Eligible electricity customers may qualify for a one-time COVID-19 Energy Assistance Program (CEAP) credit for half of the electricity charges that are overdue on the date of their application for CEAP, up to a maximum of $115 ($230 for electrically heated homes). The funds are limited and will be allocated to customers on a first come first serve basis. Wasaga Distribution customers can visit the WDI website here to learn more and access the application form.

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Our new website at www.wasagabeach.com has a page called Truth Corner.

This is where we deal head on with misinformation being intentionally spread in the community.

Visit Truth Corner here.

Learn more about recreation programs here.

Check out Let's Talk Wasaga Beach here: Click

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When inadvertently dialing 911 on your cell phone, please remember you are activating an emergency service.

In doing so, emergency personnel are committed to determining the origin and extent of the emergency that may be happening.

This means they have to locate the individual who inadvertently dialed 911.

This response can draw needed resources away from actual emergencies. To prevent this please, when not using your phone, lock it so that unintentional calls do not happen.

If you do dial 911 by mistake, please do not hang up on the operator. Explain the call is in fact not an emergency, tell the operator where you are and stay there. This is because an officer must attend your location to determine an emergency is not taking place.

By hanging up or leaving your current location, you create a situation where emergency services must try to locate you, and in the process tie up precious resources.

Only you can stop 911 misdials.

Did you know the OPP has an online crime reporting site?

The site lets you report a crime without visiting an OPP detachment. Learn more here: http://bit.ly/2n3EoI8

AT THE ZOO Wasaga Beach was home to the Ontario Zoological Park/ Wasaga Beach Zoo. The zoo was located on River Road East, the entrance just past Zoo Park Road. The zoo drew tourists year-round and children will remember going to the zoo with their parents and on class trips. People were fascinated by the variety of animals that were housed at the Wasaga Beach Zoo. There were a number of big cats, tigers, lions, cheetahs and jaguars. Some will recall the sound of the noise in the monkey house or thinking they had never seen an animal as large as the elephants or a hippo. You could find a variety of birds, elk, wolves, and buffalo. One of the more unusual animals was the yak, it was big and slow moving with an incredible set of horns. Many visitors will remember thinking that the trails in the zoo were in such a natural setting that you could almost imagine the animals in their natural habitat. The zoo opened in the 1960s and closed its doors at the end of Labour Day weekend in 1981. #ThrowbackThursday

From the Historical Advisory Committee

Learn more about library programs here

See the library main website here

As you can see in our latest newsletter, we are working on the draft 2021 municipal budget for the town.

Establishing the town’s budget is one of the most important roles of council. This is when we allocate money to implement our goals and priorities for the year ahead, and improve our community. Creating the budget is always a challenging exercise, as we look to strike the right balance. We need to be responsible to you the taxpayer and this means many things. We need to be mindful of how much people can afford. But at the same time, we need to make sure we are investing in the right infrastructure projects to move Wasaga Beach forward. These are things our town needs in the short and long-term.

I encourage you to review the information in our newsletter so you have an accurate sense of where we are at with the budget. You can stay up-to-date on the budget by visiting our website at www.wasagabeach.com. Later this fall is an opportunity for public input and I encourage you to take part. You may hear or see information about the budget on social media or from other sources, but please be weary of what you come across. The town is your trustworthy source for information about municipal matters.

The town recently had to respond to inaccurate information in The Beach Booster publication. This is the tabloid-sized publication sent to homes through Canada Post. The Beach Booster has a history of publishing inaccurate material about the town and not correcting this content. You deserve to know the facts and that is why the town responded with accurate information on our website. I encourage you to read the response on our site. Please note we aren’t attacking the media in general. There are many local and regional media sources doing a professional job. Sadly, The Beach Booster falls short.

One of council’s major investments in the community is the construction of the new library and twin-pad arena. Recently, the treasurer presented a financial plan on the project that spells out how we will make this project happen along with continuing to invest in other needed infrastructure in the community. Please review the plan on our website for full details. The total project cost is $59-million, of which the land portion is paid. The balance of the project cost is approximately $51-million, of which $31-million would be financed through long-term debt when the project is complete in 2023, and the remainder from various reserve funds.

We are also reviewing the projected operating costs of the facility. Council commissioned a study using provincial funds and staff are currently evaluating the study’s recommendations. The treasurer has done financial projections on overall financial expenses for the next few years and the town can accommodate the increased costs with reasonable tax increases. As the 2021 budget is being prepared, further work is being done on the projections that will be shared with council and the community.

Some in the community suggest we should pause this project. Council is not prepared to do so and put user groups at risk of not having an arena or adequate library. Our existing arena is near the end of its lifespan and our library is too small to meet expected needs.

Wasaga Beach is a growing community and council recognizes the need to invest in amenities, such as a twin-pad arena and modern library. These new facilities are positioning our town to be ready for the future. The pandemic will not last forever. Council wants to ensure the town has the facilities that help make Wasaga Beach a complete community

The treasurer and town auditor have confirmed the town is in great financial shape and is able to take on a project of this magnitude. Successive councils have been setting aside funds for these types of amenities for years. Joint facilities, such as the town is planning, are increasingly common. They are more efficient to operate and manage, and they allow greater flexibility in terms of how the space is used.

I encourage you to visit our website to learn about all of our programs and services. A new mobile-friendly and fully accessible site launched in late October. Effective communication is one of council’s key priorities this term and our new site is among the many tools we use to keep residents informed.

Briefly, I’ll mention we soon plan to issue Requests for Proposals to the developers we have shortlisted to develop town-owned land at the beachfront. We look forward to seeing what plans developers have for this important part of our community. Watch our website for further details.

COVID-19 cases are on the rise in our region so remember to follow all of the health protocols to stay safe.

I look forward to sharing more with you soon.

Nina Bifolchi,

Mayor.