The Great Lakes Piping…

The Great Lakes Piping Plover are a critically endangered species. Since the late 90's, joint initiatives have brought their population from 24 breeding adults to almost 160 breeding adults today. They are doing well on the USA side but their breeding habitat in Ontario is under great threat and has been slowly shrinking over the past 5 years. Wasaga Beach has been the most successful breeding site for these lovely little birds since they started nesting on Canadian shores again in 2008 after an almost 30 absence from our country. Wasaga Beach has successfully hosted 57 nests between 2008-2024, adding a total of 87 fledglings to the Great Lakes population.

Currently, there is a naturalised portion of the beach (Beach Area 1 to New Wasaga) that is owned by the Provincial Park. Just this Spring, the Township of Wasaga Beach took ownership of Allenwood beach area which was previously owned by the Provincial Park and was previously a nesting site. Piping Plovers require a very specific type of beach to happily nest which includes flat open sand, grassy dunes and a healthy wrack line - all things achieved by allowing nature to have her way. Unfortunately, when the Township took ownership of Allenwood beach area, they chose to rake the beach using tractors and began to dismantle the established dune system in that area. A very similar thing happened at Sauble Beach - which was also a known successful nesting site for Piping Plovers - and since it was raked and the dune system was dismantled there have not been the same number of returning Piping Plovers to Sauble Beach. Please view link titled “Sauble Beach Destruction”.

“… habitat loss and degradation threaten the species’ survival and continuing recovery – and beach disturbance by mechanical raking has been identified as a key threat to their habitat.” says EcoJustice in regards to the Town of South Bruce Peninsula mechanically raking their beachfront. Again, Piping Plovers have not been regularly nesting there since the destruction of habitat and we have seen Ontario’s fledgling count lower since as a result.

The Township of Wasaga Beach has now proposed that beach areas 1, 2 and New Wasaga also be transferred to their ownership with amendments to the PPCRA. I fear they will destroy these naturalised areas and we will lose the most successful Piping Plover breeding site in Ontario. The Town of Wasaga Beach has no plans for how they would monitor/protect the birds - but they do have hopes to develop the beachfront and plans to increase tourism. See link titled “Township of Wasaga Beach” to read a quote from the Major, who makes claims that they are focused on sustainability and nature-based tourism. While that sounds nice, unfortunately, no supporting evidence to prove these claims has been made available. From what I understand, the Township has not consulted Birds Canada (or another qualified enterprise) in regards to preservation of the beach, nor have they released any plans of how they will ensure the Piping Plovers and their habitat is monitored and protected. After the passing of Bill C-5, this habitat is only protected by the PPCRA so, if the land is transferred out of the Provincial Park, there would be no legislation/legal obligations protecting this habitat. This makes me very concerned that the Major of Wasaga Beach is making claims to environmentalism with no intention of upholding these promises if this proposal is approved.

My wish is that the Ontario Government creates a science-based management plan that reduces threats to Piping Plovers and their habitat year-round by restricting mechanical raking so that the habitat is not destroyed, prohibiting dune alteration, and protecting nests with fenced buffer zones and natural predator mitigations. We need funding committed to protect and conserve Piping Plovers, their nests, and their habitats. We need experts like Birds Canada to be engaged at development and implementation phases.

Our feathered friends need our help. Please do not let this land be destroyed. No biodiversity means no beach, especially for our precious relict dune system.