South Bruce Peninsula has unveiled its new brand and economic positioning strategy for Sauble.
The village is keeping the ‘Sauble Beach’ name it’s gone by for decades.
A large portion of the actual sandy beach property is now called, ‘Saugeen Beach’ or ‘Chi-Gmiinh’ meaning ‘big water’ after Saugeen First Nation’s ownership of the sand beach was confirmed by the courts in 2023.
The Town recently undertook a public consultation process to gauge how the village wanted to brand itself moving forward. The town says it now has a, “Comprehensive roadmap that will guide the future of one of Ontario’s most recognized destination communities.”
The branding features a ‘nature first’ logo with an evergreen tree, shoreline, water and a sunset. The previous branding focused on a retro beach theme.
A staff report to council several months ago said, “Recent changes to the ownership and official naming of the 2.4-kilometre sand beach along Lake Huron, now formally recognized as Saugeen Beach (formerly Sauble Beach) have generated community dialogue and questions regarding local identity, place-making, and long-term positioning of the area.”
At the time, staff explained, “The purpose of this initiative is to establish a forward-looking community identity that builds civic pride, supports sustainable economic development, and creates a refreshed and cohesive brand that resonates with residents, visitors, businesses, and investors. The strategy will guide the creation of a renewed market brand that reflects both the community’s evolution and its future aspirations.”
Back in December 2025, Council authorized staff to reallocate the funds previously earmarked for the replacement of a Sauble Beach sign to a branding strategy for the urban area of the beach community.
The Town says its project was intentionally designed to be community-driven, with the aim of reflecting the values, aspirations, and unique identity of Sauble Beach.
They engaged residents, businesses, tourism partners, community organizations, and visitors.
The Town says, “The strategy recognizes that a successful economic positioning plan must build upon the community’s greatest strengths. For Sauble Beach, these include its exceptional natural assets, strong tourism appeal, established destination recognition, and unmistakable sense of place.”
Mayor Jay Kirkland says in a statement, “This strategy is about protecting what makes Sauble Beach special while ensuring we are building a stronger future for our community,” said Mayor Jay Kirkland. “This work provides a clear direction for how we can strengthen our economy, support local businesses, enhance the visitor experience, and create opportunities that benefit residents year-round.”
The Town says the strategy identifies several interconnected priorities that will guide future economic development efforts, including extending economic activity beyond the peak summer season, developing more experience-based and weather-independent reasons to visit and stay, supporting downtown revitalization as a vibrant year-round commercial and social hub, improving infrastructure, mobility, and business conditions in key areas.
They also say they will focus on strengthening collaboration among the municipality, tourism organizations, the chamber of commerce, local businesses, regional partners and Saugeen First Nation.