Opposition Statement –…

Opposition Statement – Proposed Changes to Wasaga Beach Provincial Park

These protected public lands were not within any elected party’s mandate to sell, transfer, or remove from the protections of the Provincial Parks and Conservation Reserves Act (PPCRA).

Question: why were these lands originally expropriated in 1959 in order to establish a provincial park?

Wasaga Beach isn’t just a place to me—it’s part of my family’s story. Our summers here began more than 75 years ago, a history I can prove with records like a 1949 grocery order delivered to our Main Street cottage from Loblaws in downtown Toronto. From my father’s work at the Skyview open-air theatre and his own beach concession in the 1940s and ’50s to decades of cherished summer memories, Wasaga Beach is the legacy and heartbeat of this community—a heritage, like many others, that deserves lasting protection. Selling off its protected shoreline for short-term gain for unnamed beneficiaries would strip away the safeguards that preserve it for all Ontarians.

I oppose the proposed removal of Nancy Island and Beach Areas 1, 2, New Wasaga, and Allenwood Beach from the protections of the PPCRA.

Question who initiated the idea to remove these designated lands from the protections of the PPCRA and sell the lands for development?

The following reasons summarize my opposition to the proposal:

1. Loss of Established Protections

These lands are currently safeguarded by some of Ontario’s strongest environmental and public-access protections under the PPCRA. Once removed, there is no guarantee that the Heritage Parks Act or municipal by-laws will provide equivalent or permanent safeguards for natural features, public access, or ecological health. This creates a lasting precedent for removing protected lands from provincial stewardship for development purposes.

Question: How can the loss of established protections be justified without presenting clear, enforceable safeguards that match or exceed the current PPCRA standards?

2. Risk to Sensitive Shoreline Ecosystems

The beach and dune systems are ecologically fragile, serving as natural erosion control, wildlife habitat, and part of the larger Great Lakes ecosystem. Increased infrastructure and tourism activity in these areas could accelerate shoreline degradation, habitat loss, and erosion—impacts that may be irreversible. No cumulative environmental impact assessment has been presented to the public.

Question: Why has no cumulative environmental impact assessment been completed and communicated before proposing to remove these sensitive shoreline ecosystems from PPCRA protections?

3. Cultural and Historical Integrity

While Nancy Island’s heritage value is acknowledged, transferring oversight to a tourism-driven ministry increases the risk of commercialization overshadowing historical authenticity. Heritage protection should be strengthened, not compromised, and must remain free from pressures to prioritize revenue over preservation.

Question: Who will ensure cultural and historical integrity remains the priority if management shifts to a tourism-focused mandate?

4. Erosion of Public Ownership and Access

Selling Crown lands to the municipality—especially highly valuable shoreline property—reduces public control and could eventually restrict affordable public access. These areas are provincial assets belonging to all Ontarians, not just one municipality or future private developers.

Question: What mechanisms will guarantee public ownership and affordable access are preserved once these lands leave provincial stewardship?

5. Questionable Long-Term Economic Benefit

Wasaga Beach’s tourism economy is highly seasonal. Without a clear, evidence-based plan showing year-round benefits, the removal of permanently protected public lands risks delivering only short-term gains while causing long-term environmental and social costs.

Question: Where is the evidence-based economic analysis demonstrating a sustainable long-term benefit to justify this change?

6. Indigenous Consultation Obligations

The province has a constitutional duty to consult and, where appropriate, accommodate Indigenous communities when decisions may affect asserted or established Aboriginal or treaty rights.

Question: Has meaningful consultation been undertaken with the Indigenous communities connected to the Wasaga Beach area before proposing to remove these lands from the PPCRA and transfer Crown lands? If not, how will the province ensure this duty is fulfilled before any legislative or land transfer actions proceed?

Conclusion

This government proposal trades lasting public protections and ecological integrity established in 1959 for uncertain seasonal economic benefits. Any revitalization plan should strengthen environmental stewardship and heritage protection under the existing provincial park framework, not weaken them through removal from the PPCRA. Failing to meet the obligations outlined above—including environmental safeguards, public access protections, cultural preservation, and Indigenous consultation—would not only undermine public trust but could also result in procedural and legal challenges that delay or halt the proposal entirely.