The stench of social media posts on TikTok and Facebook has become too much to ignore for the mayor of a popular beach town, who has released a lengthy statement denouncing talk of people pooping in the sand “that lack evidence and promote misinformation.”
Town of Wasaga Beach Mayor Brian Smith writes that the municipality has received “no evidence – from residents, visitors or the Ontario government – to verify that any undesirable, unsanitary behaviour has occurred on the beach areas that make up Wasaga Beach Provincial Park.”
“If any evidence comes to light,” Smith stresses, “I assure you that we will be quick to act.”
In response to Global News inquiring if public defecation or urination on the sand has ever been an issue on Wasaga Beach’s beaches since 2020, a spokesperson with the town said “the answer is no.”
Smith’s statement also notes that the Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks operates, patrols and manages the beach areas within Wasaga Beach Provincial Park in conjunction with Ontario Parks.
A ministry spokesperson said staff at Wasaga Beach Provincial Park “have not observed this behaviour during their regular patrols of the beachfront or in response to any complaints.”
“We encourage park visitors to contact the park office if they observe visitors misusing the park,” they added.
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“If evidence of the activity is found, the individuals responsible may be subject to enforcement action, including a fine.”
Social media suggests Smith’s statement isn’t sitting well with everyone, as several comments on Facebook groups for Wasaga Beach continue to reiterate the rumours.
One post on Tuesday evening in the public Wasaga Beach group asking if the rumours are true had received more than 190 comments by Wednesday morning. Responses are mixed, however, with some saying it’s an ongoing problem and others claiming they frequent the beaches and have never seen anything of the sort.
One TikTok user who requested to go by her social media name, Natty Lynn, posted a video July 9 where she claimed this has been an ongoing issue for years and that people are setting up small tents and digging holes to use as washrooms. In that video, which has more than 31,000 likes, she says she doesn’t let her kids dig in the sand on Beach 1.
“The mayor can’t deny all of us having experiences,” she said in an email.
“If you go through my social media comments, you will see people speaking about this happening at almost every beach across Ontario, across Canada. This is not a new issue.”
While she did not respond to the question of whether she’s filed any formal complaints, she did say that no one from the town has contacted her about her posts.
The mayor’s statement encourages people to contact Ontario Parks, local MPPs and the Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks “with any evidence of issues, or concerns, about beach operations or maintenance.” He provided contact information at the bottom of the statement.
Smith’s statement also notes there are “11 comfort stations within Beach Areas 1-6” and four “mini comfort stations in Allenwood and New Wasaga that provide washroom facilities to visitors.” He said they are in high-use areas and are “very visible” from the beachfront.
However, the statement does stress that the town banned the use of four-sided, enclosed tents on municipal property in 2018 “to ensure as many people as possible have an unobstructed view of our famous shoreline and sunsets” but such a rule is not in place in the provincial park, which accounts for 25 per cent of the municipal land area and which “fuels local tourism – our town’s main industry.”
“We encourage the Ontario government to adopt a similar approach to tents on beach areas that are a part of Wasaga Beach Provincial Park,” Smith wrote.
“Working together, we can ensure that Wasaga Beach continues to be one of the cleanest, safest, most beautiful beaches in the world – driving tourism in south-central Ontario, creating jobs, and benefitting our full-time residents for generations to come.”