Sauble Beach in southwestern Ontario has lost its blue flag designation from Environmental Defence after a town council decision to extend raking on the beach.
The organization issued a statement Thursday saying it has revoked the classification after 10 years of promoting the town of South Bruce Peninsula as a leader in environmental best practices.
Environmental Defence says this week's council decision to extend beach raking shows disregard for the ecological protection of the beach and its endangered shorebird -- the piping plover.
Mayor Janice Jackson says the Ministry of Natural Resources has given the town permission to rake the beach in August, adding the blue flag designation doesn't even cover the north end of the beach where the raking is to take place.
