“This is good news that reflects the Town’s commitment to proactive, responsible stewardship,” said Mayor Brian Smith. “This Council believes Wasaga Beach can stand among the great recreation and nature-based destinations of the world — where tourism, community, and conservation thrive together. We’re proud of our parks, communications, and municipal law enforcement teams who are leading this work on the ground, with support from Birds Canada and our provincial and federal partners.”
As responsibility for beachfront management has transitioned from the Province to the Town, Council and staff have established strong stewardship partnerships, maintained established conservation practices, and advanced the development of a longer-term beach management plan.
The Town continues to work closely with conservation agencies and provincial and federal partners to support habitat protection, public education, monitoring, and stewardship.
Local stewardship in action
The Town’s stewardship team includes Parks staff, three Beachfront Ambassadors, and two Destination Wasaga Piping Plover Technicians. Together, the team supports monitoring, public outreach and education, interpretive signage, by-law enforcement, habitat protection, and coordinated stewardship in accordance with established Ontario Parks protocols and the federal Species at Risk Act.
Birds Canada continues to provide the Town with field support and training, including nest monitoring and instruction on how to implement threat mitigation measures such as fencing and exclosures in accordance with established protocols and federal requirements.
Building municipal stewardship capacity
In addition to hiring three Beachfront Ambassadors and two dedicated Destination Wasaga Piping Plover Technicians, the Town has:
Introduced a new beachfront by-law that gives Wasaga Beach some of the strongest local enforcement tools in Canada to protect sensitive shoreline habitat. The by-law includes significant fines and penalties for activities that disturb wildlife or damage dunes or critical habitat or interfere with designated protected areas. In partnership with Birds Canada made Piping Plover stewardship training mandatory for all staff. Launched a new parks information line at 705-408-3336 to help residents and visitors access information about park rules, beach operations, and responsible use.
Together these measures aim to help give Piping Plovers the space they need to nest safely while ensuring residentsand visitors can continue enjoyingthe beach local businesses special eventsand experiences that make Wasaga Beach one of Ontario’s top summer destinations.
Withthe busy summer tourism season–and nesting season–underway, the Town is reminding residentsand visitors that everyonehas a roleto playin protecting Piping Ploversand their sensitive shoreline habitat.
Beachgoers are askedto respectposted signage stay outof fencedor protectedareas keep petsawayfrom sensitivehabitat avoid disturbingwildlife maintain appropriate distancesfrom wildlife follow directionfrom Townparks staff.
Quick Facts
Wasaga Beachis partof a globallysignificant Great Lakes shorelineecosystemthat supports speciesatrisk. Itis also thelongest freshwaterbeach intheworld, a major tourismdestination, and home too neof Ontario’s mostvisited “recreation class” provincialparks. Each year, the Town of Wasaga Beachwelcomes over2 millionvisitorsto enjoyits beachfront localbusinessesandspecial events. In2025 therewere 88breeding pairsof Piping Ploversacrossthe Great Lakesbasin. The majorityof thesebirds breedin Michigan. In2025 four Piping Plovernests were successful across Ontario’s Great Lakes underscoring theneedfor consistent science-basedstewardship. Piping Plovershave continued returningto Wasaga Beachin recent yearswith twobirds observedin2023 fourin2024 fourin2025andtwo returningforthe 2026 nestingseason. Tohelpprotect Piping Plowerspecies recoveryandreducedisturbance duringthenestingseason, the Towndoes notpublicly disclose exactnesting locations. Protectedareas areclearly markedon thebeach, and residentsand visitorsareaskedto followpostedsignageandstayoutoffenced areas. Trespasserswill beprosecutedto thefull extentofthelaw.
Learn more: wasagabeach. com/imagine
Watch now: Town of Wasaga Beach You Tube
Media contact:
Karla Findlay
Special Projects Leader
Email Karla
Sandra Watts
General Managerof External Relations | Directorof Communications, Destination Marketing & Intergovernmental Affairs
Email Sandra
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