Proposed legislative…

Proposed legislative amendments to the Provincial Parks and Conservation Reserves Act, 2006, and Historical Parks Act to support the Town of Wasaga Beach’s Tourism Enhancement Proposal
ERO number 025-0694

We have serious reservations about the Proposal put forward by the government. From a conservation perspective, it is difficult to perceive any positive aspects to the Proposal at all. On the other hand, there are a great many negative aspects.

Discussion:

Piping Plovers are an endangered species in Ontario, the rest of Canada and throughout the Great Lakes region. Through careful management and ongoing conservation efforts by Birds Canada and host of dedicated individuals and conservation-oriented agencies, the population has been very gradually recovering in numbers. Natural, undisturbed beach habitat is absolutely critical for their nesting.

Fully half of the fledged young Piping Plovers in Ontario since 2007 have come from the natural beach at Wasaga Beach. As such, this site is utterly essential to the success of efforts to restore populations of this endangered species. Before June 2025, the requisite natural beach habitat there was protected under the Endangered Species Act, 2007. Unfortunately, those protections were swept away by changes (and the outright repeal) of various sections of the ESA when Bill 5 was passed. In the event that these lands are transferred to the Town of Wasaga Beach, as proposed in the current Act, there will be NO PROTECTIONS WHATSOEVER for the Piping Plover habitat. It is not sufficient to rely on good hopes and best intentions to protect this species.

If this ill-advised proposal proceeds, the plovers will suffer a one-two knockout at the hands the government. First the changes to the ESA and Bill 5 striped away existing protections to their habitat, then their critical habitat itself will be shuffled off out of the park where the birds were safeguarded! Federal regulations, which would otherwise protect the plovers’ habitat, will not help, as they would only come into effect on federal lands.

One might wonder why was it was necessary to allow only a 45-day comment period for this Act (in the middle of summer, including a holiday weekend) when a great many Ontarians (and their MPPs) were on vacation and otherwise occupied and unlikely to see the ERO notice or have a reasonable opportunity to comment. Such a timetable would very likely lead to far fewer responses, especially responses to an Act that might well engender a deluge of reply from those seeking to rescue their favourite shorebird. As well, perhaps, as one of their favourite provincial parks.

Is there some reason for the government neglecting to make any mention of the Piping Plovers in the proposal for the Act, as posted on the ERO website? Not only is there no mention of this endangered species in the Proposal summary, there is likewise no mention whatsoever in the several pages of text for this proposal which outline (almost) every conceivable detail. It is possible that a visit to the Ministry office in London might have revealed additional information – but likely not.

It is hard to understand how this transfer of lands out of the park was made in good faith with any consideration of the fate of the Piping Plovers that nest on those lands. Certainly, there has been no significant discussion of the endangered plovers by any of the ministers of the government, or by the premier. On the other side of the equation, there is no apparent plan on the part of the Town of Wasaga Beach to assume responsibility for protecting the Piping Plovers and effectively managing their habitat to assure that they survive and thrive (i.e. increase their population).

It would seem unfair to suggest that, if a provincial ministry or the government itself were to shirk its responsibility to protect an endangered species, that a municipality should be required assume that burden. The essential point here is that the people of Ontario need to be able to trust that their duly elected provincial government will protect our endangered species, including Piping Plovers.

Recommendations:

• Do not transfer and/or sell any portion of the land of Wasaga Beach Provincial Park to the local municipality or to any outside individual, agency or group.
• Make a strong commitment to the people of Ontario regarding the government’s intention to protect Piping Plovers and other endangered and at-risk species, as well as their habitat.
• Restore protections for Piping Plovers that were compromised or completely removed with the June 20, 2025 changes to the Endangered Species Act, 2007 (under Bill 5) and the repeal of sections of the Act.
• Restore protections for other at-risk species that were compromised or completely removed with the June 20, 2025 changes to the Endangered Species Act, 2007 (under Bill 5) and the repeal of sections of the Act.
• Publicly commit to a science-based plan, maintaining beach habitat year-round that is critical for Piping Plovers, in its natural state, with no management that is detrimental to their potential nesting success (including, for example no mechanical beach raking, no removal or alteration or development of adjacent sand dunes, no encroachment of parking lots, no vehicle access whatsoever) and also defending nests with buffer zones that are fenced off, and reducing depredations by natural predators.
• Publicly endorse the ongoing protection and enhancement of Piping Plover habitat by Birds Canada, the internationally recognized experts in the field. It is essential that such experts be involved at the developmental and implementation phases of any proposal.
• Establish funding that will protect, safeguard, and promote the recovery of this species and the habitat that is crucial for its survival.
• Commit to keeping Ontario provincial parks and nature reserves intact, including especially areas of natural habitat and ANSI’s (Areas of Natural and Scientific Interest) and not allowing individuals, municipalities or any other party to acquire these lands.
• Allow for greater transparency in dealing with the public, especially (from the perspective of this writer) with regard to conservation issues.