I'm writing to strongly…

I'm writing to strongly oppose the Ontario Government's plan to amend the Provincial Parks and Conservation Reserves Act and the Town of Wasaga Beach's Tourism Enhancement Proposal.

Provincial Parks belong to us, the people of Ontario and must be protected forever. Our Provincial Parks are key public spaces for outdoor recreation, essential to Canada's commitment to protect 30% of nature by 2030 including key endangered species habitat, and important nature-based solutions to mitigate and adapt to climate change! Removing, selling, privatizing and "developing" our provincial parks takes away the generational wealth of the Ontario public, putting our species, ecosystems, climate, communities and future generations at risk.

Wasaga Beach is the most visited Provincial Park. People come from the city to enjoy nature including the beaches, sand dunes, islands, wetlands and forests. They come to surf, kiteboard, kayak, hike, swim and more. Removing protected provincial park area including public beaches and water access for private development won't enhance tourism in Wasaga Beach, it will reduce accessibility, increase crowding and devalue the natural outdoor recreation assets that Wasaga's local tourism industry is built upon.

In conclusion, I DO NOT support the proposed legislation amendments and further demand that Ontario's provincial parks remain public and protected forever.

URL: https://www.canada.ca/en/services/environment/conservation/conserving-3… Description: Canada's commitment to protect 30% of nature by 2030
URL: https://www.birdscanada.org/wasaga-beach-is-the-best-piping-plover-habi… Description: Wasaga Beach is the best Piping Plover (a critically endangered species) habitat remaining in Ontario and this proposed amendment could cause extinction.
URL: https://www.protectourwinters.ca/economicreport Description: Outdoor recreation is a key economic driver across Canada including Wasaga Beach. Outdoor recreation economies rely on public natural spaces, thus protecting provincial parks is key.
URL: https://myescarpment.ca/conservation-economy-report/ Description: Report demonstrating that the South Georgian Bay and Wasaga Beach area tourism economy is built on nature, and growing this economy sustainably requires conservation, protection and restoration of our natural and cultural assets.
URL: https://www.nvca.on.ca/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/Factsheet_Wasaga_Beac… Description: Wasaga Beaches coastal dunes are rare critical habitat for wildlife that provides important ecological functions including protecting interior land against wind, storms, erosion and flooding, which will become increasingly important as climate change accelerates.
URL: https://www.auditor.on.ca/en/content/annualreports/arreports/en24/pa_On… Description: Auditor General reports found that previous plans by this Ontario Government to sell and develop public land and natural space, Ontario Place were done through a process that was "not fair, transparent or accountable"; the "social and environmental benefits and costs of redevelopment were not factored into the assessment", and "key environmental assessments will not be conducted even though many concerns were raised by the city council and regional conservation authority".