Court upholds Saugeen First Nation ownership of north Sauble Beach – cknxnewstoday.ca
December 10, 2024
Ontario’s Court of Appeal has dismissed appeals challenging Saugeen First Nation’s ownership of the northern section of Sauble Beach.
The decision upholds a 2023 Superior Court ruling that recognized the First Nation’s treaty rights to approximately 2.2 kilometres of the beach north of Main Street, resolving a long-standing boundary dispute stemming from 1856. The court also upheld financial awards against South Bruce Peninsula, requiring the town to pay $1.67 million to Saugeen First Nation and $467,000 to Canada for legal costs. Additionally, Ontario and the federal government must pay a combined $1.6 million to Saugeen First Nation for earlier legal expenses. However, the court agreed to revisit Canada’s liability for pre-Confederation Crown actions in a future phase of the case.
Chief Conrad Ritchie of Saugeen First Nation called the ruling a victory for his community, affirming their connection to the land.
