Beachfront Survey
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Brian Smith Elected Mayor
Brian Smith has been elected mayor of Wasaga Beach. Brian finished with 4,477 votes, more than 1,500 votes ahead of Nina Bifolchi. In a statement to the press he said;
“I think it’s a clear, definitive win and a clear mandate that the people want us to get back to where we left off (in 2018),” he said. “I think there’s a whole lot of issues that we’re going to have to delve into rather quickly.”
Beachfront Hotel Coming
CAO Presentation to Council Read the Simcoe.com News Article Bringing in the beds: Wasaga Beach to include hotelier Sunray Group in beachfront discussions Wasaga Beach’s plans for the beachfront has attracted the attention of a hotelier. At its Nov. 30 meeting,...
Former WBRA President Faye Ego Elected to Council
Faye Ego, formerly WBRA Director and President, has been elected to the 2022-2026 Wasaga Beach Council where she can make a difference directly. We wish her well.
What's the plan, Stan?
Councillor Stan Wells asks: "What do we want the Town in the long term to look like? ...what is our real belief in what the Town should look like because I'm not sure we have one at the moment."
Link to the whole meeting video: September 9 2021 Coordinated Committee
Beachfront Redevelopment Project
Add your own comments to the email. Let the mayor know what you think.
Here's what you can do to get involved with the Beachfront Redevelopment Project:
Be Aware
On May 20 Council's Committee of the Whole voted to go ahead with negotiations to sell the town-owned beachfront lands to Slate Asset Management. Recent changes to the Official Plan allow the developer to build six-storey condominiums in Beach Area 1. Beach Area 2 is not part of the project but remains zoned for six-storey condos. In our opinion, the mandatory meeting on the Official Plan changes did not serve as public consultation regarding the building of the condominiums shown in the concept drawings published by Slate. We believe that public meetings should be held to give taxpayers a chance to express themselves about the future of their beachfront lands.
Be Informed
Read the news articles and the plan.
Barrie News: Developer Picked
Town of Wasaga Beach: Preferred Developer
The Sun: Negotiations with Slate
Simcoe.com: Council Approves Policies
Be Vocal
Whether you are for this development or against it, speak up and demand Public Engagement. There is no going back once the taxpayer-owned beachfront lands are sold to the single developer selected by the town's evaluation team. The decisions made by this council will dictate what The Beach will be for generations to come. Not only the taxpayers that give up their ownership of these lands will live with this choice; all the visitors with years of fond memories and all those we hope to attract in the future will judge what is done here now. Use the button below to send an email to the mayor asking that the public be allowed to participate in the process and have a voice in the decisions.
Beachfront Redevelopment Project
The Great Wall of Condos
This is not the 2017 Downtown Development Master Plan
This is the sale and redevelopment of taxpayer-owned land at the main beachfront. There have been no public engagement meetings regarding this new plan and none have been promised.
Slate Asset Management Concept for Beach Area 1
Concept image for the Beachfront District
(click image to enlarge)
Slate Asset Management Concept Image
(click image to enlarge)
From the Downtown Development Plan: The Hunt for a Developer
Feedback from Electorate
A new council was sworn in on December 5, 2018 amid local concerns over the downtown development.
The majority of council heard a common theme during the election campaign.
- People were not happy with the previous council's plans to see condominiums constructed at Beach Area 2.
- People were not happy with certain aspects of the previous council's plans for developing the downtown, i.e. mandatory requirement that the new arena and library be located in the downtown, and the prescriptive language in the Official Plan.
If you weren't happy with four-storey condos on Beach Area 2, how do feel about zoning for six-storey condos on Beach Area 1 and Beach Area 2?
If you weren't happy with the "prescriptive language" of the Official Plan, the rules that developers have to follow, how do you feel about the rules being replaced with "recommendations"?
If you weren't happy about the "mandatory requirement that the new arena and library be located in the downtown", actually the Community Hub that was the anchor of the Downtown Development, how do you feel about them being located at the edge of town and built at a cost of $60,000,000 without any federal or provincial grants?
These questions and many, many more need to be asked and answered in a public forum. If you haven't already done so, use the button below to send an email to the mayor asking that the public be allowed to participate in the process and have a voice in the decisions.
Current Issues
PAUSE $60,000,000 Twin Pad Arena/Library
Sign Petition to Hit Pause Now
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WBRA Members are already Subscribers.
Library & Arena Issues
TPAL Land Appraisal Released
Twin Pad Arena/Library Site: Appraised at $3,535,000 – Purchased for $5,435,000. The Town has now released the 2019 Current Market Value Appraisal for the vacant land used for the TPAL project.
Petition Presented to Council
Petition to Pause the Arena/Library Project until grant money is available presented to council. Watch the video here.
Covid-19 Issues
Town staff member positive for COVID-19
Wasaga Beach Ratepayers Association wishes the Town of Wasaga Beach employee who tested positive for COVID-19 a speedy and full recovery.
Free Speech Issues
Taxpayers “gagged” again; How can we share our collective voice?
No participation is allowed by the public at regular council meetings until regular meetings resume. Why can’t we participate online like other municipalities?
Procurement Policy Issues
Information Meeting Speech by WBRA President
President of the Wasaga Beach Ratepayers Association, Faye Ego, addresses members at the Information Meeting held September 16, 2021. Faye discussed the accomplishments of the past year and all the effort that was put in to produce the results. She also spoke about plans for an upcoming rally.
Affordable Housing Issues
How can we move forward? WBRA asks mayor about our growing need for an affordable housing plan.
WBRA sends an open letter to the mayor of Wasaga Beach calling for a policy review on the issue of affordable housing.
May 24 Victoria Day long weekend:
Wasaga Beach Provincial Park is open. Beach is closed.
After much confusion and misinformation, the question about the beach being open for May 24 is definitively answered by Premier Ford - yes and no.
All the provincial park beach areas, parking lots, picnic areas, washrooms and the beach itself are closed. The Nordic Ski Trails are open.
Community deserves clear and consistent messaging
from provincial agencies
Premier Doug Ford has clarified the rules regarding access to Wasaga Beach
WBRA Members Comment On May 24 Concerns - Mayor Sends Thanks
Their responses were summarized and passed on to the mayor who sent back a thank you email.
Computer Virus Matters More Than Coronavirus - Town Staff Not Allowed To Work Remotely
Many of our neighbouring municipalities have made arrangements for staff to work from home during the Covid-19 pandemic. These include Collingwood, Clearview, Barrie, and Penetanguishene. The Town of Wasaga Beach has not.
On April 19, online news and information site CollingwoodToday.ca published comments from Town of Wasaga Beach communications officer Michael Gennings including a statement that "the risk of an information breach has prevented them from allowing staff to work off-site" during the Covid-19 crisis.
On April 21, Global News reported on an internal Town of Wasaga Beach memo dated March 25, where the Town CAO said the municipality won’t be allowing employees to work from home “at this time.”
On April 22, Mayor Nina Bifolchi issued a Press Release giving her "Response to one-sided Global News story."
WBRA also wrote to express concern for Town of Wasaga Beach Staff that are not allowed an option to work from home during the Covid-19 pandemic. Mayor Bifolchi's response is included with the copy of our email posted on our website.
“As an essential service, we believe it is imperative that staff report for work in order to provide public services,” Bifolchi said in the statement. “We also know that working on site is the best way to protect our corporate data and your private information.
From GlobalNews.ca
"While other municipalities have set up a system allowing many staff to work from home instead of reporting to town offices, [Communications Officer Michael] Gennings said in the case of Wasaga Beach, the risk of an information breach has prevented them from allowing staff to work off-site."
From CollingwoodToday.ca
Town of Wasaga Beach staff not allowed to work from home during pandemic
‘Morale seems quite low’: Wasaga Beach staff working on site amid pandemic
Email from the WBRA and Mayor's response.
Opinion: Taxpayer Expresses Concern
Update to the Council Indemnification Policy
No Comments. No Questions. No Discussion.
On March 26, at Special Council Meeting closed to the public due to the pandemic, Council voted to pay the legal costs for politicians and staff to sue for "...alleged defamatory statements, [which] if left unchallenged, will undermine public confidence in the Town's municipal government and government officials". "Defamation" can be " ...any written, printed, or spoken words or publication, or communication of any audible or visible matters or acts, in each case, which tends to lower a person's reputation in the eyes of a reasonable person".
From the Staff Report to Council: "...indemnification costs for individuals commencing litigation pertaining to defamation is not widely seen across the province in indemnification policies. Unfortunately, in Wasaga Beach, over the last several years, it has become all too common to read false statements in publications and on social media about individual members of Council and staff".
There is a reason this kind of litigation is not widely seen; the courts generally feel that freedom of expression is a constitutional right. In a 2018 decision, Justice Patrick Hurley said, “People would be reluctant to express their opposition if they knew that their use of social media could result in a lawsuit by a public official unhappy with the criticism.”
As the saying goes: "If you can't stand the heat, get out of the kitchen."
View the Clip
Read the Letters
Read the Article
A big chill: Would policy change stifle free speech in Wasaga Beach?
Read the article: Politicians vote to sue individuals for libel.
Mar 17, 2020 by Ian Adams, Wasaga Sun
After-Hours Clinic Closed
From April 1, 2020
At the Feb 25, 2020 meeting, Council voted 4 to 2 (plus one abstaining) to close our walk-in clinic effective April 1, 2020. The recommendation was not presented at Committee of the Whole, nor was it presented at the Coordinated Committee, as is standard and accepted practice.
Council Meeting 7:00 PM
February 25, 2020
After Hours Clinic Vote
We had our say.. Thanks to all who turned out to make their views known.
We look forward to seeing you there again!
Main Street Reconstruction
Environmental Assessment
The Environmental Assessment examines the entire downtown road network, from Main Street and River Road West, and Mosley Street to 6th Street.
One proposal is to restrict Beach Drive to just pedestrians and cyclists.
(See Wasaga Sun: Beach Drive to be closed?)
Public Information Centre
Held February 6, 2020
If you missed the public meeting, you can still have your say. View the presentation and the slideshow then print and submit the Comment Sheet by mail/email/fax by February 29, 2020.
Comments received will be used in the analysis of the recommended options to establish the best solution.
Survey Says:
WBRA Survey February 2020
Have your say. Let us know how well you think your town council is doing their job.
Take the survey and leave your comments. We will post results as they become available.
From The News:
Will Wasaga’s Beach Drive be closed to cars?
Read the article: Recommended solution for beachfront road? Open it only to pedestrians and cyclists
Feb 10, 2020 by Ian Adams, Wasaga Sun
Are you satisfied with Wasaga Beach council so far? Vote in the Online Poll
Survey says: Has Wasaga Beach council responded to the concerns of voters?
Read the article: Is Wasaga Beach council following through on what the voters were asking for?
Dec 11, 2019 by Ian Adams, Wasaga Sun
Are you satisfied with Wasaga Beach council so far? Vote in the Online Poll
Town seeks options on future of clinic.
Read the article: Future of Wasaga after-hours clinic up in air
Oct 31, 2019 by Ian Adams, Wasaga Sun
Read the latest WBRA update: Walk in Clinic Update
WBRA comments on potential candidates.
Read the post: Clearing the air on Political Candidates
Read beach BOOSTER Online
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Coverage by Rogers TV of Municipal Council meetings from the council chambers in Wasaga Beach.
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Get Involved!
The Wasaga Beach Ratepayers Association, Inc. (WBRA) is an association of passionate volunteers with a collective interest in the future of the Town of Wasaga Beach.
We invite and encourage interested residents and taxpayers to join our membership.
A WBRA Member can look forward to receiving additional information on how to stay engaged, keep informed on WBRA initiatives, council watch and our progress, and volunteer to help on the many committees required to ensure the success of WBRA.
WBRA is a non-profit organization run by volunteers. Your membership fees and donations will help to cover out-of-pocket costs and professional services as required. Membership Fee is $20 annually per household. Visit our Member Registration page for details.
Our Mission
To protect and promote the interests of all Taxpayers of the Town of Wasaga Beach.
Our Vision
A community engaged and informed is a community empowered.
Our Values
- We will strive to bring awareness to key council objectives.
- We will strive to ensure interested Taxpayers have an informed and collective voice.
- We will strive to engage council and Taxpayers in all matters of importance for a more sustainable and prosperous future.