WASAGA BEACH PROVINCIAL PARK - WHAT IF OUR BEACHES HAD NAMES PART 3

September 24th, 2026

In Part 2, I looked at the visitation numbers for Wasaga Beach Provincial Park and asked whether we are measuring enough beyond simply counting the people who come here.

In Part 3, I'd like to look at something a little different: What does a visitor actually experience when they come to Wasaga Beach?

Right now, we have Beach Area 1, Beach Area 2, Beach Area 3, and so on.

Those numbers may make perfect sense to people who live here.

But what do they mean to someone visiting Wasaga Beach for the first time?

What if we invited the community to help change that?

What if we held a public contest to rename the beach areas?

Not simply names chosen behind closed doors, but names that tell visitors something about where they are and reflect the history, character and personality of Wasaga Beach.

For example:

Beach Area 1

Could it become The Entertainment District? Or perhaps Main Street Beachfront?

A name could immediately tell visitors that this is an area associated with restaurants, shops, entertainment and activity.

Beach Area 2

What about Nancy Beach?

And imagine a substantial, attractive sign saying:

WELCOME TO NANCY BEACH Discover the story of the HMS Nancy.

With a QR code, a visitor could scan their phone and learn about the HMS Nancy, Nancy Island and the history of Wasaga Beach — including directions to the historic site.

Another beach could potentially honour Von Vlack, recognizing the history of one of the people associated with the early development of Wasaga Beach.

And there is another part of our history we should not overlook.

Long before Wasaga Beach became a destination for visitors, these lands and waters were home to Indigenous peoples.

I'm not the subject-matter expert on what names would be appropriate, and I don't think I should be.

But I do think we should ask.

If we are going to talk about renaming our beach areas and telling the story of Wasaga Beach, shouldn't we make sure that story includes the people and communities who were here long before us?

Perhaps the best names are ones that come from listening and learning — and from asking the people whose history we are trying to recognize.

And these are only ideas.

That's why I'd like to see the community involved.

Let residents suggest the names.

Let people tell us what they think represents each area.

Then take the best ideas and let the public vote.

And here's where technology could make this even more useful.

Every beach area could have its own QR code.

Scan it and you could find:

• The history of that particular area

• Maps and directions

• Washroom locations

• Accessibility information

• Parking information

• Events• Local businesses

• Environmental information

• Piping Plover information

• Beach rules

• Alcohol regulations for that particular area

• And links to Provincial Park and Town information

And because these could be dynamic QR codes, the Town could also measure how often each code is being scanned and when. Depending on the system used, analytics can include scan totals, activity over time, devices and approximate locations.

That means we're not just putting up signs.

We're creating a way to learn more about what visitors are interested in.

Of course, scan numbers wouldn't tell us everything. They wouldn't tell us whether someone enjoyed their visit or whether they'll come back.

But they would give us another piece of information.

Because perhaps that's what we need to do with tourism in Wasaga Beach:

Stop thinking only about how many people came.

Start thinking about what they experienced while they were here.

Numbers tell us how many people came.

Stories might help them remember why they came.

Two governments. One community. One visitor experience.

Thanks for listening!