TAXATION WEDNESDAY: NEEDS VS WANTS Post 6

September 30th, 2026

HOW DO WE DECIDE WHAT COMES FIRST?

My husband, Vik, reminded me of a Georgian toast that goes something like:

“I have the desire to buy a house, but I don't have the means. I have the means to buy a goat, but I don't have the desire. So let's raise a glass in the hope that our desires will always match our means.”

I love that toast because there is a lesson in it for municipal government:

OUR VISION HAS TO MATCH OUR MEANS.

Destination Wasaga is intended to help transform Wasaga Beach from a predominantly summer destination into a four-season destination — giving both residents and visitors more reasons to enjoy our community throughout the year.

That's a 10-to-20-year vision.

That's a long time.

And while that vision is being developed, we still have to take care of the Wasaga Beach we have today.

We still need roads and sidewalks.

We need safe places for children.

We need recreation.

We need parks and public spaces.

We need infrastructure.

We need municipal services.

And we need things for residents to enjoy during those long winter months.

So the question isn't simply: “Do we like Destination Wasaga?”

The better question is:

WHAT CAN WE AFFORD — AND WHAT SHOULD COME FIRST?

DO I HAVE TO LIKE EVERY PART OF DESTINATION WASAGA?

No.

And neither do you.

We're never going to agree on every design choice, attraction, building or feature in a long-term plan.

That's called being human.

But we should be very clear about one thing:

RESIDENTS FIRST.

Tourism is important.

Visitors are important.

Tourism supports businesses, jobs and our local economy.

But residents live here 365 days a year.

Wasaga Beach has historically been a highly seasonal tourism community, with visitation largely concentrated between Victoria Day and Labour Day.

So as Destination Wasaga moves from vision toward implementation, we need to make sure the community we're creating isn't simply a better place to visit.

It needs to be a better place to live.

That means asking:

What will residents enjoy during our long winter months?

What will make everyday life better for the people who already live here?

What investments will benefit the community year-round?

And perhaps most importantly:

CAN WE AFFORD THE VISION WHILE STILL TAKING CARE OF THE TOWN WE HAVE TODAY?

THIS IS WHERE NEEDS VS. WANTS MATTERS.

A project can be exciting.

A project can be worthwhile.

A project can be part of a long-term vision.

Our job is to understand the costs, the benefits, the funding and the priorities before decisions are made.

Before committing municipal dollars, I believe residents should be asking:

• Is it a need or a want?

• What problem does it solve?

• What will it cost to build or purchase?

• What will it cost to operate and maintain?

• Where will the money come from?

• Can we secure outside funding or grants?

• What other priorities might have to wait?

• What will residents actually get from the investment?

• How will we know whether it worked?

  
  

These are not questions for or against Destination Wasaga.

They're questions that should be asked about any significant municipal investment.

We can have a big vision for the future while still being disciplined about understanding what we spend today.

BIG VISION. REALISTIC TIMELINE. RESIDENTS FIRST.

Because Destination Wasaga is a long-term plan.

Residents deserve to understand how the pieces fit together, what they will cost, where the funding will come from, and how the community will benefit.

And as we move toward a four-season future, we should make sure that the people who already call Wasaga Beach home are part of the conversation every step of the way.

Thanks for listening! 💗