Saugeen Shores Citizens Say No To Waterfront Development

This development by 2706913 Ontario Inc. at the Port Elgin Beach is extremely unpopular among a large percentage of the citizens of Saugeen Shores. In the Town survey of 2019, only 5% of the respondents listed an event space/banquet hall as an amenity that would bring them or their visitors to the beach (1).  In a survey conducted by the local Beach Preserver group in 2021, 77% of the respondents were full-time residents or owned property in the municipality. 81.25% voted against a banquet/event hall (2).

The building envelope is too large, the financial projections too vague, the footprint too damaging to the local landscape both ecologically and economically. The proposed development could potentially take away over 100 parking spaces from our beach lot, which is already not large and is always filled on summer weekends (3).  This will be damaging to our tourism industry. Far from bringing more people to the area, as some on Town Council have insisted, this ill-conceived idea will restrict visitors and residents alike from enjoying the waterfront. 

There are also severe ecological concerns and significant potential impacts on future water quality. The amount of sand that must be excavated and replaced with impenetrable foundations to support a massive two storey structure will not be without impact to the filtration of stormwater into the lake (4).  We are already struggling with erosion of the beach and contaminated water (5).  A closed beach will not have many visitors. We are a beach town. We cannot afford this mistake.

There has been no reasonable business plan shared with the public to justify this size of project at what has always been a seasonal destination (6). A 14 million dollar two storey restaurant complex in a town of 17,000 residents is mathematically inconceivable (7). There is no proof of concept. It is increasingly apparent that it was never a good idea, and there is no proof that the population of Saugeen Shores is in support of it. Most are in favour of revitalization, yes, but not this particular project. A single storey restaurant and marina store with less disturbance of the environment, would be more widely accepted. 

On February 24, 2025, the current Town Council approved this project for a deadline extension to September 24, 2026 in defiance of popular opinion. We ask that you take every measure possible to stop the current project moving forward.

Sincerely,
The Citizens of Saugeen Shores

 

Endnotes:

(1) Town Survey

(2) 2021 Survey

(3) https://pub-saugeenshores.escribemeetings.com/filestream.ashx?DocumentId=3529

(4) “Natural coastlines have evolved to absorb wave energy and provide a buffer to coastal communities from flooding and storm surge.  Beaches, dunes and mangroves can act as a barrier to storm surges and flooding and help reduce coastal erosion by stabilizing the shoreline. Coastal marshes provide flood protection, shoreline stabilization, erosion control, and protect water quality by filtering water. Development along the coast and efforts to protect the coastline with hardened structures has resulted in the outright loss of natural coastal features such as beaches, dunes, marshes and mangroves or severely impeded the natural flow of sediment that helps to maintain these systems.” https://nrcsolutions.org/restoring-coastal-features-beaches-and-dunes-marshes-mangroves/

(5)  “The health of the Great Lakes is under threat from a number of factors – increased levels of harmful pollutants such as excess road salt and plastic pollution, urban growth, managing nutrients, increasing harmful and nuisance algae, hardened shorelines and invasive species.” https://www.ontario.ca/page/protecting-great-lakes#:~:text=strength%20and%20success.-,The%20Great%20Lakes%20are%20under%20stress,and%20restore%20the%20Great%20Lakes

(6) "I see restaurants in Saugeen Shores closing, others struggling, the current business climate and costs of living are driving people to stay home... Has the business case been properly updated and costed with the 2025 costs (ie taxes, electricity, gas, and so on). Look at beach restaurants up and down the coast, many close in October and don’t reopen until May for good reason, the environment by the lake is not conducive to year round business." https://saugeentimes.com/council-should-re-think-beach-project-plan-says-reader/

(7) “He said the investors have contributed $4 million to the project and the Libro Credit Union loan is for $10 million.” https://www.shorelinebeacon.com/news/local-news/more-time-and-new-money-for-cedar-crescent-village-proposal-on-port-elgin-waterfront