I have so many issues with…

I have so many issues with this proposal.

1. Why is the government trying to change the PPCRA to make it easier to remove land from provincial parks? The PPCRA already outlines a process to transfer land, but because the land in question exceeds the size (it's greater than 50 ha and 1% of the Park)-- instead of going through the process outlined in the PPCRA, you're proposing to rewrite the legislation entirely. This is a ludicrous overstep that will leave our parks vulnerable to more removal of land.

Why would you push for this change if it's only for "one park". It's plain as day that the province will use this as a stepping stone to sell off provincial park land. Wasaga is just the first to go. Recommendation: DO NOT CHANGE THE PPCRA.

2. The most important Piping Plover habitat in Ontario is located on the land in question-- in Beach Area 1. If not for the success at Wasaga Beach since 2008, it is likely Piping Plovers would not have re-established across Ontario. In fact, their populations are still far from recovered-- and if we lose Wasaga Beach as a consistent breeding site, we will lose this species from the province.

Without the habitat at Wasaga Beach, I give it 5 years until Piping Plovers are extirpated from Ontario. Recommendation: DO NOT TRANSFER THE LAND FROM THE PARK

3. The Town does not care about endangered species or their habitats. They've made the same types of comments that the Mayor of Sauble Beach made (Janice Jackson) years ago in relation to the raking and destruction of their beach-- which DID result in the loss of Piping Plovers at Sauble. Janice claimed that there were thousands of plovers in Florida-- these literal words have come from the mouths of Wasaga's Town Council within the last couple of weeks. This is a false narrative designed to trick constituents into thinking that plovers can just nest elsewhere (there are not thousands of Piping Plovers in Florida-- what most people think is a Piping Plover is often a different species entirely-- there are other plover species, terns, sandpipers, and even gulls that get mistaken for Piping Plovers). The Wasaga Beach council is taking guidance from Janice Jackson's playbook, and this is HIGHLY concerning.

Furthermore, the Town of Wasaga Beach is ALWAYS trying to push the beach raking boundaries. During the breeding season they rake as close to the plover habitat exclosure as physically and legally possible, and are constantly asking the Park to remove the fencing earlier than necessary, or make the fencing smaller. They are not, and never have been, supportive of this conservation work.

Recommendation: DO NOT TRUST THE TOWN TO SAFEGUARD PIPING PLOVER HABITAT. IF THE TRANSFER GOES THROUGH THERE MUST BE CONDITIONS THAT LEGALLY MANDATE HABITAT PROTECTION.

4. Piping Plovers no longer nest at Sauble Beach because of rogue councilors who decided to bulldoze the habitat. They were charged, found guilty, and fined under the now obsolete Endangered Species Act. Because of your government's Bill 5, the ESA no longer exists. The only thing preventing the same habitat destruction from occurring at Wasaga Beach is the PPCRA. While Piping Plovers themselves (and their eggs) are still protected under federal legislation and the watered down provincial legislation, their habitat is not protected by either. No habitat = no problem. If the land is no longer in the Park, I guarantee you, the Town will bulldoze that habitat the first chance they get. Recommendation: DO NOT TRANSFER THE LAND OUTSIDE OF THE PARK. FEDERAL LEGISLATION WILL NOT HELP THIS SPECIES, AND THE TOWN CANNOT BE TRUSTED TO "DO THE RIGHT THING".

5. Endangered Species conservation is EXPENSIVE. The provincial government has already been gutting funding. You can't seriously expect a Town continue species conservation that costs hundreds of thousands of dollars per year in staff time, let alone the costs of purchasing new equipment and signage every few years. Recommendation: IF THE TRANSFER GOES THROUGH, THERE MUST BE LEGAL REQUIRMENTS TO MAINTAIN THE HABITAT, AND THERE MUST BE A FUNDING STRUCTURE IN PLACE TO SUPPORT THE TOWN'S WORK IN THAT AREA

6. Endangered Species conservation isn't easy. I've already noted above, how common it is for people to mistake Piping Plovers for other birds. It requires effort and knowledge to identify breeding behaviour, find their scrapes and then nests, and to install protections in a way that is not harmful to the species. The Wasaga Town Council have made comments about how "social" plovers are, that they'll "walk along-side you on the beach". This is a perfect example of misinformed people in powerful positions. Piping Plovers are scared of humans. They see us as a threat. If we remain outside of the buffer zone around their nest, they'll usually tolerate us-- but it's not social behaviour, it's survival. They'll "follow" us along the beach, as they lead us away from their nests, or as they keep tabs on us-- as we are perceived as predators and threats.

The only real comments the Town has made about Piping Plovers have been largely misinformed. They talk the talk, as though they care about being "environmental stewards", but I'm certain they have a misinformed idea of what those buzzwords actually mean. Recommendation: DO NOT TRANSFER THE LAND OUTSIDE OF THE PARK. IF THE TRANSFER OCCURES THERE MUST BE CONDITIONS THAT ENFORCE HABITAT PROTECTION AND REQUIRE THE USE OF EXPERTS TO COMPETE THIS WORK IN AN URGENT TIMELY MANNER (nests will be lost if this is done on the typical municipal maintenance schedule).

To summarize: If the land transfer goes through, the endangered Piping Plover (of which, there were only 14 nesting individuals in Ontario in 2025) will lose their most essential nesting habitat in Ontario, and will eventually be extirpated from the province, thanks to the loss of two of their key habitats: Sauble Beach and now Wasaga Beach.

Municipalities cannot be trusted with endangered species protection, as has been clearly demonstrated at Sauble Beach. Wasaga's Town councilors have learned from that, and know that preventing the plovers from nesting will be their easiest and most cost-effective route forward. No nests = no legal requirements to protect. No healthy beach = no nests.

I can almost hear it now. As soon soon as the last plover leaves Wasaga Beach this fall..."Rev up the tractor boys, we've got a habitat to destroy".

I STRONGLY OPPOSE CHANGES BEING MADE TO THE PPCRA. I STRONGLY OPPOSE THE TRANSFER OF LAND OUTSIDE OF THE PARK. IF THIS GOES FORWARD, IT IS HIGHLY LIKLEY TO LEAD TO THE EXTIRPATION OF THE ENDANGERED PIPING PLOVER.

If the province really doesn't want to manage this land anymore, give it back to it's rightful owners- the First Nations.