Poop on the beach? Ontario mayor slams social media ‘misinformation’

The stench of societal media posts connected TikTok and Facebook has go excessively overmuch to disregard for nan politician of a celebrated formation town, who has released a lengthy connection denouncing talk of group pooping successful nan soil “that deficiency grounds and beforehand misinformation.”

Town of Wasaga Beach Mayor Brian Smith writes that nan municipality has received “no grounds – from residents, visitors aliases nan Ontario authorities – to verify that immoderate undesirable, unsanitary behaviour has occurred connected nan formation areas that dress up Wasaga Beach Provincial Park.”

“If immoderate grounds comes to light,” Smith stresses, “I guarantee you that we will beryllium speedy to act.”

In consequence to Global News inquiring if nationalist defecation aliases urination connected nan soil has ever been an rumor connected Wasaga Beach’s beaches since 2020, a spokesperson pinch nan municipality said “the reply is no.”

Smith’s connection besides notes that nan Ministry of nan Environment, Conservation and Parks operates, patrols and manages nan formation areas wrong Wasaga Beach Provincial Park successful conjunction pinch Ontario Parks.

A ministry spokesperson said unit astatine Wasaga Beach Provincial Park “have not observed this behaviour during their regular patrols of nan beachfront aliases successful consequence to immoderate complaints.”

“We promote parkland visitors to interaction nan parkland agency if they observe visitors misusing nan park,” they added.

“If grounds of nan activity is found, nan individuals responsible whitethorn beryllium taxable to enforcement action, including a fine.”

Social media suggests Smith’s connection isn’t sitting good pinch everyone, arsenic respective comments connected Facebook groups for Wasaga Beach proceed to reiterate nan rumours.

One station connected Tuesday evening successful nan nationalist Wasaga Beach group asking if nan rumours are existent had received much than 190 comments by Wednesday morning. Responses are mixed, however, pinch immoderate saying it’s an ongoing problem and others claiming they predominant nan beaches and person ne'er seen thing of nan sort.

One TikTok personification who requested to spell by her societal media name, Natty Lynn, posted a video July 9 wherever she claimed this has been an ongoing rumor for years and that group are mounting up mini tents and digging holes to usage arsenic washrooms. In that video, which has much than  31,000 likes, she says she doesn’t fto her kids excavation successful nan soil connected Beach 1.

“The politician can’t contradict each of america having experiences,” she said successful an email.

“If you spell done my societal media comments, you will spot group speaking astir this happening astatine almost each formation crossed Ontario, crossed Canada. This is not a caller issue.”

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While she did not respond to nan mobility of whether she’s revenge immoderate general complaints, she did opportunity that nary 1 from nan municipality has contacted her astir her posts.

The mayor’s connection encourages group to interaction Ontario Parks, section MPPs and nan Ministry of nan Environment, Conservation and Parks “with immoderate grounds of issues, aliases concerns, astir formation operations aliases maintenance.” He provided contact information astatine nan bottommost of nan statement.

Smith’s connection besides notes location are “11 comfortableness stations wrong Beach Areas 1-6” and 4 “mini comfortableness stations successful Allenwood and New Wasaga that supply washroom accommodation to visitors.” He said they are successful high-use areas and are “very visible” from nan beachfront.

However, nan connection does accent that nan municipality banned nan usage of four-sided, enclosed tents connected municipal spot successful 2018 “to guarantee arsenic galore group arsenic imaginable person an unobstructed position of our celebrated shoreline and sunsets” but specified a norm is not successful spot successful nan provincial park, which accounts for 25 per cent of nan municipal onshore area and which “fuels section tourism – our town’s main industry.”

“We promote nan Ontario authorities to adopt a akin attack to tents connected formation areas that are a portion of Wasaga Beach Provincial Park,” Smith wrote.

“Working together, we tin guarantee that Wasaga Beach continues to beryllium 1 of nan cleanest, safest, astir beautiful beaches successful nan world – driving tourism successful south-central Ontario, creating jobs, and benefitting our full-time residents for generations to come.”