Iconic Sauble Beach welcome sign changed to reflect First Nation ownership

CBC News

· Posted: Jul 01, 2025 4:53 PM EDT | Last Updated: 3 hours ago

A landmark motion that's welcomed beach-goers to a fashionable portion of soil connected the Lake Huron shoreline for decades looked a small antithetic this Canada Day.

Reflecting a tribunal determination past twelvemonth that solidified ownership of a astir two-kilometre conception of onshore to the Chippewas of Saugeen First Nation, the iconic Sauble Beach motion was softly changed overnight.

It present reads "Welcome to Saugeen Beach" successful the aforesaid reddish lettering that's marked the chopped disconnected from pavement to soil astatine the extremity of Main Street. 

"What immoderate spot arsenic conscionable a motion alteration is, for us, a awesome of truth, resilience and the reclamation of what has ever been ours," wrote Saugeen First Nation Councillor Cheree Urscheler on societal media Tuesday.

"Welcome to Saugeen Beach—-where the onshore remembers, and truthful bash we."

The First Nation spent years successful tribunal warring for ownership of the beach, with the Municipality of South Bruce Peninsula, the Ontario government, and respective section families taking contented with the claim. 

Last December, the Ontario Court of Appeal sided with the First Nation, saying the federal authorities had breached the pact it signed successful 1854. In it, the First Nation and neighbouring Chippewas of Nawash surrendered Saugeen Peninsula, excluding 5 reserve territories. 

In 1856, the Crown surveyed the onshore improperly, the tribunal ruled. As a result, astir 2.2 kilometres of onshore promised nether the pact was removed from the reserve. The national authorities recognized the mistake successful the 1970s and had supported Saugeen First Nation successful its claim.

Today, the onshore covers an country westbound of Lakeshore Boulevard from Main Street and 7th Street North.

Municipality amazed by motion change

While galore radical were amazed to spot the caller motion Tuesday morning, elected officials said they were taken aback.

In a statement, the municipality said it was not notified, and portion it respects that the onshore present belongs to Saugeen First Nation, it was disappointed not to person been made aware.

"The Sauble Beach motion is simply a well-known landmark with heavy meaning for galore people," Mayor Jay Kirkland said.

"While we respect Saugeen First Nation's close to marque changes connected their land, we judge unfastened connection is important—especially erstwhile it involves thing truthful symbolic to the broader community. We stay committed to respectful dialog and moving unneurotic successful the tone of communal understanding," Kirkland added. 

CBC News has reached retired to the First Nation to amended recognize however it volition proceed with the sanction change, including however it's utilized connected maps and tourism materials. This communicative volition beryllium updated erstwhile that accusation is received.

When it archetypal regained rubric to the land, Chief Conrad Richie said the formation was an important tourer destination and the First Nation would enactment with residents to support that.

The tribunal had ordered the municipality to wage $1.67 cardinal successful ineligible fees to the First Nation, and ordered the state to wage $1.28 million, and the national authorities $322,000. The municipality was besides ordered to wage 50 per cent of the national government's $486,784 ineligible costs.

That outgo statement was besides the taxable of an appeal, and colony is not yet known.