Wasaga Beach

Wasaga Beach and the surrounding area was inhabited by the Iroquoian-speaking Huron (Wendat) people for centuries before they were dispersed in 1649 by the English and Dutch-allied Haudenosaunee (Known as the Five Nation Iroquois Confederacy). The word Nottawasaga is of Algonquin origin. Nottawa means "Iroquois" and saga means "mouth of the river"; the word "Nottawasaga" was used by Algonquin scouts as a warning if they saw Iroquois raiding parties approaching their villages.[9]

In the early 1800s, Upper Canada was drawn into a struggle between Great Britain and the United States. Wasaga Beach became a strategic location in the War of 1812 when the schooner HMS Nancy was sunk at her moorings in an effort by the Americans to cut the supply line to Fort Michilimackinac and points to the north and west.[10]

Lumbering was the main industry for the remainder of the 19th century. Logs were floated downriver and into the bay, gathered at ports to feed local saw mills.[11]

Because Wasaga Beach had sandy soil unsuitable for cultivation, it did not attract early European settlement. In the 1820s the first sign of settlement in the area began as John Goessman surveyed Flos Township. In 1826, land was being sold for four shillings an acre. Though unsuitable for farming, the Wasaga Beach area had an abundance of trees. In the late 1830s and throughout the rest of the century, the logging industry was key to the economy and integral to development of the area.[12]

During the 1900s, families began to discover the beauty of the area. The beach gradually became a place for family picnics and holidays during the summer months. During the 1940s, servicemen stationed at a nearby military base visited Wasaga Beach's amusement park, and they made Wasaga Beach known across the country. After the war, Wasaga Beach continued to be a popular place for cottages and day trips. For a century, city dwellers traveled to the beach in the summer.

Wasaga Beach entered history's headlines in 1934. It was the site of departure for the first overseas flight from mainland Canada across the Atlantic to England. A plane called the Trail of the Caribou used Wasaga Beach's long, flat, sandy beach as a take-off strip.[13]

The town was originally referred to as "the northern border of Flos Sunnidale and Nottawasaga Townships". The first municipal reference occurred with a designation of a Local Improvement District in 1947. In 1949, Wasaga Beach was classified as a police village in the Township of Sunnidale, and was incorporated as a village in 1951.

The incorporation of the Town of Wasaga Beach became effective January 1, 1974. The permanent population stood at 4,034, a dramatic increase from 1965, when 500 people were residents. In the early 21st century, the town has 20,665 full-time residents and 16,000 seasonal and part-time residents.[11]

Wasaga Beach fire

Main Street Mall as it appeared in August 2000. Fire destroyed most of the buildings in November 2007.

On November 30, 2007, a major fire destroyed 90 per cent of the buildings along the street mall in the Beach One area. About 17 seasonal businesses were said to have been affected, including bikini shops, ice cream parlours, a restaurant, a motel, and an arcade.[14] Nearly 100 firefighters from surrounding areas battled the blaze for hours. The Toronto Star later reported that "Twenty-one businesses in eight buildings overlooking Georgian Bay were destroyed, causing an estimated $5 million in damages."[15]

Controversy also arose over whether or not the fire was deliberately set in order to allow unobstructed progression with the planned development or whether it was simply an accident. Two young men (one from Barrie and the other from Springwater) were charged with arson. There was no indication that the fire was deliberately set to remove old buildings in advance of planned development.[15]

The Town of Wasaga Beach worked out a plan to help the remaining businesses open for the season but the hotels, theme park and a monorail were cancelled and never revived.[16]

The town's council includes a mayor, deputy mayor, and five councillors that are elected at-large. The members of council elected as of the 2018 municipal election are:[17]

Mayor: Nina Bifolchi

Deputy Mayor: Sylvia Bray

Councillors:

• Joe Belanger
• David Foster
• Mark Kinney
• George Watson
• Stan Wells

Despite the major fire, the beach and the remaining businesses reopened the following summer. Although the destroyed buildings had been considered dated, they were missed by residents and visitors.[18][19] In 2008, an entertainment dome was built, intended as a temporary structure until development started. It lasted until February 2011 when the exterior cover was destroyed during a storm; repairs were not done and the dome never reopened. The structure was removed in May 2012.[20]

The long-term plans after the fire, by the Levy brothers' Blue Beach Avenue corporation, included a rebuild of the area in a modern style with shopping, an indoor/outdoor theme park, two major hotels and monorail service. The proposed development came to an abrupt end when Blue Beach Avenue declared bankruptcy in 2010. "The past couple of years haven't been kind to the tourist industry ... So I gather there were some major cash shortfalls that put them in this situation," the town's mayor said at that time.[21]

One of the Levy brothers was charged with fraud in 2012 after an investigation of misappropriation of the insurance money paid out after the 2007 fire.[22]

Reduced tourism, partly because of the loss of many retail buildings, has continued to be a problem in the area. The majority of sales take place during the tourist season, which is typically not much longer than three months per year. (The most recent stats indicate a decline in tourism "of roughly 100,000 a year between 2002 and 2012".)

To step up development, in 2015 the town spent $13.5 million to purchase seven properties, including eight buildings and 28 rental units, along Beach Area One, becoming a landlord to some businesses, including three bars. The town acquired any existing leases from tenants and succeeded in leasing most of the empty space to commercial enterprises by July 2016.[23] A few of the tenants subsequently enquired about the possibility of breaking their leases because they were struggling financially. The town council agreed to a one-time opportunity for businesses to break their leases without a penalty; requests to do so had to be submitted no later than September 23, 2016.[7]

The beach is owned and operated by Ontario Parks as the Wasaga Beach Provincial Park, and it is the area's primary attraction. Of the six main beach areas, Beach areas One and Two and the adjacent private/public lands have historically functioned as the main destination for tourism activity. Due to the economic climate, losses due to fires, and recent failed private redevelopment plans, Beach areas One and Two have been in steady decline.

This area is so important to the town that it undertook an in-depth community visioning exercise, called Opportunity Wasaga, to develop a long-term vision for the future of the public and private lands in this area.[24][25]

There has been a great deal of controversy (among the public and council members) about the previous strategies used by the Town of Wasaga Beach, including the 2015 purchase of the seven properties for $13.8 million, using borrowed money. "That's no small sum for the town of 18,000 that will collect $20.3 million in property taxes this year and spend $48 million in operating and capital costs," according to a report by the Toronto Star.[26]

An entirely new Downtown Development Master Plan[27] was released by town council in late January 2017, with an estimate for capital investment of $625 million and a 20 plus year time frame for completion. The first phase (five to 10 years) will cost about $200 million for two development areas, one on the beach and one on the main land.

In July 2018, under the council led by then-mayor Brian Smith, council agreed to enter into a Letter of Intent with FRAM Building Group for the development of town-owned land in the downtown and at the beachfront.

In December 2018, under a new council, with Nina Bifolchi as mayor, council decided to undertake a review of the development of town-owned lands in the downtown and at the beachfront.

The council agreed to let the Letter of Intent the town had with FRAM Building Group Ltd. lapse at the end of December 2018 as a first step in the review process. The Downtown Master Plan, however, remains in place.

In March 2019, FRAM advised the town it is not interested in being a part of future development of the beachfront. The town is now looking for developers interested in developing town-owned land at the beachfront.

Wasaga Beach Provincial Park
IUCN category II (national park)
Location	Ontario, Canada
Nearest city	Wasaga Beach, Ontario
Area	1,844 ha (7.12 sq mi)
Established	1959
Governing body	Ontario Parks

Wasaga Beach Provincial Park is a small recreational provincial park consisting of the eight beaches with 14 kilometres (8.7 mi) of beach. Beach Areas 1-6 can be accessed off Mosley Street in Wasaga. Allenwood and New Wasaga Beaches are north of the Nottawasaga River and are accessed via River Road East.[28]

The park is available for day use only. Its area totals 1,844 hectares (4,560 acres) of which 6.8 hectares (17 acres) are protected. The park is a habitat for birds, primarily for shorebirds including the endangered piping plover. Hiking trails of over 50 kilometres (31 mi) are available. In winter, they are used for cross-country skiing and snowshoeing. The visitor centre provides access to the Nancy Island Historic Site with a theatre, a museum and a lighthouse.[6]

Beach 1 (the main beach) looking west with Beaches 2 and 3 in the distance

A cottage-lined side street

Over two million people visit Wasaga Beach every summer, attracted by the town's freshwater beach (stretching 14 kilometres or 8.7 miles), swim in shallow (warm), clean water and enjoy the panoramic views of the Niagara Escarpment across the bay. There are many recreational trails that are used for hiking, cycling, cross-country skiing and snowmobiling. The Nottawasaga River offers game fishing and canoe routes.

The beach is divided into sections, with the beaches numbered 1 to 6 from east to west, with off-beach public park areas, mostly with parking and all with toilet facilities. A published summary indicates that Beaches 2–4 benefit from shade trees, a bike trail and a playground. Beach 1 is the most touristy, with bars, beach-themed shops and fast food restaurants, attracting primarily young adults. Beach areas 3 to 6 have many seasonal waterfront cottages between the park areas; Shore Lane Road is used for jogging, biking and roller blading. There are two additional beaches nearby, New Wasaga Beach and Allenwood Beach that are cut off from the 1–6 areas by the river; these also have seasonal residents. The town publishes a map of all of these areas.[29]

An unusual aspect of the town compared to other Ontario Cottage country communities, is that most of the summer homes are non-waterfront and are closely spaced on an extensive grid of side streets within the town itself, rather than being located on larger lots in more rustic settings often well outside the said towns as is the typical case elsewhere.

In the summer months it is a popular place for beach volleyball and sunbathing. A boardwalk runs most of the way along Beach 1 and 2. Beach 1 draws the largest crowds, with the popularity of the beaches decreasing further west. East of the town limits, the sandy beach continues east and north into Tiny Beaches, nearly as far as the tip of the Penetang Peninsula. The beach in these areas is also fronted by many cottages and homes, but unlike in Wasaga Beach, the beaches are mostly private property.

The beach's position on the waters of Nottawasaga Bay means that summer temperatures are moderated somewhat by the water, so summer days can be quite comfortable especially when there is a breeze off Georgian Bay. In winter, however, winds off the water trigger very heavy and intense snow squalls. Due to these heavy snowfalls, activities include snowmobiling, cross-country skiing and other winter sports. Downhill skiing is available at nearby Blue Mountain. There are many miles of fresh groomed trails for snowmobiling thanks to the Ontario Federation of Snowmobile Clubs and in part to the purchasers of the trail passes.

The town also has several community centres, including the Rec-Plex, which has an auditorium, an amphitheatre and a YMCA, as well as the Wasaga Stars Arena.

Aerial view of Wasaga Beach from the southwest, 2013

The Town of Wasaga Beach covers an area of 61.13 square kilometres (23.60 sq mi) comprised predominantly of sand and loamy sand that exhibit excessive to good drainage and irregular to moderately sloping topography. The poor soil quality[30] makes it difficult to sustain lush lawns in the town. The Canada Land Inventory for Agriculture rates the lands as predominately Class Six and Seven with primary restrictions of adverse topography, erosion damage and low natural fertility.[31]

The 2006 Canadian census indicated a population of 15,029 residents. When compared to its 2001 population of 12,419, Wasaga Beach is one of the fastest growing communities in Canada based on population growth percentage (21.0% over 5 years).[36][37]

There are several elementary schools: Worsley, Birchview Dunes, and St. Noel Chabanel (Catholic); and a private school, Silvercrest Christian School.[38] There are no high schools in town. As of February 2017, there was no plan by the Simcoe County District School Board to build a secondary school.[39] Buses transport over 760 students to high schools located outside the town, in Stayner, Elmvale, and Collingwood.

Schools in Wasaga Beach:

• Birchview Dunes Elementary School
  • Principal: Melissa Mortimer
• Worsley Elementary School
  • Principal: Darrell Bax
• St Noel Chabanal Elementary School
  • Principal: Tammy Mayer

[40]

Transit service in Wasaga Beach is operated by Georgian Coach Lines, using town-owned buses, under the name Wasaga Beach Transit. The service was started with one route in July 2008, and quickly expanded to two routes in the summer of 2009.[41] Services for Wasaga Beach Transit occur in a loop from the Wasaga Stars Arena in the east to the Real Canadian Superstore in the west every hour from 7 am to 7 pm. There is a transit link between Wasaga Beach and Collingwood that operates on a continuous loop.[42]

Transit service in Wasaga Beach is no longer operated by Georgian Coach Lines. The contract was changed in the summer of 2014 to Sinton-Landmark Bus Lines.[43]

• Jason Arnott - NHL hockey player; born and raised in Wasaga Beach; in the summer of 2000, Jason Arnott Day was declared in Wasaga Beach to celebrate his Stanley-Cup-winning goal scored in double overtime[44]
• Adam Copeland and Jason Reso - WWE stars better known as Edge and Christian; lived together in Wasaga Beach throughout their time in college and early training

• List of communities in Ontario

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Wasaga Beach, Ontario.

Wikivoyage has a travel guide for Wasaga Beach.

• Town of Wasaga Beach