The Town of South Bruce Peninsula is investing in a new marketing and branding strategy for Sauble Beach, using funds that were earmarked to replace the beach's sign.
This week, council received a report from staff that recommended developing a new brand to that would provide clarity and cohesion for tourism promotion, following what it calls confusion due to a ruling on ownership of the beach.
While the 2.4 kilometre stretch of Lake Huron shore is now called Saugeen Beach, the community remains Sauble Beach, and even Mayor Jay Kirkland agreed a renewed marketing strategy would be good.
"In the beginning we could have put the blinders on and made this all about the sign," he said in Tuesday's meeting. "I think this is a bigger sitatution that we're coming into right now and it's time to collaborate and move forward and get some professional help to move forward. As much as I'm usually not one to spend dollars and cents on studies and hiring outside help, in this case I do think we need it."
The 2026 budget had $75,000 set aside for a new Sauble Beach sign, that will now be put toward funding this initiative.
CAO Danielle Edwards said they'll issue a request for proposal shortly and they're hopeful Saugeen First Nation will want to collaborate on the plan.
"I do anticipate that the RFP will include consultation with our Indigenous neighbours," she said. "We can ask and we can hope, the invitation will be there so we do hope that they will come to the table."
The goal is to have the new strategy in place by May, ahead of tourism season.
