ORILLIA, ONT. -- Don’t expect to see Doug Ford hitting a Simcoe County beach anytime soon.
The Premier’s office tells CTV News there have been no discussions yet about a potential visit to Barrie to see crowding at local beaches firsthand.
Barrie Mayor Jeff Lehman said he’d be willing to invite Ford to have a look himself after the Premier accused communities of “price gouging” out-of-town beachgoers. Earlier this month, Barrie and Orillia bumped up parking fees for non-residents to $50 a day in an effort to thin crowds at the beach.
On Sunday, out-of-town visitors to Orillia’s beaches shared Ford’s frustration but paid up.
Visitors to Moose Beach were also asked to park in a lot separate to residents, further from the waterfront making it a bigger hike. Some visitors said they felt discriminated against for coming up from the city.
“To know we paid fifty dollars and also park all the way down there... we feel a bit awkward,” said Cynthia from Toronto.
Sam, a resident of Hamilton, couldn’t believe he was being asked to pay fifty dollars. But after a two hour drive with a baby, he wasn’t about to turn around.
“I think it’s shocking, we all live in the same province,” Sam said. “We bring economic resources here. If we can’t learn to share, it’s not going to be fun.”
Orillia residents have welcomed the higher visitor rates and locals at the beach Sunday felt they had made a difference.
Orillia does not yet have statistics from parking enforcement near beaches this weekend. The city of Barrie says it issued 197 tickets on Saturday alone.
