Wasaga Beach, often simply referred to as Wasaga, is a charming town nestled in Simcoe County, Ontario, Canada. It is renowned for its location along the longest freshwater beach in the world, making it a popular summer tourist destination. The town is situated approximately 150 km north of Toronto and about 40 km northwest of Barrie, along the southern end of Georgian Bay. The winding Nottawasaga River and the long sandy beach on Nottawasaga Bay in Georgian Bay add to its allure. The beaches are part of the Wasaga Beach Provincial Park, which spans 168 hectares. As of 2021, Wasaga Beach boasts a year-round population of 24,862, which swells during the summer months with the influx of seasonal residents.
The area surrounding Wasaga Beach was inhabited by the Huron-Wendat Nation for centuries before they were conquered and driven from their ancestral lands in 1649 by the Iroquois Haudenosaunee. The name Wasaga is a contraction of the Algonquin word Nottawasaga, which means "Iroquois" and "mouth of the river". The town played a strategic role during the War of 1812, serving as a supply line for British forces. Lumbering became the main industry for the remainder of the 19th century, with logs being floated downriver and into the bay to feed local saw mills. The first permanent settler, John Van Vlack, arrived in 1869, and the town began to develop as a major resort area in the early 20th century.
The economy of Wasaga Beach, Ontario, has faced challenges over the years, particularly after a major fire in November 2007 destroyed many of the stores. The town relies heavily on tourists, with the primary shopping season lasting only three to four months per year. In 2017, the town passed its Downtown Development Master Plan, a 20-year strategy for significant redevelopment of the tourist area and the addition of a downtown to the business area. The goal is to improve tourism, diversify the economy, and move beyond its "party town" image.
Wasaga Beach Provincial Park is a small recreational provincial park consisting of eight beaches with 14 kilometres of beach. The park is a habitat for birds, primarily for shorebirds including the endangered piping plover. Hiking trails of over 50 kilometres are available, and in winter, they are used for cross-country skiing and snowshoeing. The visitor centre provides access to the Nancy Island Historic Site with a theatre, a museum, and a lighthouse.
Over two million people visit Wasaga Beach every summer, attracted by the town's freshwater beach, clean water, and panoramic views of the Niagara Escarpment across the bay. There are many recreational trails that are used for hiking, cycling, cross-country skiing, and snowmobiling. The Nottawasaga River offers game fishing and canoe routes. The beach is divided into sections, with the beaches numbered 1 to 6 from east to west, with off-beach public park areas, mostly with parking and all with toilet facilities.
The Town of Wasaga Beach covers an area of 61.13 square kilometres, comprised predominantly of sand and loamy sand that exhibit excessive to good drainage and irregular to moderately sloping topography. The poor soil quality makes it difficult to sustain lush lawns in the town. The Canada Land Inventory for Agriculture rates the lands as predominately Class Six and Seven with primary restrictions of adverse topography, erosion damage, and low natural fertility.
In the 2021 Census of Population conducted by Statistics Canada, Wasaga Beach had a population of 24,862 living in 10,811 of its 13,768 total private dwellings, a change of 20.3% from its 2016 population of 20,675. With a land area of 57.42 km2, it had a population density of 433.0/km2 in 2021.
Wasaga Beach Transit provides transit service in the town. It is operated by Sinton-Landmark Bus Lines, using town-owned buses. The service was started with one route in July 2008, then operated by Georgian Coach Lines, and quickly expanded to two routes in the summer of 2009. Services for Wasaga Beach Transit occur in a loop from the Wasaga Stars Arena in the east to 70th Street in the west every hour from 7 am to 8 pm; including weekends and holidays.
Simcoe County LINX connects Wasaga Beach with two routes running to Barrie (Route 2) and Collingwood (Route 4); with transfers with both Wasaga Beach Transit routes made at the Real Canadian Superstore. It has separate fares from Wasaga Beach Transit and there are no free transfers.
