As attention grows and…

As attention grows and questions are being asked regarding the proposed transfer of 5 - 6 kilometers of beach and adjacent land at Wasaga Beach to the Town of Wasaga Beach from Ontario Parks, town officials are alluding more and more to the potential for building. In particular they frequently refer to Provincial Parking Area 1 as being in great need of "re-imagining", using words like we are not ruling out potential mixed use housing. This parking area runs parallel to the most natural section of beach heading towards the mouth of the river. It lies on a spit between the lake and the Nottawasaga river. There is little doubt this is being viewed as prime land for development. It is environmentally significant that the dunes and vegetation spread from the back of the beach up into this parking area. These dunes, combined with vegetation, bushes and mature trees provide a pleasing shaded area for visitors. Development of this section of land would inevitably see these natural areas destroyed and would negatively impact the adjacent beach.

It should be noted that, for the large part, lands adjacent to all four areas to be transferred have significant amounts of dunes and vegetation. Adjacent land at Beach Two, as an example, has many beautiful mature trees.

A question raised by many residents is the impact on visitor parking. Current and planned construction at the Main Beach is already taking away a lot of municipal parking for the construction of condominiums and a hotel. If the two Provincial Parking Areas are lost to future construction this will have a major impact on available parking.

While town officials have stated that this transfer is what residents want, there was absolutely no prior consultation or polling of residents to back that up. That, along with the absence of a plan for what the Town plans to do with the land raises serious questions about why this transfer is being proposed. While the Town assures residents they will be involved in developing the plan, that will be after the fact, and the Town will have total control of the end result. Wasaga Beach already attracts tourists in large numbers. It is hard to understand how this transfer will do anything to enhance that. It is also hard to believe that the Town will ever be a 4 season destination. Road closures due to heavy snow, and bitter, howling northwest winds off the lake suggest differently.

Lastly, residents, myself included, are worried about how taxpayers will bear the substantial cost of maintaining the beach, the facilities, enforcement, garbage removal and other such essential services currently funded by the Province.

Thank you for the opportunity to comment and for your consideration of these concerns.