To the Decision Makers:…

To the Decision Makers: Reject the Proposal to Remove and Sell Portions of Wasaga Beach Provincial Park
I am firmly opposed to the proposed removal of Beach Areas 1, 2, New Wasaga, and Allenwood Beach from Wasaga Beach Provincial Park and the sale of Crown-owned public land to private developers.

This proposal represents an unacceptable shift in land use policy—transferring protected, ecologically significant, and publicly accessible lands into private hands for speculative development. This is not revitalization; it’s degradation masquerading as progress.

Environmental Concerns
Wasaga Beach is home to fragile ecosystems, including globally rare dune systems and habitat for species at risk such as the piping plover. Removing these lands from the Provincial Parks and Conservation Reserves Act (PPCRA) weakens critical legal protections that ensure ecological preservation and public oversight. Development pressures will undoubtedly increase, threatening the environmental integrity of the shoreline and adjacent habitats.
Conservation cannot be conditional. Public parks should be protected in perpetuity—not carved up to serve shifting commercial interests. The environmental impact of this proposal contradicts the province’s stated goals of protecting biodiversity and addressing climate resilience.

Legal and Public Interest Concerns
Transferring public lands out of the PPCRA and into private hands undermines the public trust. These lands were set aside for the benefit of all Ontarians and should not be treated as assets for sale. The legal protections under the PPCRA exist specifically to prevent this kind of encroachment.
The proposed changes set a dangerous precedent—once lands are removed from the PPCRA and sold, there is no legal mechanism to restore them as protected parkland. This is a permanent loss of public space and oversight.

Furthermore, public consultation must not be treated as a formality. The overwhelming public interest lies in enhancing, not dismantling, existing park infrastructure. If tourism is the goal, then investment should focus on revitalizing the current publicly owned amenities—not transferring control to developers with no guarantee of long-term benefit to the community.

In Summary
This proposal is not what Wasaga Beach needs. It sacrifices protected parkland for short-term economic interests and fails to address the real issue: the neglect and underfunding of existing public assets. I urge you to:
Keep all current park areas under the PPCRA
Maintain and improve public access and infrastructure
Halt the sale of Crown-owned beachfront to private entities
Uphold the legal and environmental protections that Ontarians expect and deserve
The residents of Wasaga Beach, and Ontarians across the province, are watching closely. Protect our public lands. Say no to this proposal.