Wasaga Beach revitalization now underway
Construction has begun on Phase 1 of a major redevelopment of Wasaga’s Beach Area 1. The project will include road and infrastructure improvement along Beach Drive and a new commercial and residential village.
Last January, the Ontario government committed $10.9 million to fund about half the costs of the redevelopment of Beach Drive, with the balance to be funded by developers.
In May of this year, Premier Doug Ford and Ontario Tourism Minister Stan Cho visited the community to announce an investment of $38 million to help build Destination Wasaga.
Wasaga Beach town council has a vision to diversify the economy, grow tourism and create jobs. According to a news release from the town, it plans to become a leader in sustainability, creativity, innovation and fun; a place with thriving businesses and safe, inclusive, complete neighbourhoods.
In November 2024, Stonebridge Building Group was awarded a contract to design and develop a 5.18-acre property near Beach Area 1 between First Street and Third Street. The first of five phases is expected to be completed this summer, with 26 residential units and five commercial spaces. The project is expected to take three years, eventually realizing 150 residential units, 31 commercial units, open spaces, a park, public art and live-work townhomes with ground- floor commercial spaces.
Beginning in 2026, Sunray Group will invest over $45 million to build a 120-room Marriott hotel near the main tourism area. The hotel will include a high-quality restaurant and convention facilities and will strengthen the town’s tourism economy by enabling high- value, multi-day visits. Sunray will invest a further $1.5 million to design and build a festival square next to the hotel, which will be used by the municipality for outdoor entertainment and special events.
According to Mayor Brian Smith, this is all part of the town’s plans to reimagine the main beachfront and commercial area and reinvent Wasaga Beach as a thriving, four-season recreation and live-music destination.
The infrastructure work on Beach Drive is expected to resolve flooding issues that have negatively affected tourism and businesses along this vital economic corridor. Smith says for year-round hotels, shops, restaurants and attractions to succeed near the beachfront, Beach Drive must be made more climate-resilient.
For more than 100 years, the Town of Wasaga Beach has been Ontario’s summer playground, boasting the world’s longest freshwater beach. Smith says the project now underway will help Wasaga Beach evolve into a year-round destination that will grow Ontario’s tourism sector, increase the municipal tax base, bolster local businesses and support the high levels of growth that the community has been experiencing.
During the initial phase of construction, Beach Drive will be closed beyond the Spruce Street municipal parking lot. First Street will be closed. Second Street, Third Street and the portion of Beach Drive that connects Second and Third will remain open.
