Sauble Beach Dairy Queen Gets Fibre Internet in the Nick of Time

After running for over a decade using old cash registers, the Sauble Beach Dairy Queen received orders from corporate that they had to upgrade to a sophisticated computerized point-of-sale system.

The new system required much greater bandwidth to operate than the DSL Internet connection they were subscribed to, which could barely provide 0.5 Mbps on a good day.

That’s why when it was announced that Xplore Fibre was officially live in Sauble Beach, owner Bev Buckton was thrilled.

“I wouldn’t have been able to run my business without the new service, that’s all there is to it. It’s crazy, the timing. You just came into town, and I had to upgrade my point-of-sale system in spring. If you hadn’t come along, I don’t know what I would have done,” he said.

Bev described Sauble Beach, Ontario as “a lovely little summer resort town.”

In the winter, the population is around 400 and, in the summer, it jumps to a whopping 50,000.

“Because it's not a populous area in the wintertime it’s traditionally had very poor internet service,” Bev said.

That was until Xplore started working in coordination with Southwestern Integrated Fibre Technology (SWIFT), a broadband expansion project designed to improve internet connectivity in underserved communities and rural areas across Southwestern Ontario.

In December of 2022, Xplore officially connected 1500 homes and businesses in Sauble Beach to ultra-fast fibre Internet, and has since been working to connect 5500 additional premises across Bruce, Brant, Grey and Middlesex counties. All of Xplore’s fibre areas offer a variety of package speeds at competitive prices, ranging from up to 100 Mbps to 1 Gbps service with unlimited data.

“I was getting by with 0.5 Mbps and now I’m getting 150 plus. It’s literally saved me hours a day. It’s just been revolutionary. I believed that living up here we’d never get this kind of service so I think that’s why I’m so ecstatic about it,” Bev explained.

Bev has been visiting Sauble Beach every summer his whole life.

His parents had a trailer at a local campground and now he and his wife own a cottage that they and their children are grateful to enjoy. The cottage is also connected to Xplore Fibre Internet, which Bev says has made a world of difference to his family.

“It’s a charmed existence to say the least,” he said. “Lake Huron is a beautiful warm clean lake; the beach is white soft sand. People who come here for the first time are blown away. They don’t realize a beach like this exists in Ontario. It's like Daytona Beach but it’s still relatively quiet and peaceful with a small-town feel and very friendly people.”

Taking over the local Dairy Queen was a no brainer to Bev and his wife when the opportunity came about just over 15 years ago.

They spent the first stretch juggling their full-time jobs in the city, with their three months of seasonal business in Sauble Beach and are now transitioning toward the Dairy Queen being their focus.

It’s been a really fun project for them.

“People are excited to buy ice cream so it’s a lot of fun to serve it to people all day long,” he said. “That and working with my staff. We have 15-20 students working here every summer. They are full of enthusiasm and it’s fun to come to work every day and see their bright happy shiny faces.”

Now, Sauble Beach cottagers and locals can enjoy all that this beautiful beach town has to offer without compromising on Internet and Bev says he’s not shy about letting people know.

“If anyone is concerned about their Internet service, I’m more than happy to tell them they really should switch over to fibre. To go from 0.5 Mbps to over 100 Mbps is life-changing.”

Xplore is actively expanding our fibre and 5G networks. Check your address to see all current available Internet options, including fibre and 5G, in your area.