Wasaga Beach has forever been a favorite destination for nearby Toronto residents owing to the fact that it lays claim to having longest fresh water beach in the world, but it did not officially get to be a town until January of 1974. As a result, the population has continually increased — from 12,419 permanent residents in 2001 to 15,029 when the 2006 census was conducted.
While the numbers keep on rinsing, Wasaga Beach has earned a standing as one of the fastest growing regions in Canada. The amount of transactions and the extent of Wasaga Beach real estate sold is climbing dramatically — particularly since 2009 — and new residents are building homes as the desire for more seasonal properties is increasing, and cottages and recreational homes are popping up along the sought after water front.
Residents and tourists alike are drawn to Wasaga Beach by the the fourteen kilometers of safe sandy public beaches that include the Wasaga Beach Provincial Park, which was awarded the coveted Blue Flag designation for its endeavors to manage Wasaga’s shoreline in accordance with international environmental standards. The area provides recreation all year round along the sandy beaches — designated 1-6 (with 1 and 2 being the most popular) — and during the spring and summer there are recreational activities such as beach volleyball or a game of frisbee to be enjoyed by all. In the winter, the same section of beach is a mecca for winter sports enthusiasts who come to snowmobile and cross country ski along the well marked trails.
The growth that Wasaga Beach has experienced has not been put off by the major fire that levelled seventy percent of the main street businesses and apartments as well as the pedestrian mall on November 30, 2007. The town has responded with a large building boom that will incorporate a monorail system along a modern style beach front with retail, restaurants, and an indoor/outdoor theme area. currently, the Georgian Coach Lines — which supplies area transit services –has had to broaden their routes twice since 2008 to cope with the need of the growing area and provides an east-west loop through the town from 7AM to 7PM everyday.
The increasing accessibility of services and products in Wasaga Beach has helped push home sales up 65 percent in the first quarter of 2010 when put up against the same period last year. In March 2010, the market witnessed a whopping 50 percent increase, most likely due to the increased number of services and products all over Wasaga Beach and as well the Collingwood real estate sector that is nearby. A large number of the recent transactions were in the 350K to 500K range, which signifies a 172 percent hike for the Greater Toronto Area over the average value of residential property, that typically runs around 300K. This type of price increase can, partly, be attributed to recreational buyers, but it also is a sign that Wasaga Beach is becoming a desirable retirement alternative for more affluent residents who buy upscale estates. But no doubt the overall attraction of the Georgian Triangle ‘quality of life’ will continue to attract the interest in a broad range of potential purchasers who are drawn by the rural beauty of Wasaga Beach, but enjoy the convenience of having the amenities of Toronto that is just a two hour driving distance.