The Town of Wasaga Beach is asking the Ontario government for assistance after it landed in hot water earlier this summer following claims that beach-goers are defecating in the sand.
This saga began in July when one TikTok user went viral for posting a video claiming that people have been pooping in the sand, particularly inside enclosed tents, for years.
“The reputation of the Town of Wasaga Beach is being gravely harmed due to concerns from citizens and tourists regarding the quality of care and lack thereof of the Wasaga Beach Provincial Park,” the town’s mayor, Brian Smith, said during a special council meeting on July 29.
Wasaga Beach Provincial Park—which is within the town’s boundary—is managed by Ontario Parks and Ontario’s Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks (MECP).
Smith said that it’s “high time” the province steps up to assist the town in restoring the beach.
“They created this provincial park to be a playground and recreational park for this province,” he said. “When they did so it was an absolutely beautiful, pristine park. It has been wrecked to decay ever since.”
“They don’t have any proof that people pooped in the park”
After weeks of silence on the topic, Premier Doug Ford said at a press conference on August 7 that there’s no “proof that people pooped in the park.”
“Folks, don’t be pooping on the beach,” he said. “Simple as that.”
Spokespeople from Ontario Parks, the MECP, and the town all say that there is no evidence that these claims are true. However, Wasaga Beach’s council is concerned about how the ordeal has painted the town in a negative light.
“This is a situation that can impact the financial viability of Wasaga Beach very much,” said Councillor Joe Belanger in the special council meeting. “The problem is very minimal compared to the millions of visitors we get to Wasaga Beach every year.”
Councillor Ellen Timms reiterated that they are not “passing the buck” to the provincial government. Since it’s a provincial park, the town is not within jurisdiction to manage the beach.
Town of Wasaga Beach calls on the province to ban enclosed tents
At the special council meeting, the mayor put forward a motion calling on the provincial government to implement a ban on enclosed tents on the beach. This would line up with the municipality’s current bylaws that restrict these structures on town-owned waterfront land.
But at this point, Premier Ford isn’t on board.
“If we ban tents in provincial parks, it’s just not gonna cut it across the board,” said Ford during the August press conference.
The town is also asking the government to increase the number of provincial park wardens, hike fines for visitors who violate park rules, and further investments in garbage collection and building repairs.
For now, a spokesperson for Ontario Parks says that Wasaga Beach’s park wardens are being “extra vigilant” when patrolling the park and beachfront areas to ensure that visitors are being respectful.
At the beginning of August, Wasaga’s park wardens began a joint patrol effort with the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) to help further monitor these areas.
Related Story Accessible beaches in Ontario for everyone to enjoy the sun
Related Story Ontario judge rules stretch of Sauble Beach belongs to Saugeen First Nation
Related Story Stunning sandy beaches in Ontario to visit this summer