Wasaga Beach has a renowned provincial park totally within the municipality’s boundaries, but the Ford government wants to cede some parkland to the town, as opponents argue the proposal sets a dangerous precedent.
“This beautiful white sand beach is the heart and lungs of our community,” Wasaga Beach Mayor Brian Smith said, referring to the world’s longest freshwater beach.
He told CityNews that the transfer of ownership of approximately 60 hectares of sandy land to the Town of Wasaga Beach from the provincial government rights a historical wrong.
“The Province came in the ’60s and ’70s and expropriated a bunch of lands here. They tore down four-storey, five-storey hotels. They tore down cottage courts,” Smith said.
During a visit in the spring, Ontario Premier Doug Ford announced a $38-million investment to redevelop the beach and return some parkland with the “condition that it remains a public beach for everyone to enjoy.”
To allow for the transfer of the lands, the Ford government needs to change laws. Critics said the changes are a reason to worry.
“There’s no doubt in our mind that once this has been done, it has set a precedent to be able to do that to any park or protected area,” Jarvis Strong, a spokesperson for the Escarpment Corridor Alliance, told CityNews.
The group didn’t express opposition to bringing in more tourists, but there were concerns expressed about matching the provincial government’s capability of protecting wildlife and other environmental features.
When asked about the concerns, a spokesperson for the Ontario Ministry of Environment, Conservation and Parks strongly disagreed.
“The proposed changes … are specific to Wasaga Beach Provincial Park. To be clear, there will be no changes made beyond those being considered … and any claims otherwise are categorically false,” the statement said.
Shaun Talbot, the owner of Wasaga Watersports, a business that rents out jet skis, said much of the parkland in question should have some development.
“For the lands behind the beach, I think that they’re underutilized. Sauble Beach has overnight camping. We have absolutely no camping facilities here on the beach, and we have 14 kilometres of provincial park,” he said.
Smith said the beach should be protected, but also developed.
“If this was anywhere else in the world, it would be treated much differently, and I think that this government gets it. I know that our municipality gets it,” he said.
The land transfer is expected to happen in the fall, and the Town will undertake a process to determine the future of the property.
