NEWS RELEASE
TOWN OF WASAGA BEACH
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The town’s historic Beach Drive will be for pedestrians only this summer season.
At its Feb. 25 meeting, Wasaga Beach Town Council approved closing the road to vehicular traffic for the summer months.
“But the main beach area is still here and we are open for business. It is just a road that we have closed,” Mayor Nina Bifolchi said. Several special events are planned for the beach area, building on the success of last year’s events. See a full event listing: here.
Council based the road closure decision on the challenges faced during the 2019 high water levels that resulted in water and sand washing onto the road.
There were four major clean-ups due to the high water levels at an average cost of $15,000 per incident.
Based on various unknowns, including the result of an ongoing Municipal Class Environmental Assessment and potential redevelopment of Beach Area 1 and 2, along with uncertainty about how long high water levels will last, closure is the most prudent option for now. It will also give the town and the community the opportunity to evaluate the option of permanently closing Beach Drive in the future.
The municipality will allow the sand that has accumulated on Beach Drive to remain this summer, creating additional beachfront for residents and visitors.
The town will embark on a marketing campaign to promote the expanded beach area as one of the few beach areas remaining on the Lake Huron and the Georgian Bay basin. From the information available to date, experts anticipate water levels on Nottawasaga Bay will exceed historic record highs experienced in 1986.
Read a related staff report here.
Despite the changes to Beach Drive, there remains ample parking in the area. In addition to beachfront fun, we have a number of non-beach related activities to pursue. This includes hiking local trails, cycling, boating, canoeing and kayaking in the Nottawasaga River, golfing, shopping, mini-putt, go-karting, and dining in local restaurants.
“We look forward to another great summer here in Wasaga Beach – a place where friends and family gather and lifelong memories are made,” Mayor Bifolchi said.
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