The Ontario government is proceeding with its plan to hand over management of 60 per cent of Wasaga Beach from the province to the town, even after hearing from thousands of Ontarians who are worried that this could threaten delicate piping plover habitats and impact beach access.
The Doug Ford government received 14,233 comments during a 30-day period last summer, with around 98 per cent opposing the proposal. Many people voiced concerns that lifting provincial protections could lead to the destruction of sand dunes for hotels, condos, and other beachfront developments.
“We did not consider any changes to the proposal based on the feedback received, given the Town of Wasaga Beach’s commitments to keeping the beach public, not building on the beach and protecting environmentally sensitive dunes,” stated the government in its decision.
According to Ontario’s Environmental Bill of Rights, the government must publish moves with environmental or energy implications in the publicly accessible Environmental Registry of Ontario to gather feedback from industry experts and residents. (However, under Bill 5, several projects and notices have been exempted from this registry.)
Last June, the Ford government announced its intention to change the Provincial Parks and Conservation Reserves Act. This legislation created more than 340 parks across Ontario. The amendment would allow for transferring 60 hectares-or three per cent-of Wasaga Beach Provincial Park, which protects one of the longest freshwater beaches in the world along with its natural surroundings, to local management aimed at boosting tourism and supporting the local economy.
This transfer includes more than half-or 60 per cent-of the beachfront area containing all sand dunes and vegetation that provide nesting grounds for piping plovers.
Among those approximately two per cent who supported this move for economic development purposes were calls for “continued environmental management and continued public access.”
Most comments submitted highlighted worries about losing this vital beach ecosystem or even endangering it through increased development.
“Once this precedent is set, we risk irreversible environmental degradation, reduced public access and commercialization of what should remain a protected public space for generations to come,” wrote one local resident. “Tourism and environmental stewardship are not mutually exclusive, and development must not come at the cost of conservation.”
Grass-covered sand dunes provide crucial nesting habitat for endangered piping plovers. The dunes are part of an area in Wasaga Beach Provincial Park that will be transferred to Town management, meaning provincial responsibility will cease. Photo: Carlos Osorio / The Narwhal
“Public land – especially waterfront property as ecologically and recreationally important as Wasaga Beach – should remain in public hands and under provincial protection,” another commenter stated.
This didn’t change anything for the province. Amendments enabling this transfer were included in Ontario’s budget released last fall for 2025. Following this recent decision, they will move forward with transferring control to the town.
This isn’t new; there have been previous instances where feedback was ignored by Ford’s government regarding matters posted on Environmental Registry of Ontario. The Auditor General has repeatedly criticized this administration for not following its own laws which require meaningful consultations via these registries.
A case in late 2022 saw over 30,000 comments regarding plans to remove 7,400 acres from protected Greenbelt land. Regardless of this outcry, “no changes were made to the proposal as a result of public consultation,” noted their posting on record.
The government’s decision stated that despite choosing not to adjust their plans based on public input regarding lands taken out of protection at Wasaga Beach “will continue to be subject to Ontario’s species protection and environmental laws.”
Nevertheless shortly before announcing this transfer plan; they weakened species protections via controversial Bill 5 while also exempting some postings from being reported through their environmental registry process. The legislation concerning provincial parks was seen as one last safeguard protecting plover habitats within Wasaga Beach.
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Grass-covered sand dunes provide crucial nesting habitat for endangered piping plovers. The dunes are part of an area in Wasaga Beach Provincial Park that will be transferred to Town management, meaning provincial responsibility will cease. Photo: Carlos Osorio / The Narwhal
“Public land – especially waterfront property as ecologically and recreationally important as Wasaga Beach – should remain in public hands and under provincial protection,” another commenter stated.
This didn’t change anything for the province. Amendments enabling this transfer were included in Ontario’s budget released last fall for 2025. Following this recent decision, they will move forward with transferring control to the town.
This isn’t new; there have been previous instances where feedback was ignored by Ford’s government regarding matters posted on Environmental Registry of Ontario. The Auditor General has repeatedly criticized this administration for not following its own laws which require meaningful consultations via these registries.
A case in late 2022 saw over 30,000 comments regarding plans to remove 7,400 acres from protected Greenbelt land. Regardless of this outcry, “no changes were made to the proposal as a result of public consultation,” noted their posting on record.
The government’s decision stated that despite choosing not to adjust their plans based on public input regarding lands taken out of protection at Wasaga Beach “will continue to be subject to Ontario’s species protection and environmental laws.”
Nevertheless shortly before announcing this transfer plan; they weakened species protections via controversial Bill 5 while also exempting some postings from being reported through their environmental registry process. The legislation concerning provincial parks was seen as one last safeguard protecting plover habitats within Wasaga Beach.
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