Wasaga Beach, Ontario, Canada - postcard, stamp 1960 pmk

Postcard

Wasaga Beach entered history's headlines in 1934 when the first overseas flight from mainland Canada, across the Atlantic to England and in a plane called the "Trail of the Caribou", used Wasaga Beach's long flat sandy beach as a take off strip.^[9]

The town was originally referred to as "the northern border of Flos Sunnidale and Nottawasaga Townships". The first municipal reference occurred when a designation of Local Improvement District emerged in 1947. In 1949, Wasaga Beach progressed to the status of a Police Village in the Township of Sunnidale, and the Police Village graduated to Incorporated Village status in 1951.

The incorporation of the Town of Wasaga Beach became effective January 1, 1974. The permanent population stood at 4,034, a dramatic increase from 1965, when only 500 people called Wasaga Beach home. Today, 17,000 full-time residents and 16,000 seasonal and part-time residents reside in the town.^[7]

Over two million people visit Wasaga Beach every summer to stroll the shores of the town's freshwater beach (stretching 14 kilometres or 8.7 miles), swim in warm clean waters and enjoy the 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 smaller sections, with the public beaches numbered 1 to 6 from east to west. The beach's position on the waters of Nottawasaga Bay means its summer temperatures are moderated somewhat by the water, so summer days are much more comfortable than days that are hot in Toronto, but the same winds off the water trigger very heavy and intense snow squalls in the winter. Due to these heavy snowfalls activities such as: snowmobiling, Cross-country skiing, and other winter sports are popular along the beach.

Also located in the town of Wasaga Beach is Wasaga Beach Provincial Park.^[3] In the summer months it is a very popular place for beach volleyball and sunbathing. A boardwalk runs most of the way along Beach 1 and 2. Beach 1 draws the largest crowds, with the popularity of the beaches decreasing further west. East of Beach 1, the beach continues as segments named New Wasaga Beach, Allenwood Beach, and on to the Tiny beaches outside of the town limits. The beach in these areas abuts against many homes and cottages close to the water.

In the winter, there are many miles of fresh groomed trails for snowmobiling thanks to the Ontario Federation of Snowmobile Clubs and in part to the purchasers of the trail passes. The town also has several community centres, including the Rec-Plex, which has an auditorium, an amphitheatre and a YMCA, as well as the Wasaga Stars Arena.

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Text from the free encyclopedia WIKIPEDIA may appear below to give a little background information (internal links may not  work) :

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Wasaga Beach (variant: Wasaga) is a town in Simcoe County, Ontario, Canada. Situated along the longest freshwater beach in the world,^[2] it is a popular summer tourist destination, located along the southern end of Georgian Bay, approximately two hours north of Toronto, and neighbours, to the west, the town of Collingwood. Wasaga Beach is situated along 14 kilometres (8.7 mi)^[3] of sandy beach on Nottawasaga Bay and the winding Nottawasaga River.

Wasaga Beach Provincial Park is the first provincial park in Canada to be awarded the Blue Flag designation for its efforts to manage Wasaga Beach's shoreline according to international environmental standards.^[4]

Wasaga Beach and the surrounding area was inhabited by the Huron (Wyandot) people for centuries before they were dispersed in 1650 by the French-allied Algonquin people. The word Nottawasaga is of Algonquin origin. Nottawa means "Iroquois" and saga means "mouth of the river"; the word "Nottawasaga" was used by Algonquin scouts as a warning if they saw Iroquoisraiding parties approaching their villages.^[5]

In the early 1800s, Upper Canada was drawn into a struggle between Great Britain and the United States. Wasaga Beach evolved into a strategic location in the War of 1812 when the schooner HMS Nancy was sunk at her moorings in an effort by the Americans to cut the supply line to Fort Michilimackinac and points to the north and west.^[6] Lumbering was the main industry for the remainder of the 19th century. Logs crowded the river and the bay, floating down to feed local saw mills.^[7]

Wasaga Beach's unsuitable sandy soil contributed to the late European settlement of the area, as the lack of suitable farming land made it unattractive to settlers. In the 1820s the first sign of settlement in the area began as John Goessman surveyed Flos Township. In 1826, land was being sold for four shillings an acre. Though unsuitable for farming, the Wasaga Beach area had an abundance of trees. In the late 1830s and throughout the rest of the century the logging industry would play an important role in the development of the area.^[8]

During the 1900s, families began to discover the beauty of the area and the beach gradually became a place for family picnics and holidays during the summer months. During the 1940s, while stationed at a nearby military base, servicemen from across Canada visited Wasaga Beach's amusement park, and they made Wasaga Beach known across the country. After the war, Wasaga Beach continued to be a popular place for cottages and day trips, beginning the century-old tradition of city dwellers travelling to the beach in the summer.