Wasaga “West” Beach Association Letter:
Sandy Beaches attract thousands of people to the Wasaga Beach area and directly benefit
the Township, Ministry, local businesses and local residents alike. All are stakeholders. The
beaches extend for fourteen (14) kilometers from East to West. These beaches are referred
to as the longest freshwater beach in the world.
We all reap the benefits when the beach is viewed as the main attraction and appears
pleasing to all.
Today we are at an unfortunate crossroad where the beach is not being viewed in its past
glory. Unwanted vegetation is claiming the sand and it is becoming more difficult to use
many sections of the beach for the intended recreational uses.
The purpose of this letter is to bring this matter to your attention and request action and
influence to get the process of beach maintenance back on track for the short and long term
benefit of all.
I am a member of the Wasaga “West” Beach Association. The Association represents
property owners, residents and beach users alike.
Our Mission Statement is “To restore Wasaga Beach to its former glory; a sandy
recreational beach clear of invasive vegetation and equalization of all beachfront
maintenance.”
For the past 10 years Wasaga Beach has been struggling with the invasion of weeds, grasses
and phragmites. The Ministry of Natural Resourses is working under an outdated 1978
Management Plan. A new Management Plan needs to be implemented now along with
immediate short term measures to deal with the issue before we reach an unrecoverable
state.
The Ministry currently carries out partial control and removal initiatives to address the
vegetation growth but is not winning the battle. It is also obvious that the current initiatives
are not consistent throughout all the beach areas. The beaches west of beach six (6) are
showing increased vegetation development right to the water’s edge and is impacting the
enjoyment of the beach areas.
Our Association has collected a thousands signatures from concerned beach users and local
residents who are all concerned with the current state and lack of action by the responsible
authorities to get a grip on this issue. We are continuing our mission of garnering support
by engaging the beach users and local residents through signature collections and
awareness campaigns.
You serve the people of Ontario, property owners, local residents and beach users alike.
You have the voice to get the process moving. Please use it and let us know what action and
help we can expect from you.