As an Ontario citizen and…

As an Ontario citizen and taxpayer, and resident of Wasaga Beach, I strongly object to the transfer of the beach section of the Wasaga Beach Provincial Park to the Town of Wasaga Beach as outlined in ERO #025-0694.
Wasaga’s beach lands are a provincial resource which serves and benefits a very large number of Ontario citizens. This proposed transfer of the control of the beach lands goes completely against the mandate and responsibility of the Province of Ontario to continue to protect and manage valuable land and resources of provincial significance for the citizens of Ontario into the future.
The beach front at Wasaga Beach is unique in Ontario, a 14 kilometre natural sand beach billed as ‘the longest freshwater beach in the world’. It makes no sense to put it in the hands of the town whose budget, mandate and vision is limited. Furthermore, this transfer would set a dangerous and unacceptable precedent in Ontario of land being transferred from a provincial park to local government control resulting in privatization of these unique beach lands. Is this our legacy to future generations?
There are outstanding questions regarding the ‘transfer’ of lands. Is it a purchase by the town and at what price? The value of the Wasaga beach lands goes way beyond the estimated $80 million that the lands have been estimated to be worth in the current market. These lands are for future generations, an impossible amount to estimate. Are the residents of Wasaga Beach responsible for funding this transfer and development, a hefty burden for the locals? Have other arrangements been considered? Provincial ownership – local management? What are the exact boundaries of the lands being considered?
Transfer of the beach lands to the town of Wasaga Beach would put vulnerable dune habitats and shoreline ecosystems at risk, particularly in Beach Area 1 (BA1) near the mouth of the Nottawasaga River. It is well documented that ‘Healthy Beaches’ require the protection of shoreline dunes and vegetation such as marram grass which serve a dual purpose, erosion and habitat protection.
Under provincial control and management as a Protected Area since the mid 1990’s, Wasaga’s beach lands near the mouth of the river have proven to be critical to the survival of numerous shore birds such as terns, sandpipers and the rare piping plovers. With the province’s resources in place, Wasaga Beach has been the most successful breeding and nesting habitat for Piping Plovers in Ontario. Over 80 chicks have fledged since 2008. These types of habitats are seriously threatened in Ontario where we should be making a special effort to stop and reverse this trend. The Lake Huron Coastal Conservation Strategy clearly recognizes the fundamental need to protect coastal ecosystems in the face of climate change and the increasing demands on shared coastal and water resources (human/non-human). Does this not apply in Wasaga Beach? Natural freshwater shorelines such as BA1 are globally and nationally rare which makes protection of this beach land even more of a priority.
The Town has demonstrated it is inadequately prepared to carry on such protection efforts. In recent council meetings and communications, town councillors and staff have demonstrated a lack of understanding of the importance of the protection of beach foredunes and marram grass in ensuring a ‘Healthy Beach’. The Request for Proposal (RFP) is not balanced. Its focus is on tourism and economic development. It does not address the need for environmental protection such as coastal habitat management and protection. Destination Wasaga does not even address the opportunities that would be offered for eco tourism centred on natural shorelines which are protected and carefully managed. The people of Ontario are open to a more progressive approach to Coastal Land Development and management.
For a deeper understanding of the potential hazards of shallow thinking municipal management of ‘Healthy Beach’ shorelines, we look to the example of another coastal municipality, Sauble Beach. It was charged and heavily fined under the Provincial Offences Act for destroying critical shore bird habitat by raking and removing shore dunes and vegetation. The loss of protection and food offered by the dunes resulted in the destruction of one of the most successful piping plover breeding and nesting locations. We don’t need to have that happen in Wasaga Beach. The public has demonstrated a keen interest in the plover program and is more than willing to forego use of a small section of BA1 to protect these birds. Furthermore, the public has expressed overwhelming support for the protection of a natural beach such as we currently have in BA1 over a highly raked one.
As a frequent park user, I know how critical Wasaga’s beach lands have been to my personal mental and physical wellbeing. I would hope that Wasaga Beach, this jewel of Ontario, can be protected for all citizens of Ontario to enjoy in perpetuity. In short, Wasaga Beach Provincial Park should stay as a park and not be transferred to the Town for the sake of ‘tourism and economic development’.