The wave of social media chatter on Tik Tok and Facebook has become too hard for the mayor of a well-known beach town to overlook. He has issued a detailed statement rejecting claims about people pooping in the sand “that lack evidence and promote misinformation.”
Mayor Brian Smith of Wasaga Beach points out that the town has received “no evidence – from residents, visitors or the Ontario government – to verify that any undesirable, unsanitary behaviour has occurred on the beach areas that make up Wasaga Beach Provincial Park.”
“If any evidence comes to light,” Smith emphasizes, “I assure you that we will be quick to act.”
In response to an inquiry from regarding whether public defecation or urination on the sand has been a problem at Wasaga Beach since 2020, a town spokesperson stated, “the answer is no.”
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Smith’s statement also highlights that the Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks manages, patrols and oversees the beach areas within Wasaga Beach Provincial Park alongside Ontario Parks.
July 15, 2008 – Pictures for story on Wasaga beach makeover. Visitors enjoy the warm sun and sand of Wasaga beach. Charla Jones/Globe and Mail file photo via The Canadian Press
A ministry representative noted that staff at Wasaga Beach Provincial Park “have not observed this behaviour during their regular patrols of the beachfront or in response to any complaints.”
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July 15, 2008 – Pictures for story on Wasaga beach makeover. Visitors enjoy the warm sun and sand of Wasaga beach. Charla Jones/Globe and Mail file photo via The Canadian Press
Although she didn’t answer whether she filed any formal complaints, she mentioned that nobody from town has reached out regarding her posts.
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The mayor’s statement urges people to get in touch with Ontario Parks, local MPPs or the Ministry of Environment, Conservation and Parks “with any evidence of issues or concerns related to beach operations or maintenance.” He included contact details at the end of his message.
S mith also pointed out there are “11 comfort stations within Beach Areas 1-6” along with four mini comfort stations located in Allenwood and New Wasaga offering restroom facilities for visitors.” He noted these are situated in high-traffic zones where they’re “very visible” from beachfront areas.
However , he also stressed that back in 2018 , four-sided enclosed tents were banned on municipal land “to ensure as many people as possible have an unobstructed view of our famous shoreline and sunsets.” Yet such regulations do not apply within provincial parks- which account for 25 percent of municipal land area -which “fuels local tourism – our town’s main industry.”
Smith urged officials with Ontario government take similar actions regarding tent regulations within beach areas tied to Wasaga Beach Provincial Park.
“Working together , we can keep ensuring that Wasaga Beach remains one among cleanest , safest , most beautiful beaches globally – promoting tourism throughout south-central Ontario , creating jobs , benefiting full-time residents here long-term. ”
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For news impacting Canada and around the world, sign up for breaking news alerts delivered directly to you when they happen. “We encourage park visitors to contact the park office if they observe visitors misusing the park,” they added. “If evidence of such activity is found, those responsible may face enforcement action, including fines.” Another ministry spokesperson mentioned that staff have “occasionally received complaints about defecation or urination on beaches since 2020; however no specific evidence of these allegations has been found.” Story continues below The reaction on social media indicates Smith’s statement isn’t being well-received by everyone. Several comments in Facebook groups for Wasaga Beach continue to echo these rumors. A post made Tuesday evening in a public group asking if there’s truth to these claims had gathered over 190 comments by Wednesday morning. Responses vary widely; some say it’s an ongoing issue while others insist they’ve never witnessed anything like it while visiting. A Tik Tok user who goes by Natty Lynn shared a video on July 9 claiming this behavior has been a persistent problem for years. She mentioned people are setting up small tents and digging holes as makeshift washrooms. In her video-which garnered over 31,000 likes-she said she doesn’t let her kids dig in the sand at Beach 1. “The mayor can’t deny all of us having experiences,” she wrote in an email. “If you go through my social media comments, you’ll see people discussing this happening at almost every beach across Ontario and Canada. This isn’t something new.” Trending Now
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July 15, 2008 – Pictures for story on Wasaga beach makeover. Visitors enjoy the warm sun and sand of Wasaga beach. Charla Jones/Globe and Mail file photo via The Canadian Press
Although she didn’t answer whether she filed any formal complaints, she mentioned that nobody from town has reached out regarding her posts.
Story continues below
The mayor’s statement urges people to get in touch with Ontario Parks, local MPPs or the Ministry of Environment, Conservation and Parks “with any evidence of issues or concerns related to beach operations or maintenance.” He included contact details at the end of his message.
S mith also pointed out there are “11 comfort stations within Beach Areas 1-6” along with four mini comfort stations located in Allenwood and New Wasaga offering restroom facilities for visitors.” He noted these are situated in high-traffic zones where they’re “very visible” from beachfront areas.
However , he also stressed that back in 2018 , four-sided enclosed tents were banned on municipal land “to ensure as many people as possible have an unobstructed view of our famous shoreline and sunsets.” Yet such regulations do not apply within provincial parks- which account for 25 percent of municipal land area -which “fuels local tourism – our town’s main industry.”
Smith urged officials with Ontario government take similar actions regarding tent regulations within beach areas tied to Wasaga Beach Provincial Park.
“Working together , we can keep ensuring that Wasaga Beach remains one among cleanest , safest , most beautiful beaches globally – promoting tourism throughout south-central Ontario , creating jobs , benefiting full-time residents here long-term. ”
More on Science & Tech More videos
& copy; 2024 , a division Corus Entertainment Inc.Source link
