As demolition along Beach Drive nears completion, the redesign and reconstruction phase of this iconic road has been awarded to locally owned and operated Arnott Construction

“Today we’re taking the next step to reinvent our town’s main commercial area along Beach Drive at Beach Area 1. For year-round hotels, shops, restaurants, cafes, and attractions to succeed near the beachfront, we need to rebuild Beach Drive and make it climate resilient. This is vitally important to ensure Wasaga Beach thrives as Ontario’s summer playground – and that we evolve into a year-round destination that will grow Ontario’s tourism sector, increase our municipal tax base, support local businesses, and better support the high levels of growth that our community has been experiencing.” — Mayor Brian Smith

WASAGA BEACH – Wasaga Beach is taking the next step to reinvent the town’s famous commercial area along Beach Drive at Beach Area 1. Today the Town awarded an RFP to redesign and rebuild Beach Drive to locally owned and operated Arnott Construction.

Improving roads and infrastructure along Beach Drive and at the Town’s main commercial area at Beach Area 1 will resolve flooding issues that have continued to negatively impact tourism and businesses along this important economic corridor. It will also unlock millions of dollars of investment, including a mixed-use, residential and commercial development at Beach Area 1 inspired by the Village at Blue Mountain, and a premium hotel that is set to be built in 2026 by the award-winning Sunray Group.

Mayor Smith and members of council approved awarding the RFP today during a regularly scheduled meeting of council.

Redesigning and rebuilding Beach Drive is the next step in the Town’s transformational beachfront redevelopment project, which began with the demolition of municipally-owned properties along Beach Drive in March 2025.

In January 2025, Council welcomed the largest infrastructure investment in the history of Wasaga Beach when the Ontario government announced that it would invest over $10.9 million to help fund half of the costs of the redevelopment of Beach Drive. Sunray Group and Stonebridge Building Group will fund the remaining costs.

To ignite tourism in Ontario and create year-round economic opportunities for the Town of Wasaga Beach, Council continues to call on the province to partner with the Town to re-imagine “Ontario’s summer playground” and Wasaga Beach Provincial Park. This includes asking the province to invest more in maintenance, amenities and recreation at Wasaga Beach Provincial Park, and to return Nancy Island Historic Site to the Ontario Ministry of Tourism.

Additional quotes

MPP Brian Saunderson

“I’m pleased to see the Town of Wasaga Beach moving this project forward quickly. Our government understands how important this project is to resolve flooding and other issues along Beach Drive. This will unlock investment, housing, jobs, tourism and economic growth throughout the community and region.”

Quick Facts

• Each year the Town of Wasaga Beach welcomes over 2 million visitors who come to enjoy local businesses, outdoor recreation, live music festivals, beachfront food trucks, a classic Midway and the longest freshwater beach in the world.
• Plan your summer in Wasaga Beach now — we're open for business while we rebuild Beach Drive and get shovels in the ground on a new beachfront hotel, shops, restaurants and other amenities: wasagabeach.com/summer2025
• Over the past 24 months, the Town and Council of Wasaga Beach have successfully advocated for and welcomed over $129 million in new provincial investments to build new housing-enabling infrastructure including roads, two high schools, a community theatre, and more.

Related news

Council Welcomes $10.9 Million in Provincial Support for Redevelopment of Town’s Iconic Beach Drive

Vision Unveiled for New Mixed-Use Development on Wasaga Beach's Iconic Beachfront

Town Calls On Province to Place Wasaga Beach and Nancy Island Under the Ontario Ministry of Tourism

About Wasaga Beach

For over fifty years, the Town of Wasaga Beach has been Ontario’s iconic summer playground — a place people come to have fun and create memories that will last a lifetime. Today, we’re on a mission to become a four-season recreation and live-music destination. Rebuilding Beach Drive and re-imagining our main commercial area at Beach Area 1 supports this vision and Council’s priorities: to create opportunities to diversify the economy, grow tourism, create jobs and build a complete community. It’s part of the Town’s plan to become a leader in sustainability, creativity, innovation and fun — a place with thriving businesses and safe, inclusive, complete neighbourhoods, where we celebrate our rich history, diversity of cultures and natural beauty, including the Nottawasaga River, Georgian Bay and the longest freshwater beach in the world.

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Media contact:

Sandra Watts, Director of Communications and Intergovernmental Affairs: sandra.watts@wasagabeach.com

Follow the Town of Wasaga Beach on X: @WB_media, Hashtags: #WasagaBeach #CouncilAdvocacy

Follow the Town of Wasaga Beach on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/town-of-wasaga-beach

Follow the Town of Wasaga Beach on FaceBook: www.facebook.com/TownOfWasagaBeach

The award-winning hotelier will build a premium-brand hotel and other amenities near the Town’s iconic beachfront and main tourism area — creating over 100 local jobs

Mayor Brian Smith says: “The Town and Council of Wasaga Beach are thrilled to welcome this over $45 million investment in our community by the award-winning Sunray Group of Hotels. Sunray Group will build a premium-brand hotel and other amenities near our iconic beachfront. Sunray’s investment represents over 100 local jobs, higher-value tourism and multi-day visits to our community, which will support our small businesses. It also represents a growing commercial tax base, which takes pressure off of our home-owners. Wasaga Beach is excited to partner with Sunray, as we continue to redevelop our beachfront commercial area and unlock our community's potential to become a thriving, year-round destination. ”

WASAGA BEACH – The Town of Wasaga Beach is welcoming an over $45 million investment by the award-winning Sunray Group of Hotels to build a premium-brand hotel and other amenities next to the longest freshwater beach in the world.

Last week Council approved the purchase and sale agreement with Sunray Group for Town-owned land near Beach Area 1. Earlier today, the Town and Sunray Group signed on the dotted line.

Sunray Group will now move forward with plans to build a premium-brand hotel in phase one of what will be a four-phase project near the town’s iconic beachfront.

In phase one, Sunray Group will invest over $45 million to build a premium-brand hotel. They will pay full development charges for all four phases of the project. The company will also invest $1.5 million to design and build a “Festival Square” near the beachfront, which will be used by the municipality for outdoor entertainment and special events.

The Town and Sunray have also entered into a joint venture, profit-sharing agreement for three additional phases of development, which are expected to include additional hotel buildings, shops, restaurants and other amenities near Beach Area 1.

The hotel brand will be announced in the coming weeks. It will include the following year-round elements:

• a high-quality restaurant
• convention facilities
• fitness, spa or pool area
• commercial shops
• wedding facilities

Construction of a premium-brand hotel on Town-owned land near the beachfront will support the revitalization of the Town’s main commercial area along Beach Drive, which is the economic engine of the community. It will strengthen the town’s seasonal tourism economy by enabling high-value, multi-day visits to Wasaga Beach.

It will also help to advance other economic development goals, including:

• elevating the Wasaga Beach tourism brand;
• attracting other world-class brand partnerships and experiences; and
• developing Wasaga Beach into a year-round Ontario destination.

Sunray Group will now refine site and design plans. In the meantime, demolition work on Beach Drive is moving ahead as planned. The company is required to begin hotel construction no later than September 1, 2026.

Quotes

Ray Gupta, President and CEO, Sunray Group of Hotels

“Sunray Group of Hotels is proud to be investing in the community of Wasaga Beach – the longest freshwater beach in the world. I believe we have found a good balance between the vision of the community to become a different kind of tourism destination, and the needs and desires of the Town’s full-time residents. Sunray Group looks forward to delivering a hotel experience that will elevate the Town’s tourism brand, and delight its residents and visitors alike.”

Quick facts

• Wasaga Beach is the longest freshwater beach in the world.
• Each year the Town of Wasaga Beach welcomes over 2 million visitors who enjoy the world’s longest freshwater beach, live music festivals, events, restaurants, food trucks and shops along the town’s iconic Beach Drive.
• The Town of Wasaga Beach has been working to attract a premium-brand hotel to Beach One and Beach Two for decades.
• This $45 million investment by Sunray Group is expected to create over 100 well-paying, local jobs.

Additional resources

Learn more about the award-winning Sunray Group.

Related news

Statement by Mayor Smith on the Town's Confirmed Ownership of Allenwood Beach

Council Welcomes $10.9 Million in Provincial Support for Redevelopment of Town’s Iconic Beach Drive

Vision Unveiled for New Mixed-Use Development on Wasaga Beach's Iconic Beachfront

Town Calls On Province to Place Wasaga Beach and Nancy Island Under the Ontario Ministry of Tourism

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Town of Wasaga Beach Calls For Provincial Task Force to Place the Longest Freshwater Beach in the World and Nancy Island Historic Site Under the Care and Oversight of the Ontario Ministry of Tourism

As it celebrates turning 50, Wasaga Beach is proposing a re-set and re-alignment with the Province for the next 50 years that will help the Town develop into a complete community and year-round tourism destination

“The Town of Wasaga Beach believes there is a better way to manage the unique aspects of the world’s longest freshwater beach and Nancy Island historic site – to protect and promote these assets and unlock greater value for the Town, our full-time residents, and the Province. Wasaga Beach and Nancy Island are unique in the world – they do not belong under the Provincial Parks Act, which is one size fits all – they belong under a ministry with the expertise and funding envelope to collaboratively oversee and inspire the development of world-class attractions and destinations. This will help the Town of Wasaga Beach deliver on Provincial priorities and achieve our goals of becoming a complete community, and a world-class, year-round Ontario destination.” – Mayor Brian Smith

WASAGA BEACH – As it prepares to welcome Canadian rock legend Tom Cochrane and over 15,000 residents and visitors to its annual, beachfront Memories of Summer concert on September 1, the Town of Wasaga Beach is calling on the Province to take action to move the World’s Longest Freshwater Beach and Nancy Island historic site out of the Ontario Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks (MECP) and into the portfolio of the Ontario Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Gaming (MTCG).

Last week, Mayor Brian Smith introduced the motion, which outlines the opportunity for the Province and Town to come together to review two of the three pillars and guiding principles under which the world’s longest freshwater beach was originally expropriated and turned into a Provincial Park: To provide outdoor recreation opportunities for the people of Ontario, together with year-round tourism and economic opportunities for the Town of Wasaga Beach.

Highlights from the Town’s motion include a reference to the original Park Management Plan for Wasaga Beach Provincial Park that was established on June, 1978, which states the Province’s focus is to maintain and further develop the beach for recreational opportunities, and support year-round tourism and economic development within the Town of Wasaga Beach:

• “To expand the seasons of use of the Wasaga Beach community changing the “peak weekends in summer” to a year-round recreation community.”

The original Plan also commits the Province to revisit the Park Management Plan every five years to ensure that the vision of the municipality and the operating practices of the province remain in sync.

Now, as the Town celebrates its 50^th anniversary and prepares to get shovels in the ground on its Downtown Redevelopment Master Plan, which will transform the Town’s commercial beachfront area, it is proposing a re-set and re-alignment with the Province for the next 50 years that will help the Town develop into a complete community and world-class, year-round tourism destination.

The Town also estimates that millions of dollars of fully-serviced, provincially-owned parcels of land have been sitting vacant and underutilized, not contributing anything to the provincial or municipal tax base for over fifty years.

Provincial Task Force

The motion calls for a provincial task force to be immediately struck with representatives from the Town of Wasaga Beach, The Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks, The Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Gaming and the Ministry of Infrastructure (Infrastructure Ontario) to review all provincial landholdings within Wasaga Beach and determine which lands should be transferred out of the Ministry of the Environment portfolio and put into either the Ministry of Tourism, Infrastructure Ontario, or the Town’s portfolios before the end of March, 2025.

In or before the next Provincial Budget, the Town is requesting at a minimum, that Nancy Island, Beach Areas 1 and 2, a portion of Beach Area 4, and all of the remaining non-Beach Area and non-environmentally sensitive parcels of land be transferred out of the MECP portfolio.

Council approved the motion unanimously.

This comes on the heels of Mayor Brian Smith meeting with Premier Doug Ford at the 2024 Association of Ontario Municipalities (AMO) Conference last week, where he spoke about the challenges facing the Town and the opportunity for the Town and Province to work together to unlock greater value from the longest freshwater beach in the world and Nancy Island historic site, including year-round jobs, recreational opportunities and regenerative tourism.

Council and senior staff joined more than 2,500 participants from across the province at the AMO conference, which was held in Ottawa, from August 19-21. The Mayor, members of Council and senior staff attended seven meetings over two days. Meetings included:

• Doug Ford, Premier of Ontario
• Kinga Surma, Ontario Minister of Infrastructure
• Stan Cho, Ontario Minister of Tourism
• Neil Lumsden, Ontario Minister of Sport
• Paul Calandra, Ontario Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing
• Pragmeet Sarkaria, Ontario Minister of Transportation

Quick Facts

• Within a thirty minute drive of Wasaga Beach, there are two world-class historical sites with year-round appeal, overseen by the Ontario Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Gaming: Saint-Marie among the Hurons and Discovery Harbour. Like Nancy Island in Wasaga Beach, Discovery Harbour in Penetanguishene has links to the War of 1812.
• Other natural wonders of the world, like Niagara Falls, are overseen by Parks Commissions, which are overseen by the Ontario Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Gaming.
• Wasaga Beach Provincial Park is a 1844.3 hectare recreational class provincial park located fully within the Town of Wasaga Beach. It was established in 1959 through expropriation and is regulated under the Provincial Parks and Conservation Reserves Act.
• The Park Management Plan for Wasaga Beach Provincial Park acknowledges that Wasaga Beach Provincial Park is unique as a result of it being the first urban provincial park in Ontario, located entirely within the boundary of the Town of Wasaga Beach.
• $1 million: The amount the Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks has invested, since 2017, in Wasaga Beach Provincial Park, which continues to be the most highly visited provincial park in Ontario (a “recreation class” park with almost two million visitors in 2023).
• $70 million: The amount the Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks has committed to invest, in the 2024 Budget, to create a new urban provincial park in Uxbridge and turn Bigwind Lake Provincial Park into a year-round operating park (currently an “environmental class”, non-operating park with no visitation numbers).

Additional resources

Read the Town's Tourism Destination Management Plan.

Background

The Town of Wasaga Beach aims to be a place where people come to create memories that will last a lifetime. Attending the 2024 AMO Conference and engaging in advocacy with other levels of government supports Council’s priorities: to create opportunities to diversify the economy, create jobs and build a complete community. It’s part of the Town’s plan to become a leader in sustainability, creativity, innovation and fun – a place with thriving businesses and safe, inclusive and complete neighbourhoods where we celebrate our rich history, diversity of cultures and natural beauty, including the Nottawasaga River, Georgian Bay and the longest freshwater beach in the world.

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For more information about the Town of Wasaga Beach’s participation at AMO contact:

Sandra Watts, Director of Communications and Intergovernmental Affairs, sandra.watts@wasagabeach.com

Follow the Town of Wasaga Beach on X: @WB_media, Hashtags: #WasagaBeach #CouncilAdvocacy

Follow the Town of Wasaga Beach on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/town-of-wasaga-beach

Follow the Town of Wasaga Beach on FaceBook: www.facebook.com/TownOfWasagaBeach

Matching funding will help unlock over 3000 homes across the community and millions of dollars of investment, including a mixed-use residential/commercial development at Beach Area 1 inspired by the Village at Blue Mountain, to help the Town develop into a complete community and year-round tourism destination

“The Town of Wasaga Beach thanks the Province, Minister Surma and MPP Saunderson for this investment in the future of our community,” said Mayor Brian Smith. “Rebuilding Beach Drive will support the redevelopment of our iconic commercial area at Beach Area 1, which is the heart and lungs of our local economy. It will unlock a mixed-use, residential and commercial development inspired by the Village at Blue Mountain, help us build more homes and attract more investment to our growing community, and positively impact our town and region for generations to come.”

– Mayor Brian Smith

WASAGA BEACH – The Town of Wasaga Beach is welcoming an over $10.9 million investment by the Ontario government to help rebuild the Town’s iconic Beach Drive, which runs parallel along the Town’s famous sandy shoreline at Beach Area 1.

Improving roads and infrastructure along Beach Drive and at the Town’s main commercial area at Beach Area 1 will resolve flooding issues that have continued to negatively impact tourism and businesses along this important economic corridor.

The matching funding will help secure millions of dollars of investment and unlock over 3000 new homes across the community, including a mixed-use residential/commercial development at Beach Area 1 inspired by the Village at Blue Mountain.

Mayor Brian Smith and members of council welcomed the good news this afternoon during a media event with MPP Brian Saunderson at the Wasaga Stars Arena. Today’s announcement follows on the heels of significant council advocacy, including successful meetings at the 2024 AMO Conference, 2025 ROMA Conference, and a recent Town-hosted reception and meetings at Queen’s Park.

To provide outdoor recreation opportunities for the people of Ontario, together with year-round tourism and economic opportunities for the Town of Wasaga Beach, Council continues to call on the province to partner with the Town to re-imagine “Ontario’s summer playground” and Wasaga Beach Provincial Park. This includes asking the province to invest more in the nationally significant Nancy Island historic site.

Quick Facts

• Over the past 24 months, the Town and Council of Wasaga Beach has successfully advocated for and welcomed over $129 million in new provincial investments to build new housing-enabling infrastructure including roads, two high schools, a community theatre, and more.
• Today the Ontario government is investing $10,950,158 in critical infrastructure to help attract investment and facilitate the construction of new homes and businesses in the Town of Wasaga Beach.
• The Town of Wasaga Beach will use the funding for their Beach Area 1 Roadways Reconstruction – Phase 1. This project will resolve flooding and other issues along Beach Drive to unlock investment, housing and economic growth throughout the community, and at Beach Area 1.
• The funding is being delivered through the Housing-Enabling Core Servicing Stream under the Municipal Housing Infrastructure Program, which includes $400 million to help build, repair and maintain municipal roads, bridges and culverts that will promote housing and economic growth in communities across Ontario.

Additional Quotes

“Wasaga Beach is a vibrant, growing community and a popular year-round tourist destination for families across the Province and beyond. This significant investment by our Government demonstrates our commitment to collaborating with municipalities to enable much needed growth now and into the future.”

MPP for Simcoe Grey, Brian Saunderson

“On behalf of the County of Simcoe, we thank the Ontario Government for their investment in Wasaga Beach and we congratulate the Town on what will be a significant project to further revitalize this community. The Town’s vision will bring more tourism, homes and economic growth to our region.”

Simcoe County Warden, Basil Clarke

About Wasaga Beach

The Town of Wasaga Beach aims to be a place where people come to create memories that will last a lifetime. Engaging in advocacy with other levels of government supports this vision and Council’s priorities: to create opportunities to diversify the economy, create jobs and build a complete community. It’s part of the Town’s plan to become a leader in sustainability, creativity, innovation and fun – a place with thriving businesses and safe, inclusive and complete neighbourhoods where we celebrate our rich history, diversity of cultures and natural beauty, including the Nottawasaga River, Georgian Bay and the longest freshwater beach in the world.

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Media contact:

Sandra Watts, Director of Communications and Intergovernmental Affairs, sandra.watts@wasagabeach.com

Follow the Town of Wasaga Beach on X: @WB_media, Hashtags: #WasagaBeach #CouncilAdvocacy

Follow the Town of Wasaga Beach on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/town-of-wasaga-beach

Follow the Town of Wasaga Beach on FaceBook: www.facebook.com/TownOfWasagaBeach

WASAGA BEACH – Today Mayor Brian Smith issued the following statement, welcoming news that Justice Casullo has endorsed the Town's Order vesting Allenwood Beach into the ownership of the Town:

"It's official — the Town's ownership of Allenwood Beach has been confirmed and resolved. This is great news.

Council made it a priority to bring this matter to a conclusion as soon as we were made aware that the Town had purchased this property in 2012. When it comes to finance and purchases of land using tax payer dollars there is no room for grey – this is a black and white matter and we now have the clarity we were seeking.

The Province included these lands within the provincial park boundary and through the vesting order process, the Town and Council is looking to reaffirm our ownership, clarify operational responsibilities (such as beach maintenance, restroom cleaning, and parking revenue management), and address liability concerns.

Staff will continue to work with the appropriate ministries on next steps.

The Town looks forward to continue collaborating with the province to make Wasaga Beach Provincial Park, Nancy Island and the Town of Wasaga Beach a world-class recreation destination.

Our focus remains on partnering with the province to strengthen our local economy and make life better for our full-time residents.

Wasaga Beach Signs Letter of Intent with Award-Winning Sunray Hotel Group, Launches new RFP for Beachfront Redevelopment

As the Town moves forward with Sunray Group, it confirms it is parting ways amicably with FRAM and launching a new RFP for the design and construction of the mixed-use, commercial and residential portion of Town’s transformational beachfront redevelopment project

“Council is thrilled to take this next step forward with Sunray Group – having an award-winning hotelier at the table as we reimagine and redevelop our beachfront is an incredible win for our community. Although we will not move forward with FRAM, we part ways amicably. Council is confident in the Town’s vision for our beachfront and downtown, and in our decision to advocate firmly for a fair deal on behalf of our full-time residents and for the future of our community. We are also confident in our decision to reduce the project scope, to attract a wider pool of qualified developers as we continue to move forward quickly – a new RFP has been posted today, and we will get shovels in the ground on Beach Drive in the spring, as planned.”

– Mayor Brian Smith

WASAGA BEACH – Today the Town of Wasaga Beach announced it has signed a Letter of Intent with the award-winning Sunray Hotel Group. The agreement represents the next step forward as the Town continues working with Sunray to bring a premium hotel to Wasaga’s iconic beachfront.

The Town has also provided an update on the status of negotiations with FRAM Building Group. It confirmed that as it moves forward with Sunray Group, it is parting ways, amicably, with FRAM and launching a new RFP for the design and construction of the mixed-use, commercial and residential portion of the Town’s transformational beachfront redevelopment project.

The RFP is posted on the Town’s website and it will remain open for 28 days: wasagabeach.com/imagine. It features a new, reduced project scope covering the Town-owned parcels of land between Mosley Street and Beach Drive and 1^st Street and 3^rd Street.

While the beachfront redevelopment project focuses on the beachfront commercial area around Beach Drive and Beach Area 1, the economic spinoffs will benefit the entire community. It will continue to be guided by public input received during the in-depth, collaborative design meetings held by the Town and FRAM over the past year, and by the Town’s existing, approved Downtown Development Master Plan.

Next steps

• Next steps include the Town entering into an Agreement of Purchase and Sale with Sunray Group of Hotels, followed by final design work.
• The new RFP for the redesign and redevelopment of the Town’s downtown commercial area is live now – it will remain open for 28 days and staff will bring the results of this process to Council for approval in winter 2024.
• Construction activity on Beach Drive is expected to begin in spring 2025, as planned.

Questions?

Listen to the announcement by Mayor Brian Smith.

Watch the staff update and hear comments by Mayor Smith and members of Council.

Download the RFP.