Settlement agreement finalized for Saugeen Shores and Saugeen Ojibway Nation

The offices of the Saugeen Ojibway Nation. (Scott Miller / CTV News)

London, Ont. -

An out-of-court resolution has been reached between Saugeen Shores and the Saugeen Ojibway Nation (SON) over parts of the Saugeen (Bruce) Peninsula.

The claim, launched by SON 25 years ago, went to trial in 2019 and reached an agreement on Tuesday. SON's claims against the federal, provincial and other municipal governments continues.

While the full terms of the settlment are confidential, the Town of Saugeen Shores provided 1.7 hectares of municipal property, financial compensation and commits to municipal support for housing development.

Working along with SON to rename lands in the Summerside development, recently transferred to the town, they acknowledge the need for reconciliation and protection of the Indigenous significance.

"We are pleased to close this chapter of our land claim." said Chief Lester Anoquot of Saugeen First Nation in a statement. "Through cooperation, and a spirit of listening and joint respect, we have been able to arrive at an agreement with Saugeen Shores that supports a strong relationship between our communities."

"The town is learning more and more about how we can do better by our First Nations friends and partners. This agreement, and our process to get here, represent what’s possible and have reminded us that still more needs to be done," added Mayor of the Town of Saugeen Shores Luke Charbonneau.

The town will work with SON on renaming initiatives in 2022. 

We are pleased that on Sept 21 we reached an out-of-court resolution with @SaugeenOjibway. It settles our involvement in SON’s long-standing legal action re: parts of the Saugeen (Bruce) Peninsula. It’s a significant step forward with our SON partners. https://t.co/GOgR5YH36j pic.twitter.com/NT1evewRRE

— Saugeen Shores (@SaugeenShoresON) September 24, 2021