DESTINATION WASAGA
Home of the longest freshwater beach in the world, Ontario’s first and most visited urban, “recreation class” provincial park, and Nancy Island, a War of 1812 National Historic Site.
The Destination Wasaga Master Plan is about more than redevelopment — it’s about community. This initiative puts the people of Wasaga Beach at the centre, ensuring that every voice, perspective, and idea helps shape a waterfront, downtown, and public spaces that reflect the town’s values. Together, our residents, businesses, and partners will create a welcoming, vibrant, and sustainable Wasaga Beach for everyone to enjoy.
The future of Wasaga Beach belongs to the people who live, work, and play here – every conversation, every idea, and every perspective will help shape what Destination Wasaga becomes. Together, we’re building a bright future for Wasaga Beach, ensuring the beach remains publicly owned and open for everyone in Ontario to enjoy while creating a legacy that reflects who we are as a community and what we value most.
Mayor Brian Smith
Planning the Whole Destination
Home to the world’s longest freshwater beach, Wasaga Beach has welcomed generations of Ontarians for more than a century. Now, the community is planning for its next chapter.
The Destination Wasaga Master Plan is a long-term roadmap for creating a stronger, more connected four-season community and destination. Rather than focusing on the beachfront alone, the plan brings together the Main End, Nottawasaga River, Nancy Island, downtown, the provincial park and West End within one coordinated vision.
Shaped by input from more than 16,000 residents, visitors, businesses, students and community stakeholders, the plan identifies opportunities for new public spaces, recreation, culture, transportation connections, visitor experiences and strategic investment—while strengthening stewardship of the beach, dunes, river, forests and sensitive natural areas.
This is our North Star: a place where people love to live is a place people will want to visit.
Destination Wasaga is designed to make tourism work better for the community—supporting local businesses and year-round jobs, attracting investment, strengthening the commercial tax base and creating more reasons for existing visitors to stay longer, explore more and return throughout the year.
The following map illustrates how six distinct zones can work together as one destination—it provides a framework for the projects, partnerships and investments that will shape Wasaga Beach for generations to come.
West End
Imagine a diverse landscape offering opportunities for fun and relaxation linked by a roomy boardwalk that encourages activities in all seasons.
The Main End
Imagine the energetic heart of Wasaga Beach, where hotels, entertainment, restaurants, shops, markets, and festivals will bring life to the streets and open spaces throughout the week and in all seasons.
The Point
Imagine ongoing environmental protection and stewardship that will enhance the setting for eco-tourism and new park facilities and programming.
Discovery Corridor
Imagine a series of places connected by pedestrian bridges and pathways where you can enjoy Wasaga’s natural wonders and learn about the region’s history, heritage, culture, and ecology.
Main Street Corridor
Imagine a mixed-use spine and neighbourhood where clusters of commercial uses extend the vibrancy of the Main End into the heart of downtown.
Wasaga Beach Provincial Park
Imagine an enhanced provincial park and Nordic Centre where residents and visitors could spend the day moving between attractions, nature-based adventure activities, outdoor programming, cafés and public gathering spaces--across a proposed pedestrian bridge, through a new Culture Park and on to the beach.
Our shoreline is more than a destination — it’s a globally significant natural environment. The Town is leading a new era of local stewardship to protect the beach, dunes, and wildlife while ensuring this extraordinary place can be enjoyed for generations to come.
"Wasaga Beach is ready to become a globally recognized recreation and nature-based destination, and we are excited to partner with Urban Strategies to make it happen. Our guiding principle is simple: A place where people love to live is a place that people will want to visit. To build Wasaga Beach into a truly resilient, four-season destination, we will focus on fostering unique experiences, leveraging local assets, prioritizing sustainability, and actively engaging with residents. During the RFP process, we made it clear that environmental leadership is also important to the Town and this Council – our final plan must integrate green infrastructure, innovative design, nature-based solutions and global best practices that will enhance the health of our community and shoreline for generations to come. This is vitally important to ensure Wasaga Beach thrives as Ontario’s summer playground – but also that we evolve into an iconic, year-round destination that will grow Ontario’s tourism sector, support local businesses, and make life better for our full-time residents."
– Mayor Brian Smith
“Across Ontario, our government is helping build tourism destinations that increase visitation, create jobs, and drive economic growth. This bold and collaborative transformation project will revitalize Wasaga Beach’s iconic waterfront and elevate the town as a premier tourism destination for travellers from across the country and around the world. Our government’s investment will help both protect local workers and businesses and preserve a cherished piece of Canadian history.”
– Stan Cho, Ontario Minister of Tourism, Culture and Gaming
“Wasaga Beach is one of the crown jewels of South Georgian Bay, and it’s a place where generations of families have created lasting memories along its world-famous shoreline. Our government is proud to invest in this vibrant and growing community, and I’m excited to see this project moving forward. It’s equally encouraging to see the Town partnering with an Ontario company to reimagine Wasaga Beach as a globally recognized, four-season destination.”
– Brian Saunderson, MPP, Simcoe-Grey
“Re-imagining a community is complex—and Wasaga Beach is no ordinary community. It’s the world’s longest freshwater beach and home to Ontario’s first and most visited urban provincial park, with dunes, forests, and over 30 kilometres of trails. It’s also one of Ontario’s fastest-growing communities. At Urban Strategies, we bring fresh eyes and global best practices to complex projects, without preconceived conclusions. We look forward to crafting a bold vision and path forward with the citizens of Wasaga Beach – the people who live, work, learn and play in this iconic community 365 days of the year.”
– Tim Smith, Principal at Urban Strategies
“As Chair of the Town’s Economic Development and Tourism Advisory Committee, I’m incredibly excited to see Destination Wasaga moving forward. This process will redefine Wasaga Beach as a world-class, four-season destination — anchored by the world’s longest freshwater beach, vibrant heritage sites like Nancy Island, and a revitalized downtown. With thoughtful planning, infrastructure renewal, investment attraction, and strong community engagement, we’re building more than a globally-recognized recreation and nature-based destination — we’re building a community where residents and businesses can thrive all year long.”
– Steve Harlow, Chair, Economic Development & Tourism Advisory Committee
“As President of the Wasaga Beach Chamber of Commerce & Tourism, I’m thrilled to support Destination Wasaga—a transformative opportunity for our town. With nearly $38 million in provincial funding to revitalize our downtown, rebuild Beach Drive, preserve the heritage of Nancy Island, and reimagine our community as a four-season destination, we’re poised to unlock incredible investment and benefits in our community. From restaurants and shops to accommodations and attractions, our local businesses stand to gain from increased visitation and year-round tourism. More than that, this project enables us to build a truly welcoming, vibrant, and sustainable community that celebrates Wasaga Beach’s natural beauty, history, and character every day of the year.”
– Karin Greig, President, Wasaga Beach Chamber of Commerce & Tourism
“As someone who spent my youth enjoying the sun and surf of Wasaga Beach, I am deeply connected to this community. Our family operated Beach Bazaar here in 1976 – returning now with Sunray Group to build a premium Marriott Hotel and invest in its future is very rewarding, both personally and professionally. The Destination Wasaga approach aligns perfectly with Sunray Group’s commitment to sustainable, community-first development. This project honours the past, creates excitement for the future, and puts the local community first. Sunray Group supports this historic and collaborative effort to enhance Wasaga Beach’s appeal — not just as a great place to visit, but as a great place to live.”
– Ray Gupta, Chairman & CEO, Sunray Group of Hotels
“As CAO of the Nottawasaga Valley Conservation Authority, I’m encouraged by the collaborative momentum behind Destination Wasaga. Our watershed, which flows through Wasaga Beach and into Georgian Bay, depends on smart, resilient planning. Destination Wasaga’s focus on revitalizing Wasaga’s downtown, building climate-resilient infrastructure, prioritizing environmental leadership, and preserving heritage like Nancy Island aligns closely with our mission to protect the environment while promoting sustainable community growth. NVCA stands ready to support this transformational project—ensuring it enhances year-round recreational opportunities in the Town of Wasaga Beach while safeguarding the integrity of our watershed for generations to come.”
– Jennifer Vincent, Chief Administrative Officer, Nottawasaga Valley Conservation Authority
“As someone who helps bring live music, culture, and community together for the annual Wasaga Beach Blues Festival, I couldn’t be more excited about Destination Wasaga. Our annual live-music festival, along with other Town-organized concerts and live-music events throughout the year, draws tens of thousands of visitors to Wasaga Beach from across Ontario, Canada, and beyond. These visitors spend money at local businesses and fuel our local economy. This investment gives us the tools to elevate our events, create new year-round cultural experiences, strengthen our local businesses, and celebrate the unique energy of Wasaga Beach well beyond summer. The Wasaga Beach Blues Festival supports this effort to transform Wasaga Beach into a vibrant, four-season destination rooted in a love of outdoor recreation and live music.”
– Kathy Mulgrew, Wasaga Beach Blues Festival
“As a longtime business owner and active community member in Wasaga Beach, I’m proud to support Destination Wasaga. Over the years, our Canadian Tire team has been honored to sponsor local events, support community groups, and help make Wasaga Beach a place where families and neighbors can come together. This initiative will build on that spirit — revitalizing our downtown, preserving our heritage, and creating a four-season destination that benefits both residents and local businesses. I’m excited to see our community grow in a way that celebrates what makes Wasaga Beach truly special.”
– Ken Voss, Dealer Principal, Canadian Tire (Wasaga Beach)
"As a longtime developer who is passionate about the Wasaga Beach community, I’m thrilled to see our town step into this new chapter with Destination Wasaga. This isn’t just any revitalization—it’s a once-in-a-generation opportunity to transform our waterfront and our community into a vibrant, year-round destination. By combining big ideas, thoughtful infrastructure, environmental leadership, and heritage preservation, we can make Wasaga Beach one of the most vibrant and iconic places in the world to visit or call home."
– Mark Crowe, Stonebridge Building Group
“As the new partners at Skull Island Mini Golf, we are excited to support Destination Wasaga—a visionary project that aligns perfectly with our commitment to providing unique and memorable experiences for our guests. By enhancing public spaces and introducing innovative attractions, this initiative will not only elevate the visitor experience but also create a vibrant, year-round destination that benefits local businesses like ours. We look forward to being a part of this transformative journey and contributing to the continued growth and success of Wasaga Beach.”
– Garry Hewines, Partner, Skull Island Mini Golf
"As the owner of Catch 22 Fresh Market Grill, I’m excited to support Destination Wasaga because it’s about more than revitalization—it’s about imagining new, exceptional experiences for our community and visitors. Enhancing public spaces, attractions, and the downtown waterfront will draw more people to our town, which directly supports local businesses like ours. Destination Wasaga gives us the chance to create a vibrant, year-round destination where residents and visitors can dine, shop, and enjoy memorable moments—making Wasaga Beach a place people want to return to again and again."
— Bob Bickmore, Owner, Catch 22 Fresh Market Grill
Town to explore aerial transportation opportunities with Doppelmayr Canada Ltd. and Gondola Ventures, while advancing discussions with Ecotrek on new nature-based attractions
The Town of Wasaga Beach has signed a Letter of Intent with Doppelmayr Canada to explore new aerial attractions and ropeway solutions as part of the emerging Destination Wasaga vision.
Young Voices Help Shape the Future of Destination Wasaga
More than 200 local students have helped turn their ideas for the future of Wasaga Beach into a permanent 40-foot mural unveiled today at Wasaga Stars Arena. Local students joined members of Council to unveil the Destination Wasaga Imagine Mural, a permanent piece of public art inspired by ideas they shared during the Town’s extensive Destination Wasaga Master Plan public engagement process.
More Than 1,500 Voices Help Move Destination Wasaga Toward Final Master Plan
More than 1,500 residents, visitors, students, businesses, community organizations, and stakeholders from across the province have helped shape Destination Wasaga, as the Town wraps up the second phase of public engagement and moves closer to completing its Master Plan.
The Birds are Back in Town: Two Piping Plovers Return to Wasaga Beach
The Town of Wasaga Beach is pleased to share that two Piping Plovers have returned to the beachfront for the 2026 nesting season.
Statement by Mayor Brian Smith on Council’s Priorities: Building the Future We Always Knew Was Possible
"Destination Wasaga is our opportunity to become known not only for the world’s longest freshwater beach, but for how proudly we steward it — and how wisely we use it to build a better life for residents. Finally, we are moving Wasaga Beach forward."
Could a Gondola, Zipline or Sky-High Lookout Be Coming to Wasaga Beach?
One of the GTA’s favourite summer road-trip destinations is exploring new attractions that could give visitors a whole new way to experience Wasaga Beach — from above.
Wasaga Beach Sets New Standard for Beachfront Protection Through Destination Wasaga
The Town of Wasaga Beach has approved a new Beach By-law as part of its broader Destination Wasaga master planning process, advancing a planned approach to protecting the beachfront while supporting responsible tourism, recreation, and public access.
Piping Plovers Get Added Protection at Wasaga Beach
As Wasaga Beach prepares for another busy summer season, the Town is expanding on-the-ground protection for the endangered piping plover with the addition of two Destination Wasaga Piping Plover Technicians.
Destination Canada highlights Destination Wasaga as a model for investment readiness, partnership and year-round destination development
The Town of Wasaga Beach is welcoming national attention following the publication of a new Destination Canada case study examining the Town’s work to reimagine its iconic waterfront through Destination Wasaga.
The Town of Wasaga Beach and this Council are committed to transparency and responsible stewardship
The Town is aware that a small area near Spruce Street at Beach Area 1 was mechanically groomed in error on April 13. This was a mistake, and almost immediately, the activity was flagged and stopped. Careful steps have been taken to ensure that this does not happen again.
Wasaga Beach Advances Piping Plover Protection Through Collaboration with Birds Canada
The Town of Wasaga Beach is collaborating with Birds Canada to support the protection and monitoring of Piping Plovers through targeted training and coordinated stewardship along the beachfront.
A Once-in-a-Generation Vision Takes Shape: Destination Wasaga Reveals Draft Plans for One of Canada’s Most Iconic Beach Destinations
As the Destination Wasaga project enters its next phase, Wasaga Beach is inviting Canadians to get a first look at the Town’s plans for its globally significant waterfront
Wasaga Beach to Unveil First Concept Designs for Destination Wasaga
The future of Wasaga Beach’s waterfront and downtown will come into focus April 7-9 as the Town unveils the first concept designs for the Destination Wasaga Master Plan — an ambitious vision to transform the world’s longest freshwater beach into a vibrant, year-round destination.
Wasaga Beach Wraps Up First Phase of Community Engagement for Destination Wasaga
In November, more than 500 residents—and stakeholders from across the province—participated in Visioning Week to help shape the future of Wasaga Beach. 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.
Mayor's Statement on Province's Proposal
Mayor Brian Smith issued the following statement about the town's vision for Wasaga Beach to become an iconic, four-season recreation and nature-based destination, and the Province's proposal to return 3% of parkland to the Town.
Ontario Building Destination Wasaga
Ontario is investing $38 million to increase tourism in Wasaga Beach, including by revitalizing Nancy Island Historic Site.
Destination Wasaga Community Planning Begins
On November 17, the Town of Wasaga Beach will launch the community engagement phase of the Destination Wasaga master plan — a once‑in‑a‑lifetime opportunity to reimagine our waterfront, downtown and year‑round visitor experience.
Urban Strategies Selected to Help Design and Build Destination Wasaga
The Town of Wasaga Beach has selected Ontario-based firm, Urban Strategies, to lead the design and deliver Destination Wasaga—a bold, once-in-a-generation planning effort that will re-imagine the community’s iconic waterfront, downtown, and tourism economy.
Sunray Group to Build Premium Marriott Hotel
The award-winning hotelier will invest over $45 million to build a Marriott hotel and other amenities near the Town’s iconic Beach Area 1 and main tourism area; construction is expected to begin in early 2026.
Wasaga Beach Awards RFP to Rebuild Iconic Beach Drive
As demolition along Beach Drive nears completion, the redesign and reconstruction phase of this iconic road has been awarded to locally owned and operated Arnott Construction
Urban Strategies is now tasked with engaging local residents, business leaders and relevant stakeholders to develop the Destination Wasaga Master Plan. The award-winning firm has assembled a multi-disciplinary team of experts to guide the development of the master plan, including architects, engineers, Indigenous design advisors, economists, tourism advisors, as well as environmental and cost consultants.
RFP Awarded
September 2025
Community Consultation
Fall 2025/Winter 2026
Plan Development
Spring/Summer 2026
Plan Approval
Fall 2026
As planning and public meetings for Destination Wasaga get underway, here are the most frequently asked questions circulating online and in the community.
Our Vision is (and has always been) to become a year-round destination that celebrates the longest freshwater beach in the world, but also the entire unique ecosystem here in Wasaga Beach.
We're focused on eco-tourism and sustainable tourism. Wasaga Beach is the longest freshwater beach in the world, and if we plan this right, we can become a sustainable, iconic, four-season recreation and nature-based destination.
Are there plans to build on the beach?
No, not at all. The beach is public today, and it will be public forever.
What’s happening and why should I care?
Council has secured $2 million in funding from the Province to help build Destination Wasaga — this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to reimagine our beachfront, downtown, and visitor experience. This is a plan for our community, by our community, fully funded by the Ontario Government.
By growing recreation and nature-based tourism and strengthening our local economy, the Town can generate more year-round revenue to support essential services and make life better and more affordable for our full-time residents and ratepayers. This will also help the Town attract even more investment, to create more good-paying local jobs.
Big ideas cost big money – we can’t afford to do this.
We can't afford not to. Destination Wasaga is part of Council’s plan to build a more economically resilient Wasaga Beach, and make life better and more affordable for our full-time residents.
Consider this: Wasaga Beach is a tourism town. Tourism is our only industry, and the Province has provided $2 million for the Town to develop a community-led plan.
If we don't seize this moment, dream big, imagine what's possible, and present our provincial and federal partners with a plan—for our community, by our community—to grow tourism in a way that also makes life better for our full-time residents:
How can we make anything better?
How can we ask for more funding?
How can we attract more investment and more visitors?
How will we support and grow local businesses?
How will we ever grow our commercial tax base – to take the burden of the increasing costs of infrastructure and public services off the backs of our full-time residents and homeowners?
Won’t this planning cause our taxes to go up?
Destination Wasaga is about strengthening our tourism economy and our community, to take the burden of paying for the town’s growth and infrastructure off the backs of homeowners. This is part of Council’s plan to make life better and more affordable for our community’s full-time residents.
Rather than relying on short-term measures like staff and program cuts, which can weaken the Town’s ability to fund programs and serve the community, Council is focused on a sustainable path forward—leveraging funding from other levels of government to improve quality of life for our full-time residents, and building Wasaga Beach into a thriving, four-season destination.
What is the Town’s plan to protect piping plovers and critical habitat at Beach Area 1?
We’re protecting what makes Wasaga Beach extraordinary
Wasaga Beach is one of the most extraordinary natural landscapes and tourism destinations in Canada.
Destination Wasaga represents an opportunity to expand how Wasaga Beach is experienced—and understood.
We have an opportunity to make this place one of the best recreation and nature-based destinations in the world, where conservation, tourism and community thrive together. To do that, we need to protect what makes Wasaga Beach unique. This includes the extraordinary nature and ecosystems around us—and the endangered species that call it home.
Work is already underway to create:
We’ve got:
✅A close partnership, including knowledge-sharing and equipment-sharing with the Ontario Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks, and Ontario Parks
✅Training and collaboration with Birds Canada underway
✅Protective fencing / buffers and threat mitigation equipment ready
✅Monitoring protocols active
✅A call for volunteers to join our municipal stewardship team
✅An approach for the 2026 Piping Plover breeding season based on over a decade of conservation best practices by the Ontario Ministry of the Environment, Conservation, Parks—and aligned with federal guidance to ensure full habitat protection (wrack line, dunes, feeding areas).
Follow us on social for regular updates this summer.
How has the community been involved so far?
Public engagement has been at the heart of Destination Wasaga from the very beginning.
With the second phase of engagement now complete, the project team is carefully reviewing community feedback and using it to refine the concept designs.
This input will help shape a final vision and implementation strategy for Destination Wasaga—one that reflects the ideas, priorities, and values shared by the community. The final plan will be presented to the community in August 2026.
Imagine what's possible.
