Statement by Mayor Brian Smith on Province's Proposal to Return 3% of Parkland to the Town

WASAGA BEACH – Today Mayor Brian Smith issued the following statement about the town's vision for Wasaga Beach to become an iconic, four-season recreation and nature-based destination, and the Province's proposal to return 3% of parkland to the Town:

"I want to take a moment to clarify our community’s vision for the future of Wasaga Beach’s iconic shoreline, and respond to concerns about the Province of Ontario’s proposal to return less than 60 hectares of parkland to the Town.

Wasaga Beach is more than a destination. It’s a town with a deep sense of place, the longest freshwater beach in the world, Ontario’s most visited provincial park, and a summer tradition for generations of families. Each year, over 2 million visitors come here to enjoy our 14-kilometre sandy shoreline, vibrant local businesses, community-run festivals and events – and some of the most magnificent sunsets on the planet.

But for those of us who call it home, Wasaga Beach is something even more profound. It’s where we live, work, raise families, and build our future. The beach isn’t just part of our landscape – it’s part of us. The longest freshwater beach in the world – including the lake, river and dune ecosystem that makes it all possible – are the heart and lungs of our community. They fuel our local businesses and economy, inspire local artists and musicians, and provide a quality of life for our full-time residents that you will not find anywhere else in the world.

We like to say Joni Mitchell wrote her song because of what happened here in Wasaga Beach in the 1970’s.

As we look ahead, we have a chance to restore what was lost, without repeating old mistakes. The province is considering the transfer of less than 60 hectares of land – just 3% of the park’s 1,844 hectares – back to the municipality.

Let me be clear: this land would go to the Town, not to developers – and it would come with the requirement that the beach remains public. The citizens of Wasaga Beach wouldn’t have it any other way.

Roughly half of the proposed land includes beach and environmentally sensitive dunes – areas that will be preserved.

That leaves about 30 hectares, mostly paved parking lots, that could be reimagined through a thoughtful, community-led Waterfront Master Plan. That work is already underway. In June, we launched a national search for a multi-disciplinary team of ecologists, designers, and planners to guide that process, grounded in sustainability and public input.

Our vision is to become an iconic, four-season recreation and nature-based destination that protects, celebrates, and educates people about the rare dunes, wildlife, and heritage that make Wasaga Beach so unique. There are no plans to build on the beach. No sensitive habitat is being threatened. On the contrary, municipal stewardship allows for more community-led protection and programming, more educational access, and more responsible, year-round use.

We are already engaging with conservation organizations such as Birds Canada, and we welcome further collaboration.  We all want the same thing: a healthy, protected, and accessible beach for generations to come.

This is not about selling out our natural heritage or sacrificing values. This is about restoring local voice and taking back responsibility for our community’s future. For the first time in half a century, the people of Wasaga Beach may have a meaningful say in how we protect, enjoy, and share our waterfront.

We know Wasaga Beach can stand alongside the great recreation and nature-based destinations of the world—where tourism, conservation and community thrive together."

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