Ontario Building Destination Wasaga
May 23, 2025
Global Korean Post
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Wasaga Beach is home to the world’s longest freshwater beach and one of Ontario’s most unique coastal dune ecosystems. More than 14 kilometres of white sandy coastline welcomes millions of visitors from around the world every year.
Ontario is investing nearly $38 million to build Destination Wasaga, a premier tourist destination that includes beaches, a revitalized downtown area and important historic sites, in partnership with the Town of Wasaga Beach. These investments, including from the 2025 Ontario Budget: A Plan to Protect Ontario, will help protect and expand the number of jobs in the local tourism sector and boost economic growth across Simcoe County.
Ontario’s investments in support of Destination Wasaga, which are intended to preserve local heritage, create jobs, boost tourism and support economic growth across the region, include:
- $25 million to support the redevelopment of Nancy Island Historic Site, along with the proposed transfer of administrative responsibility for the site from the Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks to the Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Gaming (MTCG)
- Nearly $11 million through the Municipal Housing Infrastructure Program to support the reconstruction of the Wasaga Beach Area roadways project, providing critical infrastructure that will support more than 3,000 new homes and improve access to Wasaga Beach’s tourist areas
- $2 million for the Town of Wasaga Beach to support tourism planning work in the redevelopment of its downtown area.
Ontario will soon begin the process of transferring a portion of the provincially owned beachfront in Wasaga Beach Provincial Park to the town in order to support its integration into the broader development of Destination Wasaga, under the condition that the beach remains public.
