Municipality Responds to Supreme Court Decision Affirming Saugeen First Nation’s Beach Ownership
After Canada’s top court upheld Saugeen Beach ownership for Saugeen First Nation, South Bruce Peninsula says focus now is on compensation and cooperation.
The Town of South Bruce Peninsula has issued its first public response following last week’s Supreme Court of Canada decision that left intact lower-court rulings affirming Saugeen First Nation’s ownership of the stretch of shoreline between Main Street and 7th Street North, now formally recognized as Saugeen Beach.
The Supreme Court provided no reasons for its refusal to hear the municipality and province’s appeal, which is standard practice when declining to grant leave to appeal.
In a September 3 release, the municipality acknowledged that “phase one of the land claim is now complete with Saugeen First Nations being declared as the owner of the sand beach between Main Street and 7th Street North.”
The Town said it anticipates the federal government will undertake a land survey to formally establish the eastern and northern reserve boundaries.
Citing paragraph 165 of the Ontario Court of Appeal’s decision, the municipality expressed confidence that Lakeshore Boulevard North and the lands east of it “will not be included in any new Reserve boundary realignment.”
According to the Town, the second phase of the claim is expected to begin in 2026 and will focus on compensation. In its release, the municipality said it will be “seeking compensation from the Crown to address a multitude of issues created by the decision,” on behalf of residents, business owners, and ratepayers in South Bruce Peninsula.
Land Ownership Legally Settled
The Ontario Superior Court of Justice ruled in 2023 that the two-kilometre stretch of beach west of Lakeshore Boulevard between Main Street and 7th Street North was improperly excluded from Saugeen’s reserve lands in 1855. That decision, unanimously upheld by the Ontario Court of Appeal in 2024, declared that the land “was and always had been” Saugeen reserve.
Saugeen First Nation has operated the southern portion of the beach as a public park since the 1960s and extended its management northward after the 2023 ruling. On July 1, 2025, the Nation symbolically renamed the contested section “Saugeen Beach,” underscoring its reclaimed authority.
“Generations of Saugeen people have fought tirelessly against all odds to protect and preserve this deeply important area at the heart of our traditional territory,” Chief Conrad Ritchie said following the Supreme Court’s decision.
Distinction Between Sauble and Saugeen Beach
The Town also stressed that while ownership of the disputed section of shoreline has been resolved, the broader community remains Sauble Beach.
“Our community is still called Sauble Beach, and the Town remains the owner of the sand beach between 7th St North and Groves Point, which we call Sauble Beach,” the release stated. “Sauble Beach continues to be a vibrant and bustling business, residential, and tourism friendly community.”
Mayor Jay Kirkland emphasized a commitment to strengthening ties with Saugeen First Nation.
“Council’s main goal now is to build and strengthen our relationship with our neighbours of Saugeen First Nation,” said Kirkland. “By doing so, we can work together to bring even greater prosperity to our area.”
Saugeen First Nation described the outcome as precedent-setting, noting it is the first time Canadian courts have recognized Indigenous ownership of land that had been wrongfully patented and sold to settlers.
With the Supreme Court’s refusal to hear further appeals, the protracted dispute has ended. What lies ahead is no longer a question of ownership, but of compensation and cooperation.