As warm temperatures and high humidity continue throughout the region, many are flocking to beaches, but overcrowding has been a significant issue.
Collingwood's waterfront is always a popular destination on a hot summer day, but residents say it has gotten too busy at Sunset Point Park over the weekend.
"My husband and I drove by and just kept going because there was no place to sit if you're trying to social distance properly, that's for sure," says Collingwood resident LeeAnn Bateman.
"It's not worked in the States," says another Collingwood Resident Sally Burke. "We see that every day. They are having a terrible, terrible time with the resurgence of COVID-19, and we certainly don't want that in Collingwood.
Maintaining social distance means limiting the number of people visiting parks and beaches. The mayor of Collingwood says the town is taking action.
"On Sunday, staff turned around and created a residents-only parking lot, reduced parking in the other parking lots and about 50 per cent and made sure we're out and about with our bylaw officers making sure we were enforcing physical distancing," says Saunderson.
"On a number of occasions, the police were also out patrolling the area and got into the park as well if there were issues."
While Collingwood's parks remain open, the town of Wasaga Beach has decided to shut down the sand-covered section of Beach Drive from 3rd Street to Spruce Street by Thursday, as well as much of the parking in the commercial area after Canada day crowds proved challenging to control.
Snow fencing is now being set up to block off the beach while most other beach areas inside provincial park boundaries remain open. Privately owned parking lots are also open.
At Northwinds Beach in the Blue Mountains, Milosz Sikora decided what was safe for his family.
"We were here early this morning it was nice and quiet, and it started to fill up, so we decided to get going," says Sikora.
