The Birds are Back in Town: Two Piping Plovers Return to Wasaga Beach

Town expands collaborative stewardship efforts as nesting season continues along Ontario’s most-visited beachfront destination

Wasaga Beach, ON — The Town of Wasaga Beach is pleased to share that two Piping Plovers have returned to the beachfront for the 2026 nesting season.

As responsibility for beachfront management has transitioned from the Province to the Town, Council and staff have established strong stewardship partnerships, maintained established conservation practices, and advanced the development of a longer-term beach management plan.

The Town continues to work closely with conservation agencies and provincial and federal partners to support habitat protection, public education, monitoring, and stewardship. 

“This is good news that reflects the Town’s commitment to proactive, responsible stewardship. This Council believes Wasaga Beach can stand among the great recreation and nature-based destinations of the world — where tourism, community, and conservation thrive together. We’re proud of our parks, communications, and municipal law enforcement teams who are leading this work on the ground, with support from Birds Canada and our provincial and federal partners.”

– Mayor Brian Smith

Local stewardship in action

The Town’s stewardship team includes Parks staff, three Beachfront Ambassadors, and two Destination Wasaga Piping Plover Technicians. Together, the team supports monitoring, public outreach and education, interpretive signage, by-law enforcement, habitat protection, and coordinated stewardship in accordance with established Ontario Parks protocols and the federal Species at Risk Act.

Birds Canada continues to provide the Town with field support and training, including nest monitoring and instruction on how to implement threat mitigation measures such as fencing and exclosures in accordance with established protocols and federal requirements.

Building municipal stewardship capacity

In addition to hiring three Beachfront Ambassadors and two dedicated Destination Wasaga Piping Plover Technicians, the Town has:

• Introduced a new beachfront by-law that gives Wasaga Beach some of the strongest local enforcement tools in Canada to protect sensitive shoreline habitat. The by-law includes significant fines and penalties for activities that disturb wildlife, damage dunes or critical habitat, or interfere with designated protected areas.
• In partnership with Birds Canada, made Piping Plover stewardship training mandatory for all staff.
• Launched a new parks information line at 705-408-3336 to help residents and visitors access information about park rules, beach operations, and responsible use.

Together, these measures aim to help give Piping Plovers the space they need to nest safely, while ensuring residents and visitors can continue to enjoy the beach, local businesses, special events, and experiences that make Wasaga Beach one of Ontario’s top summer destinations.

With the busy summer tourism season—and nesting season—underway, the Town is reminding residents and visitors that everyone has a role to play in protecting Piping Plovers and their sensitive shoreline habitat. 

Beachgoers are asked to respect posted signage, stay out of fenced or protected areas, keep pets away from sensitive habitat, avoid disturbing wildlife, maintain appropriate distances from wildlife, and follow direction from Town parks staff.

Quick Facts

• Wasaga Beach is part of a globally significant Great Lakes shoreline ecosystem that supports species at risk. It is also the longest freshwater beach in the world, a major tourism destination, and home to one of Ontario’s most visited “recreation class” provincial parks.
• Each year, the Town of Wasaga Beach welcomes over 2 million visitors to enjoy its beachfront, local businesses and special events.
• In 2025, there were 88 breeding pairs of Piping Plovers across the Great Lakes basin. The majority of these birds breed in Michigan.
• In 2025, four Piping Plover nests were successful across Ontario’s Great Lakes, underscoring the need for consistent, science-based stewardship.
• Piping Plovers have continued returning to Wasaga Beach in recent years, with two birds observed in 2023, four in 2024, four in 2025, and two returning for the 2026 nesting season.
• To help protect Piping Plover species recovery and reduce disturbance during the nesting season, the Town does not publicly disclose exact nesting locations. Protected areas are clearly marked on the beach, and residents and visitors are asked to follow posted signage and stay out of fenced areas. Trespassers will be prosecuted to the full extent of the law.

Learn more: wasagabeach.com/imagine

Watch now: Town of Wasaga Beach YouTube