BARRIE, ONT. -- In Barrie, Wilkins Beach was quiet on Friday, despite the hot and humid conditions, leaving area residents to hope visitors would stay away.

The city recently stepped up enforcement after swarms of people packed the beach and lined the residential street with parked cars, the city going so far as to remove the word 'beach' from the sign at Wilkins Beach.

In Ramara Township, council dealt with the issue of overcrowding by closing all public beaches and some water access points.

"This is a temporary closure until we can somehow get control of the numbers, and then we can try and figure out a system that we can reopen the beaches for our locals only," said Mayor Basil Clarke.

The township has been overwhelmed with out-of-towners this summer.

"We tried all the tricks to control the numbers," said Clarke.

The township has fencing and signs around public parks, waterfronts, and security guards to patrol the areas.

"We are going to send you away," warned Clarke. "We will have security to meet you, and you will be charged if you're on our beaches."

Provincial parks around the region remain open to the public.