Visioning Week aimed to gather feedback on six main themes:
Places to Protect – How can we safeguard, enhance, and celebrate Wasaga Beach’s natural features?
Places to Live – What kinds of housing and community facilities fit well along the waterfront?
Places to Play – What recreational options could make Wasaga a fun and welcoming spot for all ages and abilities?
Places for Culture and Entertainment – In what ways can arts, culture, and events boost Wasaga Beach’s vibrancy throughout the year?
Places to Stay – What types of lodging could enhance tourism and cater to a diverse crowd of visitors?
Connecting Places – How can we better link the waterfront with downtown, and improve movement around town?
Feedback collected during this week will directly shape planning frameworks, concept ideas, and future policies that will guide how Wasaga Beach develops as both a destination and a community.
What’s Next
Phase 2 of the Destination Wasaga Master Plan is now in progress. Urban Strategies will start working on concept plans and technical studies based on what the community shared. These findings will be presented to residents in early 2026 for another round of public consultation.
Residents are encouraged to keep sharing their thoughts by filling out the Destination Wasaga online survey.
QUICK FACTS Every year, Wasaga Beach attracts over 2 million visitors who come to enjoy the beach, special events, and local shops. From January to August 2025, domestic visitor numbers reached 2,060,833 people-a 15% rise from 2024-bringing visitor levels back up despite ongoing construction work along Beach Drive. The Town of Wasaga Beach stands out globally: it hosts one of Ontario’s most frequented provincial parks while being the only provincial park entirely situated within an Ontario municipality’s main tourist zones. Wasaga Beach Provincial Park is classified as a “recreation class” provincial park designed to offer excellent outdoor experiences for its guests. Urban Strategies recently received two Canadian Awards for Planning Excellence in 2025. They are also collaborating with the Algonquins of Ontario on a project called Tewin-meaning “home” in Algonquin-which aims at developing a new community grounded in Algonquin values southeast of Ottawa. The goal is to create a sustainable environment that integrates Algonquin people into Canada’s capital’s socio-economic landscape. The Destination Wasaga Master Plan is being crafted through a process that prioritizes residents, local businesses, and community partners. It builds upon Ontario’s $38-million investment earlier this year in Destination Wasaga which supports revitalization efforts at the beachfront, downtown areas, and significant heritage sites like Nancy Island. About the Destination Wasaga Master Plan
The Town of Wasaga Beach’s Destination Wasaga Master Plan expands upon its current Downtown Development Master Plan. This plan will emphasize:
Enhancing waterfront areas and public spaces to foster an inviting atmosphere that is accessible and inclusive. Revitalizing downtown spaces to support thriving business activity year-round. Honoring local history and culture while exploring collaborations with Indigenous communities. Coordinating infrastructure upgrades-like ongoing reconstruction on Beach Drive-to align with designs driven by community input. Focusing on sustainability through an ecological lens backed by an Environmental Impact Study which identifies ecological sensitivities while guiding land use decisions related to shoreline protection, flood management, and habitat preservation.
Learn more about Destination Wasaga.
Related news: Wasaga Beach Selects Ontario-based Urban Strategies to Help Design and Build Destination Wasaga
About Wasaga Beach
For more than one hundred years now, the Town of Wasaga Beach has been known as Ontario’s iconic summer getaway – where people come together for fun times that create lasting memories. Today we’re aiming high; we want to become recognized worldwide as a recreation-focused nature destination. Building Destination Wasaga while re-imagining our main commercial area at Beach Area 1 aligns perfectly with this vision along with Council’s goals: fostering economic diversity while boosting tourism initiatives creating jobs throughout our complete neighborhoods. We envision being leaders in sustainability creativity innovation-and enjoyment-a place filled with flourishing businesses safe welcoming neighborhoods where we celebrate our rich heritage diverse cultures stunning landscapes including Nottawasaga River Georgian Bay-the longest freshwater beach globally.
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