Wasaga Beach Through the Years
A brief history of Wasaga Beach
The Tionontati & Wyandotte Nation
1580
The Tionontati, which translates to “People of the Hills”, were a Wyandot community who occupied the lands around Wasaga Beach from approx. 1580-1650 AD. Early French settlers referred to the Tionontati as Le Nation du Petun, meaning “Tobacco Nation,” even though they most likely never grew tobacco. The Tionontati shared very similar cultural, linguistic and social traits to the Wendat, but were politically independent from the Wendat Confederacy. When they were almost completely annihilated during their war with the Haudenosaunee, the survivors assimilated into other Wendat tribes.
The Symbol Of The Wyandotte Nation
The turtle signifies the belief that the world was created on the back of a snapping turtle, also known as the “moss-back turtle”. The willow branches symbolize the perpetual renewal of life and the Tribe’s resilience in the face of war and famine. The war club and peace pipe represents the Tribe’s readiness for war or peace at any given moment. The Council Fire below it is an homage to the Wyandotte’s status as “Keepers of the Council Fire,” a position of leadership and respect. The points of the shield represent the twelve clans – Big Turtle, Little Turtle, Mud Turtle, Wolf, Bear, Beaver, Deer, Porcupine, Striped Turtle, Highland Turtle, Snake and Hawk.
The War of 1812
1800s
The War of 1812 was a military conflict between the United States and Great Britain, primarily over issues of maritime rights, territorial disputes and westward expansion. The United States aimed to expand westward into First Nations territory and disrupt British trade, and some historians believe they also sought to annex Canada. The war lasted from June 18, 1812, to February 16, 1815, and was fought in various locations, including the Great Lakes, the Atlantic and Canada. During this conflict, Canadians endured repeated American invasions, each ultimately ending with an American withdrawal. The War of 1812 had significant implications for Canada and defined its current borders. The war reinforced a sense of Canadian identity and national pride, contributing to Canada's eventual emergence as an independent nation.
The HMS Nancy
The HMS Nancy was a small commercial schooner built in Detroit in 1789 to serve on Lake Erie and the upper Great Lakes. At the outbreak of the War of 1812, it was mobilized by the British. The Nancy, by sheer luck, was away when the Royal Navy lost its squadron in the battle of Lake Erie in September 1813, and as a result it survived as Britain's largest vessel west of Niagara. The HMS Nancy helped maintain supply lines to the upper lakes.
SINKING OF THE NANCY
During the War of 1812, a pivotal battle took place in Wasaga Beach. In an attempt to cut off the British supply line, the United States targeted the HMS Nancy. On August 14, 1814, 75 crewmen lead by Captain Miller Worsley, with support from Anishinaabe-Ojibwe and French-Canadian voyageurs, fought 380 Americans in a battle which lasted seven hours. When he realized that the battle was lost, Captain Worsley set fire to the Nancy and ordered a tactical retreat. A few weeks later, in early September, under cover of night, Worsley and his followers captured two American schooners on Lake Huron, thereby reasserting British control in the north. This battle helped end the war, and is the reason Canada is a British colony today, not an American one.
Nancy Island Historic Site
The wreck of the HMS Nancy disappeared under the silt of the Nottawasaga River until she was found in the early twentieth century by marine enthusiast Charles H. J. Snider. The physical remains of the shipwreck were moved to the Nancy Island Historic Site in Wasaga Beach, where they are still on display. A large model of the schooner built with wood and metal from the original Nancy (commissioned by Snider) can be found at Toronto's Fort York.
Frontier Logging Outpost
In the 1800s, when European colonization was well underway, the lands that would become Wasaga Beach were perceived to have limited potential. In terms of mineral wealth, there was little gold in those hills, and the sandy soils made cultivation difficult, even during the warmer months. Logging was one of the few early industrial activities that could take place all year round. With an abundance of trees, a river to transport logs to mills upriver, and a massive beachfront that made it easy to ferry logs to Collingwood, the area was well-suited for the establishment of a logging outpost.
Commercial Fishing Industry
1830s
The first reports of fishing activity in Georgian Bay came in 1615, when Samuel de Champlain observed Indigenous people fishing with gill nets through the ice on Georgian Bay. From then on, settlers began journeying to Georgian Bay to set up small scale fishing operations. In 1834, a small commercial fishery was set up in southern Georgian Bay, growing to consist of 150 boats, 15 tugs, 1.5 million yards of gill nets, and over 400 commercial fishermen in 1894. By the turn of the century, yields had become so productive, the Province gave the Department of Fisheries the right to purchase 20% of the commercial catch from designated waters in Georgian Bay, to provide an affordable food source for local residents. Well into the 1950s, the area’s fishing industry remained highly profitable with immense quantities of whitefish, trout and pickerel being shipped by rail. However, the introduction of Lamprey in the 1960s devastated these populations, resulting in the ruin of the Georgian Bay fishing industry.
Railroads
1850s
The fledgling logging industry in Georgian Bay greatly expanded in the 1850s when a railway was established between York (modern day Toronto) and Collingwood. In 1855, once the final section of rail was built and trains were running, logging activities intensified dramatically and large camps began popping up. Unfortunately, by the end of the 1870s, unfettered and frenzied logging activity had resulted in significant deforestation. By then, however, a modest village was already emerging where the river meets the bay.
John Van Vlack: Founder
1890s
In 1869, John Van Vlack traveled to Georgian Bay in search of a place to call home for his family. Van Vlack purchased 69 acres of land near the mouth of the Nottawasaga River beside a nearby logging camp. Little by little, other settlers bought up the plots around Van Vlack’s. By 1896, a small village of 70 inhabitants had been established, known simply as Van Vlack. An entrepreneur at heart, John Van Vlack was the owner of the local general store. He also built the local sawmill and became the village’s first postmaster. Eventually, small family farms emerged in the surrounding area, and agriculture joined logging and fishing as Van Vlack’s primary economic sectors. By the end of the 19th century, after being absorbed into Sunnidale Township, Van Vlack was subdivided into an independent municipality under a new name – Wasaga Beach.
The Mclean Family & The Capstan Inn
1910s
Wasaga Beach’s transition into a resort town started with the McLean family. In 1911, John and Sarah McLean built the Capstan Inn on the southwest corner of Beach Drive and 1st Street. This was a risky move, as Wasaga Beach hadn’t yet coalesced into the lively resort town it would soon become. Just as patronage began to steadily rise and it looked like John and Sarah’s venture would pay off, tragedy struck. In 1915, a fire destroyed the original Capstan Inn. One can imagine an alternate history where this disaster arrested the development of Wasaga’s budding tourist industry, and this very well may have been the case had it not been for the tenacity of the McLeans. John and Sarah rebuilt the Capstan. Before long, not only had they financially recovered, but the roaring success of their hotel made them one of the wealthiest families in Wasaga Beach.
The Dardanella
In 1918, John and Sarah’s two eldest sons, Sandy and Hugh McLean, motivated by the Capstan’s success, decided they would build a dance hall across the street. They envisioned a place where tourists staying at the Capstan could sip cocktails and dance to a live band. As the popularity of their new establishment grew, the Dardanella (or “Dard” as it came to be affectionately referred to by locals) expanded to include a bowling alley, soda bar, lunch counter, tea room, and beauty parlor to cater to all the needs of summer visitors. The Dard would go on to become one of the most famous landmarks in Wasaga Beach for over 100 years.
Times A-changin'
1920s
At the turn of the 20th century, major expansions of the railway and road system made small towns like Wasaga Beach more accessible to the rest of the province. The Town’s major economic centre shifted away from the river and coalesced in the beachfront. Southern Ontario city-dwellers looking to escape the hustle and bustle of urban life, and rural youth desperate for a break from the monotony of life in the countryside, began flocking to the beach each summer.
Party Town, Ontario
By the 1920’s, Wasaga Beach had emerged as a major tourist destination. Suddenly, grand hotels, bustling dance halls and lavish restaurants – establishments like the Capstan Inn, Dardanella Dance Hall, Nancy Villa, Dyconia, Allistonia, the Hiawatha and Breakers Hotels – popped up all along the beach to cater to the vacationing public’s appetite for wining, dining and fun in the sun.
The Trail of The Caribou
1930s
On August 8, 1934, J.R. Ayling and L.G. Reid took off from Wasaga Beach in a twin-engine biplane, a De Haviland “Dragon”, and headed for Baghdad. The name of the plane was “Trail of the Caribou”. An icing problem led to a bent control rod and a stuck throttle, which increased fuel consumption by 70% above their original estimate. The flight was terminated at Heston Airfield in London instead, after 3,700 miles and 31 hours. Despite its shortened flight path, this would go down in history as the first non-stop flight from mainland Canada to England.
The Big Day
Despite the presence of strong crosswinds, which would make taking off from the beach incredibly risky, Ayling and Reid departed for Baghdad on the morning of August 8, 1934, to great fanfare. Practically the whole town was in attendance. People watched breathlessly as the Caribou took flight off the sandy, flat surface of Wasaga Beach that made it such an ideal natural runway for small planes. The Town of Wasaga Beach continues to host annual events to celebrate this historic, ground-breaking flight.
Motorcycle Racing on the Beach
Wasaga’s long, flat, hard-packed sandy shoreline offered more than just a place to relax. It was perfect for sunbathers spreading out towels, small planes taking off—and, before long, thrill-seekers looking for speed. By the mid-1930s, young riders had discovered the beach made an ideal track for motorcycles, and racing quickly became a summer tradition. Between 1935 and 1950, Wasaga Beach grew into a hub for motorcycle racing, attracting riders and spectators from far and wide. The highlight came on August 12, 1948, when the American Motorcycle Association sanctioned the 100 Mile Maple Leaf Championship Beach Race. The event stretched 2½ miles along the shore, with riders battling through 40 grueling laps in front of a crowd of 12,000. For many, this race marked the height of Wasaga Beach’s Golden Age.
The Creation of Wasaga Beach Provincial Park
1950s
Wasaga Beach Provincial Park—the province’s first “recreation class” park located entirely within the boundaries and downtown of an Ontario municipality—was established in 1959 through the expropriation of beachfront properties. This controversial event led to the loss of homes, small businesses, and family-run hotels and cottage courts, forever altering the local economy. While the province initially intended to acquire a continuous strip of land, the plan was scaled back due to local resistance, resulting in today’s separate park areas. Still, almost 25% of the town’s municipal land—1,844 hectares—was expropriated: “To maintain and further develop the beach for recreational opportunities, and support year-round tourism and economic development.” Touting the benefits of this transaction for the local community, the Province’s 1978 Park Management Plan committed to expanding Wasaga Beach from a summer hotspot into a year-round recreation community, and promised five-year reviews to align provincial park operations with municipal goals. This never occurred. Today, the Town continues to call for renewed intergovernmental collaboration, an updated Park Management Plan, and greater investment in year-round infrastructure, programming, and amenities.
Playland Park
1960s
In 1932, it was at this location that William Fielding decided to build Playland Park. Playland Park was a whimsical amusement park where locals and tourists could enjoy endless summer fun on rides such as the tilt-a-whirl, merry-go-round, twister, scrambler, bumper cars, and the infamous wild mouse roller coaster. There was also a bowling alley.
The Great Fire
2000s
On November 30, 2007, a massive fire—fueled by high winds—tore through the heart of Wasaga Beach’s iconic waterfront. More than one hundred firefighters from surrounding municipalities battled the blaze through the night. By the time the flames were finally extinguished in the early hours of December 1, 21 buildings were gone—wiping out 90% of the historic beachfront. Fortunately, no lives were lost. However, dozens of tourism businesses—shops, ice cream parlors, restaurants, motels, and arcades—were reduced to ash. At the time, Wasaga Beach welcomed roughly two million visitors every summer. The fire left many fearing for the town’s future if it could not recover quickly.
Good Days Gone By
In an area that was once a vibrant beachfront neighbourhood, full of arcades, roller skating rinks, bingo halls, bowling alleys and amusement parks, now only parking lots and closed storefronts dominate. The fire marked the end of an era, the culmination of a process that had already been ongoing for some years. Before the fire, many of the iconic establishments of the 20th century had already been demolished or fallen into a state of disrepair.
False Starts
In the years after the 2007 fire, redevelopment efforts produced modest results. Between 2002 and 2012, tourism in Wasaga Beach declined by an estimated 100,000 visitors each year—a devastating blow for a town whose economy depended almost entirely on its summer crowd. Both private developers and local government initiatives tried to restore the beachfront to its former glory, but progress was repeatedly derailed.
New Approach
In 2014, this prompted the municipality to purchase a majority of beachfront properties near Beach Area 1, to be included in a comprehensive downtown master plan. In the words of then Mayor Brian Smith: "We cannot control what we do not own."
Wasaga's Natural Heritage
Wasaga Beach is home to Ontario’s most spectacular shoreline, stretching 14 kilometres along Georgian Bay. Its soft, sandy beach offers panoramic views of the Nottawasaga River, Georgian Bay and the Blue Mountains, creating a destination unlike any other. Beyond its beauty, Wasaga’s shoreline is part of a unique and sensitive ecosystem, home to protected plants and animals, including Hill's Thistle, gulls, falcons, and the Piping Plover. Hill’s Thistle is a perennial plant that grows 25 to 60 cm tall with soft, hairy stems, lobed leaves and large pink-purple flower heads. This stunning plant grows in open habitats like alvars, prairies and sand dunes. It is typically surrounded by forests of Jack Pine, White Spruce, and Eastern White Cedar, which are exclusive to pockets around the Great Lakes, including Wasaga Beach. The world's longest freshwater beach, and its surrounding dunes, wetlands, and forests, form an interconnected landscape that supports biodiversity while offering residents and visitors an unforgettable place to explore, experience outdoor adventure, and connect with nature.
Town Advocacy
2020s
In November 2024, while the Town of Wasaga Beach celebrated its 50th anniversary of incorporation, municipal staff and Council travelled to Queen’s Park to lobby for a new deal with the Province. This advocacy day followed a formal motion Council passed in August 2024, urging the Province to collaborate and invest more in Wasaga Beach Provincial Park—Ontario’s most visited provincial park—and the Nancy Island Historic Site. The Town and Council called on the Province to invest more in Wasaga Beach Provincial Park and move a section of the beachfront and Nancy Island Historic Site out of the Ontario Ministry of the Environment, where it has been neglected. The Town made the case that Nancy Island should be transferred out of the Ontario Ministry of the Environment and placed under the Ontario Ministry of Tourism, which oversees other significant War of 1812 cultural and historic destinations in Simcoe County, such as Discovery Harbour and Sainte-Marie among the Hurons.
Destination Wasaga
On May 16, 2025 Premier Doug Ford became the first sitting Premier to visit Wasaga Beach. During his visit, the Premier announced a historic $38 million investment to rebuild Nancy Island Historic Site and transfer Nancy Island to the Ministry of Tourism, improve infrastructure along the Town’s iconic Beach Drive, and fund the development of a community-led Waterfront Master Plan to create Destination Wasaga. On the condition that it remains public, the Ontario government also announced its intention to remove less than 50 hectares of parkland—Beach Area 1, Beach Area 2, New Wasaga Beach and Allenwood Beach—from the provincial park boundary. This parkland would be returned to the municipality and incorporated into a community-led Waterfront Master Plan.
Community-led Waterfront Master Plan
PRESENT
The Province’s Destination Wasaga announcement is focused on transforming Wasaga Beach into a year-round tourism destination. Building on the town’s iconic shoreline, Destination Wasaga will focus on revitalizing the beachfront with new public spaces, enhanced recreational opportunities, and modern amenities designed to attract more visitors and support local businesses. It emphasizes economic growth, environmental leadership, job creation, and expanded tourism beyond the summer season, positioning Wasaga as a premier recreation and nature-based destination. Destination Wasaga also reflects a renewed commitment to collaboration between the Province and the Town. The future looks bright!
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