BARRIE, ONT. -- Part of the Wasaga Beach beachfront is set to reopen to the public this week after being temporarily closed in the wake massive crowds gathering on Canada Day.
Wasaga Beach council approved a plan to reopen the sand-covered portion of Beach Drive to the public during a special meeting on Tuesday.
The town had closed nearly 800 metres of the municipally-owned sandy beach after mobs of visitors packed it on Canada Day.
The next day the beach was closed, and a week later, the barriers were up.
At the time, the town's fire chief said the scenes at the beach represented "human behaviour at its worst."
But today, the town approved a gradual reopening to start this week.
"This new plan ensures we can manage the space properly, allowing visitors and residents to once again enjoy this part of our waterfront," Mayor Nina Bifolchi said.
The town has created four pods using the barriers to accommodate beachgoers, with one pod designated for residents only.
"Through our plan and the use of our pods, we can control access to specific areas of the sand-covered portion of Beach Drive and control physical distancing within the pods," Bifolchi said.
There is no entrance fee for the pods, but total capacity is limited to 738 people based on square footage.
Nine beach ambassadors have been hired to manage folks coming and going from the pods.
Sports activities, barbeques and pets are not allowed in the pods, however.
