As summer wraps up, the mayor of South Bruce Peninsula has provided an update on the ongoing land claim in Sauble Beach.
In 2023, an over two-kilometre stretch of the beach was awarded to Saugeen First Nation, a decision that was upheld by the Supreme Court when it chose not to hear South Bruce Peninsula's appeal.
In a video posted online this week, Mayor Jay Kirkland said the first phase of the claim is almost complete: the only outstanding issue is legally determining the new boundary line of Saugeen First Nation land to the beach side of the road allowance along Lakeshore Drive.
"Saugeen First Nation, Canada, and South Bruce Peninsula are working cooperatively to complete the legal survey," he said.
Kirkland said the case is no longer between South Bruce Peninsula and Saugeen Shores as they move to the second phase.
"Phase two is a process where both parties seek compensation for the impacts of the decisions made by the Crown, that the court concluded were in breach of their duties," he said. "The town is currently working with our legal team to identify impacts associated with the change in beack ownership, so we can seek fair and adequete compensation."
In the original ruling, Justice Susan Vella determined that South Bruce Peninsula should pay $1.67 million in legal fees for Saugeen First Nation as part of the phase one decision.
"It is the town's intention to make sure that the land claim does not financially burden the residents of South Bruce Peninsula and instead, that we can be fairly compensated for the expenses we've incurred to defend phase one, and the costs we expect to incur in the future as a result of the court's decision," said Kirkland.
South Bruce Peninsula has also invested in and launched a new branding strategy for the community of Sauble Beach following the land claim decision.
Saugeen First Nation has also rebranded the area, installing a new permanent sign for Saugeen Beach.
