Ontario Premier Doug Ford on Wednesday addressed the recent controversy of immigrants pooping on public beaches and asked that the unsanitary practice stop. Ford’s comments come in the wake of a local Wasaga Beach, ON, woman who goes by Natty on TikTok flagging the issue on social media. Foreigners are allegedly setting up four-sided tents on the beach, digging a hole in the sand from inside the tent, and defecating in it. .While town officials denied PoopGate, the beach defecation claims went viral and reached international news outlets, with many others adding their own footage to the discussion — including a video of an Indian man pooping in a parking lot outside a Tim Horton’s in Brampton, ON. Natty, a single mother, after posting about the issue received a visit from the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP). Officers told her they had launched an investigation into her online behaviour. Her TikTok was subsequently deleted. .The premier during a press conference was asked about the new trend of people pooping on Ontario beaches. “I think people are respectful enough that…” said Ford, trailing off momentarily. “Folks, don’t be pooping on the beach, simple as that, man.” Ford said “we have no proof of it” and lamented how these stories “get rolling on social media.” “So…yeah…we have to work with the folks here," he said. .Ford noted during the press conference the Town of Wasaga Beach recently received $1 million in provincial taxpayers dollars to build bathrooms along the world’s longest freshwater beach. Banning tents in provincial parks “just doesn’t cut it,” replied Ford when asked if his government would implement a ban. The town in 2020 banned the four-sided toilet tents, however, the beach is a provincial jurisdiction. .Wasaga Beach Mayor Brian Smith last week said the town has never had any complaints about public defecation. “If any evidence comes to light, I assure you that we will be quick to act,” Smith said in an earlier statement, per the CTV. “There’s bad actors everywhere, and if someone should see something that isn’t right, report it,” said Smith in a separate statement, per the Toronto Sun. “We can only fix it if we know about it.”"Staff at Wasaga Beach Provincial Park as well as staff at other Ontario Parks have not observed this behaviour during their regular patrols of the beachfront or in response to any complaints,” said Ontario Parks in a statement, per CTV. “Park staff continue to investigate and address complaints from visitors.”
