The Town of South Bruce Peninsula says it has been ordered to pay $1.67 million as part of the Ontario Superior Court's ruling that Saugeen First Nation is the rightful owner of a stretch of Sauble Beach.
The figure is part of a total $3.22 million in costs, disbursements, and HST that the Town, provincial, and federal governments were ordered to pay to SFN by Justice Susan Vella.
The long-running legal battle for ownership of the beach ended last April, with the court ruling in Saugeen First Nation's favour. This week, Justice Vella ruled how the First Nation's legal costs should be covered, with the province on the hook for $1.28 million, and the feds paying $322,000.
In a media release, South Bruce Peninsula said it believes that the costs should be borne by Canada, as the federal government was responsible for the identification of the Reserve boundary, the survey, and the Crown patents which granted the Town title to its beach.
The Town noted that "Canada admitted at trial that it breached its fiduciary duties."
South Bruce Peninsula says it intends to appeal the costs award against it, so payment will be suspended until the appeal is determined.