The Band has erected a temporary barricade at the Main Street entrance to Sauble Park. There is a sign indicating that “vehicles are prohibited due to high water levels and loose sand“. Those ignoring this will be “subject to penalty”. The Beach access at Silver Lake Road is also temporarily barricaded but has a gate and a sign with the same wording. Security is on site and admitting no cars including those who have beach only access to their cottage. Only service vehicles are getting through. The lake is too high at French Bay Road for there to be beach access in either direction, north or south. French Bay Road runs into the water. There is no beach there. The Band has placed a large log across the road.
There are some garbage cans and portable toilets placed near the outlets. The beach is too soft or too narrow to service them everywhere.
There were a number of people on the beach yesterday who were parking along 2nd Ave near Silver Lake Road. There have been no additional no parking signs installed along 2nd Avenue or other roads near the beach.
Band leadership is aware of the issues and SCOI has communicated its concerns to the Band and to CanCom who will be responsible for Beach security. At this late date we have asked the Band to focus on getting the beach closed to vehicular traffic (which they have done) and to assist in making accommodations for those cottage owners who have beach access only cottages.
We understand that they are working on a way for beach access cottagers to get to their cottages. This is currently a work in progress. The process of closing the beach has been pretty fluid, but things are quickly taking shape. So if you are a beach access only cottager we would ask that you approach your neighbours about parking and access to your cottage if other accommodations are not in place when you arrive. And if you are one of the neighbours, please be as accommodating as possible. If we hear more about access we will post it here.
Many cottagers have been expressing concerns about lack of access, cars still driving recklessly on the Beach and no garbage cans and garbage not being picked up. Our view is that, even with the Beach closed to vehicles and with nice weather forecast for Saturday, Sunday and Monday, there will be an significant influx of day visitors to the Beach. There will be illegal parking, trespassing, garbage on the beach etc.
We ask that you cope with the situation. The Band is on the right track with closing the beach to cars and we want to provide as much support to them in this situation as we can. Getting angry with visitors, Band staff or CanCom officers will not be helpful.
We would like to remind everyone that the Beach is a public place, which means anyone (including other cottage owners and day visitors) can set up on the beach in front of your place. However, if people are parking in or blocking your driveway, trespassing by cutting through or defecating on your property, please remind them that what they are doing is illegal. If that doesn’t work, please call CanCom (519-379-4760) or email saugeen@cancomsecurity.com and report the infraction and your location.
Reporting illegal parking along roads this weekend will probably be a waste of time given all the other things that will be more important.
We are all blessed to be cottagers here and we enjoy a great relationship with the Band. It’s a long weekend and the weather is going to finally be very nice. We have lots to celebrate for Canada Day.
A reminder that the OPP put out a hypothermia warning last week. Lake Huron and Georgian Bay are very cold (away from the shore, as cold as 3C). So for those using kayaks, canoes, paddle boards, windsurfers and kite boards don’t venture too far from shore.
We wish you an enjoyable weekend.
- barricade at the Main Street entrance
- barricade at Silver Lake Road
- large log across the road at French Bay Rd entrance.
- garbage cans and portable toilets placed near the outlets
- no additional No Parking signs have been erected
- Band are working on a way for beach access cottagers to get to their cottages
- the Beach is a public place, which means anyone (including other cottage owners and day visitors) can set up on the beach in front of your place.
- if people are parking in or blocking your driveway, trespassing or defecating on your property, please
- remind them that what they are doing is illegal.
- If that doesn’t work, please call CanCom (519-379-4760)
or email saugeen@cancomsecurity.com
Have a safe and happy Canada Day Weekend!
Thank you for the update. Have a happy Canada Day!
Thank you for this valuable community service. Happy Canada Day
Thanks for the update. Happy Canada Day weekend to all!
There was a car on the beach Monday. The driver asked the people standing in the water to move. She was asked if she was security, she replied no. She was told there wasn’t any cars aloud on the beach, so she should get off the beach before she gets caught. She replies that her cottage only has beach access, so she was aloud on the beach. She apparently was given a key to a gate. So I’m wondering which is it NO cars but security on the beach like the above says or are there spacial people that will be asking us to move out of their way? It’s going to be fun moving our umbrella’s, chairs, kids toys ect. all summer long.
There are 15 land-lease cottage owners whose only access to their cottage is by driving along the beach. These beach access owners have a beach pass that entitles them to drive onto the beach to get to their cottage. We have on a number of occasions asked that other cottage owners accommodate these folks as they have no other option than to either park at a neighbour’s (if the neighbours are willing) and walk through to the beach somewhere near their cottage.
In the case you describe, the cottage owner also has an affixed disability identifier on her car. She has a legitimate reason for driving along the beach and an equally good reason for asking you to let her through. If people refuse her access, she has every right to call security and have those people moved or removed from the beach.
However, if there are individuals driving/parked on the beach that cannot show you a beach pass or do not identify themselves as Band Members, you should call CanCom security to deal with it (519-379-4760).
Our suggestion is that you select a spot on the beach that lets you set up in such a way that vehicles can get through without much disruption (recognising this is not possible in many places). In addition to beach access only cottagers, vehicles belonging to Band members, security, Sauble Park and EMS/fire vehicles have access to the beach.
Thanks for your update!
It is reassuring to see ATV security on the beach. Do they have authority to warn or expel visitors who violate Park rules?
CanCom security officers have been sworn in as Federal By-law Officers and can issue tickets for Band by-law infractions including Park Rules. They can and have asked people to leave the Beach and if needed will call the OPP to come and evict people from the beach and in serious cases, arrest them for trespassing and other offences.
thanks for the update.
i;m a new cottage owner and appreciate the info
Are day visitors allowed to bring their propane barbecues to cook on the beach?@ 18 street south & second Avenue Sauble
Only charcoal bbq’s are prohibited.
What has promoted the placement of this annoying speed bump on 2nd Ave S?
Is this to benefit everyone or some disgruntled cottager?
The speed bump was placed there by the Band, four years ago, at the request of the French Bay Beach Association. Cars driving along that stretch were constantly speeding and placing pedestrians at risk. Pedestrians coming out from 29th Street and Wahbezee Drive as well as those living on 2nd Ave. walk along the road there to get to the path that leads down to the north end of French Bay Beach. There are dips in the road coming from both south and north of the speed bump and it is difficult for drivers to see pedestrians (particularly children) walking along the road when both the car and the pedestrians are in a dip on opposite sides of the speed bump
What is the yellow sludge that is in the water the entire length of french bay and now washing up onto shore, terrified to let my child play at the beach
The yellow “sludge” is pollen. Tree pollen falls into the Saugeen and Sauble rivers in late spring/early summer. The plume from the Saugeen river tends to make its way north to the waters off Sauble Beach. On the weekend yellow pollen could be seen by kayakers and paddle boarders floating on the calm waters offshore. It has now made it to the shoreline.
Are dogs now allowed on the beach? For decades dogs have been prohibited and now it seems that people couldn’t be happier to bring their noble friends down to the beach and in the lake. No dogs allowed signs are posted at the main entrance. And are people picking up their droppings? I picked up some dried out ones yesterday on the dunes in front of our place.
There has been no change. Dogs are not allowed on the beach.
Can nothing be done about the pot holes on Second Ave. South between Silver Lake Road and French Bay Road?
The Band and is aware of the poor condition of 2nd Ave between French Bay Road and 16th Street as well as 16th Street from 2nd Ave. to Bruce County Rd 13. They, once again have temporarily patched these two sections of road but have indicated that they consider the current fix to be short term and intend to resurface them. The timing of this is not yet determined but hopefully later this year.