9 Things Local Residents Need to Know About Destination Wasaga

As planning and public meetings for Destination Wasaga get underway, here are 9 of the most frequently asked questions circulating online and in the community:

Q1. What’s happening and why should I care?

• Council has secured $2 million in funding from the Province to help build Destination Wasaga — this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to reimagine our beachfront, downtown, and visitor experience. This is a plan for our community, by our community, fully funded by the Ontario Government.

• By growing recreation and nature-based tourism and strengthening our local economy, the Town can generate more year-round revenue to support essential services and make life better and more affordable for our full-time residents and ratepayers. This will also help the Town attract even more investment, to create more good-paying local jobs.

• The first phase of Destination Wasaga planning and public engagement kicks off November 17 – November 20 at the Town’s RecPlex. It includes a series of public workshops, focus groups, online surveys, and open houses, as well as one-on-one interviews with stakeholders.

• Your voice matters!

• As Mayor Smith has said: “The future of Wasaga Beach belongs to the people who live, work, and play here – every conversation, every idea, and every perspective will help shape what Destination Wasaga becomes. Together, we’re building a bright future for Wasaga Beach, ensuring the beach remains publicly owned and open for everyone in Ontario to enjoy, while creating a legacy that reflects who we are as a community and what we value most.”

Q2. I read that registration is required to attend the public meetings. Is that true?

• Not anymore. Simply show up to the public meetings on November 17 and November 20, at the Recplex, from 7pm-9pm. 

• Originally, organizers had requested that residents RSVP to gauge public interest and help with event planning (ie: set up and seating).

Q3. Why is there pre-registration and a waitlist for resident workshops?

• Public workshops on November 18 and 19 are intended for residents of Wasaga Beach only—to ensure that local voices are heard. These workshops will be interactive and hands-on. Space is limited. Pre-registration and proof of residence are required.

• Urban Strategies has organized separate focus groups for environmental groups and other non-resident stakeholders.

Q4. If I join a workshop waitlist, what are the chances I’ll get to participate?

• Excellent - please join the waitlist! This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

• Once you join the waitlist, keep an eye on your email! Organizers will do everything possible to add more seats so that any resident who wants to participate can.

• By joining a waitlist, you're letting the Town know that there is high demand to participate, and we will work to make more spaces available or plan additional engagement opportunities to accommodate everyone.

Q5. Big ideas cost big money – we can’t afford to do this.

• We can't afford not to. Destination Wasaga is part of Council’s plan to build a more economically resilient Wasaga Beach, and make life better and more affordable for our full-time residents.

• Consider this: Wasaga Beach is a tourism town. Tourism is our only industry, and the Province has provided $2 million for the Town to develop a community-led plan.

• If we don't seize this moment, dream big, imagine what's possible, and present our provincial and federal partners with a plan—for our community, by our community—to grow tourism in a way that also makes life better for our full-time residents:

• How can we make anything better?

• How can we ask for more funding?

• How can we attract more investment and more visitors?

• How will we support and grow local businesses?

• How will we ever grow our commercial tax base – to take the burden of the increasing costs of infrastructure and public services off the backs of our full-time residents and homeowners?

Q6. Won’t this planning cause our taxes to go up?

• Destination Wasaga is about strengthening our tourism economy and our community, to take the burden of paying for the town’s growth and infrastructure off the backs of homeowners. This is part of Council’s plan to make life better and more affordable for our community’s full-time residents.

• Rather than relying on short-term measures like staff and program cuts, which can weaken the Town’s ability to fund programs and serve the community, Council is focused on a sustainable path forward—leveraging funding from other levels of government to improve quality of life for our full-time residents, and building Wasaga Beach into a thriving, four-season destination.

Q7. Who should attend these meetings?

• All residents are invited to meet the Urban Strategies team, learn more about the project, and share their ideas for improving the waterfront, enhancing public spaces, celebrating local culture, and strengthening the town’s tourism economy.

• DROP-IN: The public meeting on November 17 at the RecPlex, from 7pm-9pm is drop-in style (no registration required).

Q8. What if I can’t participate in the workshops because I have to work. Will there be opportunities to get involved on evenings and weekends?

• We encourage all residents to attend the evening meeting on November 17 from 7pm-9pm, to meet the team, learn more about the project and share their ideas.

• A second evening meeting will take place on November 20 from 7pm-9pm.

• Evening and weekend webinars that will be announced shortly.

• Beginning November 17, residents can also participate in an online survey at wasagabeach.com/imagine.

Q9. How do I get involved?

• Start by showing up to the Official Launch Event and public meeting on November 17 at the RecPlex, from 7pm-9pm!

• Register for one of the 2 workshops (these workshops are identical, so you should only RSVP for one of them).

• Join us on November 20 at the RecPlex from 7pm-9pm for a second Public Meeting and Open House, to see what themes and ideas are starting to gain momentum.

• Learn more by visiting wasagabeach.com/imagine.

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