Hit the  PAUSE  button now to sign the petition.

WBRA has launched an online petition for residents, non-resident property owners and business owners that want the Town of Wasaga Beach to put a hold on building the $60,000,000 Twin-Pad Arena/Library Project until 2022. WBRA Members and non-members alike have copied us on emails sent to the mayor and council members expressing their opinions on the timing of this project. None support the decision to go ahead with construction now. There are many unanswered questions about the funding of other projects, such as the beachfront development, that may well have a higher priority.  Why is this project number one?

COVID-19 restrictions have limited access to council meetings and disrupted public engagement so there has been little opportunity to hear what the community really wants.  WBRA has created this petition as a way for the public to communicate to the mayor and council that there is widespread concern over their decision to build now. Hit PAUSE to sign the petition and add your comments to get the message across. The only personal information disclosed to WBRA from the petition is your name, town and province. Your email and street address are not given to us. For more detail on the issues, watch this video from the Oct 1 Council Meeting.

The Petition

The Wasaga Beach Ratepayers Association believes that the Town of Wasaga Beach should "Hold off starting construction until 2022, leaving the opportunity to assess the impact of COVID19 until the end of 2021." This is Option 3 recommended to council by the town treasurer. If you support pausing the Twin-Pad Arena and Library project, sign this petition. If you want to add your voice where it will matter, join this association. Please use your Wasaga Beach address if you are a non-resident property owner.

Wasaga Beach Town Council has voted to move ahead with the construction of a $60,000,000 ice rink and library facility despite being denied government funding of $39 million for the project. All of the money will come from Wasaga Beach taxpayers and residential development charges. The Town will take money from current and future reserves and borrow over $31 million to be repaid over 30 years. The reserves will be rebuilt by taxing property owners. The new facilities will operate at a substantial annual loss which will be covered by taxes.

It is a time of great uncertainty for the people of Wasaga Beach who have to pay for this project. There are seniors on fixed incomes, businesses closed or operating with reduced revenues, people living on emergency response benefits and many on unemployment insurance. Those who are financially secure now can't be certain they won't be affected in the next wave of the pandemic. The timing of this project has been questioned by them in letters to the mayor and on social media. Even enthusiastic supporters of the the new facilities have questioned the timing.

The Town has made the case that it is in sound financial shape and can afford to build now. The question is how can we be sure we won't need that financial strength to see us through the pandemic and an extended recovery? How can the residents of Wasaga Beach be sure they will be able to afford the basic necessities let alone a massive new hockey rink and library? Sign this petition to let Town Council know you want them to hit pause now.