Wasaga Beach Ontario Visited
~ A Moment in Time ~
by Judi McWilliams (aka Judi “Scoop” McWilliams)
Fun Times at Wasaga Beach!
Wasaga Beach has a long history, including its involvement in the War of 1812, where the British and American forces fought and the British schooner, HMS Nancy, was sunk by the Americans.
Now Wasaga Beach is one of the premier vacation spots in Ontario. It has the longest (14km) freshwater beach in the world!
Wasaga Beach’s main beach shopping area is alive with fun stores and restaurants for visitors to explore and relax. This is especially amazing, since part of this area was destroyed by a four-alarm fire in November 2007.
THE BEACH! What can you say about the beaches in Wasaga! To put it mildly, they are unbelievable! As I mentioned, they seem to stretch forever. If you travel to Wasaga Beach on a warm summer day, you will find the beach, especially the main beaches packed with “sun worshipers“. You need to get to the main beaches early to find a good spot. However, there are plenty of beaches to go around, so you should be able to find a spot to enjoy “sand, water and sun“. It is definitely worth the trip!
After the fire (see above), the rebuilding of Wasaga Beach began. One of the interesting areas for visitors is the new “Main Street Market“.. The Market is made up of colourful “vendor huts” offering various products and services. Also at the Market is a “stage area” where visitors and residents can enjoy different types of entertainment.
With downtown coming alive, new businesses are opening up “shop“. All this adding to the excitement of visiting Wasaga Beach!
Wasaga is not just the “beach area“. It has many interesting areas to “discover“. Winding its way through the heart of Wasaga Beach is the Nottawasaga River.
Many beautiful homes and cottages line the banks of the Nottawasaga River!
The Nottawasaga River is also the home of Nancy Island and the Nancy Island Historic Site.
The Friends of Nancy Island Historic Site website describes it as follows ~ “Nancy Island has served as a historic site since 1928. It represents a major event during the War of 1812: the HMS Nancy’s battle against three American Schooners on August 14th of 1814. The island houses the charred hull and artefacts of the HMS Nancy from this pivotal moment in Canadian history. The borders of Canada today are a direct result of the valiant struggles of the Nancy and her crew.”
One of the main features of the Nancy Island Historic Site is its Museum. The Museum houses both Artifex and stories about the HMS Nancy and Wasaga Under Siege (War of 1812) and it houses the remains of the NANCY.
Each August the War of 1812’s Wasaga Under Siege is commemorated at the Nancy Island Historic Site. Re-enactors from Canada and the United States converge on Wasaga Beach to re-enact this pivotable War of 1812 battle. Gary and I have been to several Wasaga Under Siege re-enactments and are always inspired by the dedication and skill of the participants.
Wasaga Under Siege is only one of the amazing events that take place, year-round, in Wasaga Beach. Almost every weekend has an event. A list of Wasaga Beach events can be found at http://www.wasagabeach.com/event-calendar. The calendar is undated regularily, so make sure you check it before you plan your Wasaga Beach “adventure“!
It is hard to describe everything that is available to do in Wasaga Beach! Frankly, I won’t even try to in this article. Rather, I’d like to point you in the right direction… the INTERNET. If you “Google” search Wasaga Beach, you will find plenty of websites to review. Here are a few websites that I found useful. First, there is the Town’s Official website ~ (LINK). Then, there is Ontario Parks (Wasaga Beach is a Provincial Park) ~ (LINK). There is the Wasaga Beach Chamber of Commerce ~ (LINK). There is the Wikipedia website ~ (LINK). And finally, there a couple of private websites that you can explore, Trip Advisor (LINK) and Wasaga (LINK).
Wasaga Beach used to be just a “vacation destination“. Now it is home to more 18,000 permanent residents. Over the years, millions of people have visited and enjoyed Wasaga Beach. More than anything it is a place to come with family and friends to enjoy all the “discoveries” that Wasaga Beach, Georgian Bay and Ontario have to offer. See you there!
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It’s time to experience and enjoy Wasaga Beach!
For more Exploring Ontario, “Moments in Time”, go to https://ontariovisited.ca/videos-and-stories/
