Wasaga Beach Advances All Council Priorities, Delivering Results for Residents

Wasaga Beach – The Town of Wasaga Beach has reached a major milestone, with 100 per cent of Council’s 2023–2026 priorities now complete or underway, delivering results that support economic growth, improve public services and strengthen the community.

Adopted in 2023, the Term of Council Priorities plan includes 84 initiatives across key areas: Building a Complete and Inclusive Community, Creating Economic Opportunities, Establishing Well-Run Government and Demonstrating Green Leadership. The priorities were shaped by resident feedback and continue to guide the Town’s decisions and investments.

During this term of Council, the Town has attracted more than $305 million in public and private investment, including over $155 million in provincial funding – more than any Council in the history of Wasaga Beach.

Since 2023, the Town has also attracted over 1,100 jobs, helping to grow the local economy while easing pressure on local taxpayers.

“This extraordinary milestone reflects the strong collaboration between Council and staff,” said CAO Andrew McNeill. “We’re continuing to deliver day-to-day services while advancing projects that will make life better and more affordable for the residents of Wasaga Beach for years to come.”

Delivering results for residents

Key achievements under Council’s priorities include:

Strengthening healthcare, education and housing

• Re-opened the Town-operated medical centre and after-hours clinic, and partnered to secure over $800,000 in provincial funding to expand healthcare services delivered through the clinic.
• Attracted three new doctors to town in less than three years.
• Lobbied for and welcomed a $62.2 million investment by the Ontario government to build Wasaga Beach’s first high school and community hub, in partnership with the Simcoe Muskoka Catholic District School Board. The K-12 campus and community hub includes a community theatre, childcare centre, and post-secondary program opportunities. 
• Lobbied for and welcomed a $59.3 million investment by the Ontario government to build a second high school proposed by the Simcoe County District School Board, which will create an additional 1,145 secondary student spaces in Wasaga Beach.  
• Advocated and secured up to 100 new affordable, seniors’ housing units at 175 Zoo Park.
• Completed and adopted a new Official Plan (OP), including a first-ever West Wasaga Secondary Plan.  

Growing the economy and creating jobs

• Welcomed major private-sector investments, including:

• • $60+ million investment by Sunray Group to build a premium Marriott Hotel near Beach Drive, along with shops, cafes, restaurants, and residences—with construction set to begin in 2026.
  • $90+ million investment by Stonebridge Building Group to develop a portion of Town-owned property near the beachfront, including mixed-use residential and commercial spaces.
  • Costco.
• Expanded bus service to Gateway Casino.
• Programmed successful summer events that helped mark the Town’s 50th anniversary with outstanding live music, entertainment, and the biggest increase in tourism we have seen in over a decade.
• Welcomed an almost $400,000 grant from the Ontario government to support destination marketing, promote local businesses and events, build capacity, and improve the visitor experience at Beach Area 1 in 2025, as construction along Beach Drive got underway.
• Opened Gateway Casino, generating over $4 million in community contributions.
• Launched business roundtables and destination marketing initiatives to grow tourism and promote and support local businesses.

Investing in infrastructure and public spaces

• Completed and opened the new Wasaga Stars Arena and Wasaga Beach Public Library, a project that started during the 2014-2018 term of Council.
• Reopened Beach Drive in 2023, advanced beachfront redevelopment, and secured $35 million in provincial funding for Destination Wasaga.
• Built new sidewalks and completed improvements along River Road West.
• Invested $2 million in park and playground improvements, including park refurbishments at William Arnill Park, Oakview Wood, and the BMX Park, and new parks at Ramblewood and River Road East.
• Improved wayfinding signage and expanded transit service.

Enhancing tourism and year-round experiences

• Delivered Wasaga Beach’s first “Breaking the Ice” winter music festival, featuring rock legends Burton Cummings and Blue Rodeo, which attracted almost 6000 guests to town, including 3000 visitors from other communities.
• Welcomed Canadian country star Tim Hicks and six-time JUNO Award winner Sam Roberts Band to the Wasaga Stars Arena. These exciting concerts are just one of the many ways we're bringing the community together and supporting the Town’s vision of becoming a thriving year-round destination. 
• Recruited the Town’s first-ever Greater Metro Hockey League (GMHL) Junior A hockey team, the Wasaga River Dragons.
• Launched a bold new destination management plan and tourism website.
• Launched beachfront activations, including new food truck zones at Beach Area 1 and signature events such as Memories of Summer (a Top 100 Festival and Event in Ontario), along with a new SnowmanMania collaboration with Nancy Island.
• Kicked off a successful Visioning Week, the first major milestone in developing the community-led Destination Wasaga Master Plan. Held from November 17 to 20, the week-long series of public meetings, workshops, open houses, focus groups, interactive mapping activities, and one-on-one conversations drew participation from more than 500 residents as well as business owners, local organizations, provincial partners, and stakeholders from across Ontario. The Town will unveil initial concept designs and host the next round of workshops from April 7 to 9.

Supporting affordability and community well-being

• Secured over $1 million in financial support from the province to offset rising provincial OPP costs. This ensured that this Council could introduce a lower 3.96% tax increase in 2025, instead of the 5.6% increase that would have been necessary had the province not covered these unexpected cost increases.
• Implemented the Town’s first Snow Removal Financial Assistance Program helps qualifying residents—including low-income seniors and residents with physical disabilities—to offset the cost of driveway snow removal. 
• Partnered with the County of Simcoe to strengthen emergency support networks, including launching warming centres at Faith Missionary Church and Town facilities.
• Introduced free resident parking passes.
• Confirmed municipal ownership of Allenwood Beach. As a result, Council was able to introduce free resident parking and have our hardworking Town staff clean and maintain that section of our shoreline throughout the summer.
• Speaking with local, regional and national news outlets in response to the province’s proposal to return 3% of provincial parkland to the Town, on the condition that the beach remain public. This partnership will help Wasaga Beach thrive as a complete community where tourism, conservation, and local community go hand-in-hand.
• Completing and adopting a new Municipal Accommodation Tax, which could contribute over $1 million to help pay for destination festivals and events, and promote local businesses and visitor experiences—ensuring tourism pays for tourism and destination marketing, not residents

Improving transparency and governance

• Adopted a new Official Plan and West Wasaga Secondary Plan.
• Enhanced public engagement, transparency and accountability in municipal government through regularly occurring Town Hall meetings, online tools, a more user-friendly Town website, “CAO Office Hours” where any resident can drop-in to ask questions and chat about Town projects with CAO Andrew McNeill, and “Ask Mayor Smith Anything”.
• Completing a customer service review, to identify efficiencies and improve customer service across all Town departments and facilities.
• Conducted an organizational review and taking steps to build a more strategic and effective organization; launching the Town’s first-ever whistle-blower policy; completing a compensation review; and introducing progressive human resources policies and programs to attract and retain top talent.

Quick facts

• 84 Council priority initiatives identified for 2023–2026; 100% are now complete or underway.
• More than $305 million in public and private investment has been attracted to Wasaga Beach during this term of Council – including over $155 million in provincial funding for infrastructure. This represents more funding than any Council in the history of Wasaga Beach.

Residents can learn more about the Term of Council Priorities and track progress at:
www.wasagabeach.com/strategic-priorities

-30-

Karla Findlay
Special Projects Leader
Email Karla

Sandra Watts
General Manager, External Relations | Director of Communications, Destination Marketing and Intergovernmental Affairs
Email Sandra