Dear Editor,
Well, it finally happened. Sauble Beach is now Saugeen Beach. Cue the gasps, eye-rolls, and grumbles from those who think changing a sign is the end of civilization as we know it.
But before anyone drives their ATV in protest across the sacred dunes, let’s take a moment to remember that the Saugeen Ojibway Nation didn’t just wake up last week and decide to stir the pot. They’ve only been patiently waiting, oh, about 170 years for someone—anyone—to recognize that this was their land to begin with.
That’s right. Long before we were barbecuing hot dogs, sunbathing in Speedos, or building cottages on “Crown land,” this was Saugeen territory. That includes the beach, the water, the air, and yes—probably the spot where you parked your trailer.
So when the Nation renames Sauble Beach to Saugeen Beach, it’s not “cancel culture.” It’s correction culture. It’s history showing up at your family picnic and reminding you that your towel is on someone else’s lawn.
If Bruce County can stomach a statue of a cow painted like a quilt, surely we can handle a sign that honours the people who never agreed to give up the land in the first place.
Yours in historical accuracy,
David Wood
Mildmay, Ontario
A Slightly Sunburned Settler
