Beach for over 40 years and have spent countless hours on these park lands. My objections are below.

Is this proposal a sale of lands or simply a transfer? Town officials insist it is a transfer with a suggested value of $80 million. This is probably a low figure. I strongly object to the province giving away public park land that is a precious and priceless commodity. Ontario’s protected areas network is shy of 11% of the 30% target identified as needed for protection and conservation. The value of public park lands to promote both mental and physical health is a well-known fact so why give this away to uncertain future uses? The population of southern Ontario and the GTA continues to grow and people need affordable, safe areas to recreate. Wasaga Beach has been and should continue to be a beachfront that is for people of all income levels, not just the elite.

What is the business case for giving this land to the Town of Wasaga Beach? Although Town officials say the land will remain public, talk is cheap and there are no guarantees. At the present time there are no details or plans to confirm how the Town will use these lands. Prior to an approval of this transfer, the Town released on June 26th a Request for Proposal – Destination Waterfront Master Plan. This document is focused on these lands for economic and commercial activity including housing, with very little attention to environmental and ecotourism initiatives. Environmental aspects are not included as part of the scoring process for proposals.

A major part of my objection to the land transfer is related to the sensitive nature and importance of these waterfront properties in Beach Areas 1 and 2 and New Wasaga Beach. The most fragile portion is the spit or point portion in Beach Area 1, designated as a provincial earth science Area of Natural and Scientific Interest (AMSI) and managed by the Provincial Park as a protected Natural Area due to its significant vegetation and habitat for shorebirds. There is nothing to indicate or guarantee that this protection with no development allowed would continue under Town ownership.

Wasaga Beach Provincial Park has managed the Beach Area 1 and New Wasaga areas for decades, restoring sand dunes and protecting habitat for endangered species such as the Piping Plovers. Critical habitat for these birds is in jeopardy with the proposed land transfer. Since 2008, Wasaga Beach has fledged a total of 87 plover chicks and has been the most successful breeding and nesting site in Ontario. The example of Sauble Beach where a municipality in 2017 heavily raked the beach and removed sand dunes demonstrates what stands to be lost. Once a successful area for Piping Plover there have been no successful nests at Sauble Beach for the past six years.

Officials with the Town of Wasaga Beach often refer to wanting a “pristine beach” which means a heavily raked beach. This would destroy the invertebrate food source and remove vegetative shelter needed by the Piping Plovers. Plover guardians at Wasaga Beach in speaking to thousands of visitors over the years have found that the majority embrace leaving a more natural beach and closing a small section to protect the plovers during the nesting season. Many visitors also express a preference for a more natural beach vs a highly manicured one.

Only 2-3% of Lake Huron’s shoreline is sand beach and dunes – of which Wasaga is a part of. Coastal dune systems are considered to be among the most fragile ecological features in North America and also some of the most highly visited. In the past the Town of Wasaga Beach has not embraced the knowledge and advice of the Lake Huron Centre for Conservation on how to manage a Great Lakes shoreline. Instead, Town officials continue to compare Wasaga’s shoreline to Florida beaches failing to understand that Wasaga is a relict beach with a non renewable sand resource.

A centre piece of this transfer is the governments plans to amend the Provincial Parks and Conservation Reserves Act – legislation that was designated to keep parks safe from development. Also, 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. These changes are concerning both for the local impact and the broader implications and precedent.

The mandate of Ontario Parks is to provide ecological integrity in addition to recreational and educational opportunities for the public. Wasaga Beach Provincial Park has invested considerable resources over the years to meet those objectives. Despite the recent promises to do so there is no guarantee that the Town of Wasaga Beach will prioritize environmental protection and eco-tourism over economic development.

I challenge the provincial government to give Ontario Parks and Wasaga Beach Provincial Park the financial and staff resources to make infrastructure improvements in the park areas in question (better picnicking facilities, boardwalks and improved parking areas). Would spending a few million dollars to do this not make more sense than giving away valuable public lands for an unknown future?

If the Ontario government decides to proceed with this land transfer, I truly believe it will be a precedent setting mistake in terms of public recreation and conservation. These lands are irreplaceable.

I strongly urge Ontario Parks and the Ministry of Environment, Conservation and Parks not to proceed with transferring park land to the Town of Wasaga Beach.

Thank you for your kind consideration to these comments.