The Sauble Beach sign was the center of attention on Canada Day.
At first glance, it looks much the same, but it now reads ‘Welcome to Saugeen Beach’ in the same lettering it already had.
The First Nation changed the letters early Tuesday morning, and the community and visitors woke up to a surprise.
Bayshore Broadcasting News interviewed Saugeen First Nation Beach Advisory Committee Co-chair Lester Anoquot at a barbecue celebration on the beach July 1st, in recognition of the sign change, the end of a long court battle, and Canada Day.
Anoquot says of the sign, “It’s just in recognition of the boundary of Saugeen First Nation. It was a smooth transition because the lettering is almost the same and there wasn’t a lot of huge changes to the design or anything.”
A post on Saugeen First Nation’s Facebook Page says, “Saugeen First Nation has been fighting for the rightful recognition and return of this land for decades. What some see as just a sign change is, for us, a symbol of truth, resilience and the reclamation of what has always been ours. Welcome to Saugeen Beach–where the land remembers, and so do we.”
Anoquot says the driving forces behind the sign celebration were Cheree Urscheler and Sonya Roote, both of whom are band council members and beach advisory committee members.
Anoquot says, “The committee is still looking at maybe possibly another design so that’s why there was discussion it may be temporary. We don’t know yet, but I think it was as smooth a transition with the wording as we could make with the word Saugeen. A lot of it didn’t change completely so it still looks a lot of the same.”
Anoquot, who was Chief for a number of years while the court case was being heard says, “It was a long court battle with the east boundary and a couple of appeals that had to go back and forth and finally we’re here and we’re finally done with the courts for now I hope. I don’t think there would be any more reason to go back to court.”
In 2023, the Ontario Superior Court ruled a portion of the beach to a point between 6th and 7th Streets North belonged to the First Nation, not the Town. The Ontario Court of appeal upheld the decision in December 2024.
Anoquot says, “It’s very exciting times. A lot of people are quite pleased with it, looking forward to a joyful summer and peaceful summer. Hopefully everyone can enjoy the water and enjoy the sunsets in the evening.”
Meanwhile, they’re looking at next steps for the beach. “The conversation now is with the Town about possibly some of the parking revenue and helping with maintenance of the north end of the beach. We just finished our fire agreement with the Town and we still need to probably beef up some of our ability to respond to any emergencies here on the beach specifically. So we need more manpower for sure and we’ll be looking to the federal government to help us with that,” says Anoquot.
Neither the Town nor the First Nation have water rescue training. The closest fire department to do any of that is Saugeen Shores. The Saugeen First Nation Fire Department wants to look into water rescue training and also have a sub station in the area of the Crowd Inn, possibly for things like medical emergencies. The department did ice water rescue training over the winter.
Anoquot says, “If the OPP are just recovering bodies, that’s one thing, but if you can actually save someone from drowning, that would be another. That would be helpful.” He says possibilities are endless, adding,”Public safety is always paramount for us.”
“The washrooms in the north end here really need attention,” says Anoquot noting the infrastructure in them is old and they need new plumbing and holding tanks among other things. There’s a lot of infrastructure maintenance that needs to be completed. Going forward that’s probably our main focus now.”
Designated parking is another thing the committee wants to address. “We’re looking at automated parking, using our debit card and an automated arm for a section of the beach. “I don’t know if we’re going to park on the entire beach, but at the south end we’ve got some designated areas for parking as well,” says Anoquot.
Meanwhile, the Town of South Bruce Peninsula says in a statement, “While the sign is located on lands under the jurisdiction of Saugeen First Nation we are disappointed not to have been told of the decision to change the name.
Mayor Jay Kirkland says in a statement, “The Sauble Beach sign is a well-known landmark with deep meaning for many people,” adding, “While we respect Saugeen First Nation’s right to make changes on their land, we believe open communication is important – especially when it involves something so symbolic to the broader community. We remain committed to respectful dialogue and working together in the spirit of mutual understanding.”
Meanwhile, Anoquot says, “Hopefully with all of this court business behind us, people can just enjoy themselves on the beach and never mind about the underlying court issues and just enjoy the weather and have fun.”
