Owen Sound Sun Times

A development in Meaford aimed at providing housing for people who live and work in the the community has received the green light from both Meaford and Grey County. Grey County council approved a revised draft plan of subdivision Thursday for the 201-unit Loon Call attainable housing project on on Highway 26, on the western […]

What prompted Kenneth Sawatsky to stab his two friends in the neck, as they drove off with him to celebrate a birthday, remains uncertain. But it was suggested in court drugs and alcohol played a part. The 50-year-old South Bruce Peninsula man pleaded guilty Thursday to two counts of attempted murder for the stabbings Dec. […]

A Walkerton-area group is setting wheels in motion to get a residential hospice built faster in the community. The project has been under the wing of Residential Hospice of Grey Bruce Inc., which operates Chapman House in Owen Sound. Friday RHGB issued a news release saying the project would be on hold for up to […]

A Brockton man has died after a collision on Bruce Road 15 in Brockton on Thursday morning. Donald Woodard, 62, was pronounced dead at the scene of the crash, the OPP said in a news release. Just before 9 a.m., South Bruce OPP responded to a collision on the road in the former Greenock Township. […]

The Grey Bruce Health Unit has yet to convict a resident with failing to self-isolate under its Section 22 Class Order. Grey-Bruce’s medical officer of health issued a Section 22 Class Order April 16 ordering those diagnosed with COVID-19, those awaiting test results and those who are close contacts of COVID-19 cases to self-isolate at […]

A man who defaced five Owen Sound religious buildings in November pleaded guilty Thursday in a virtual Ontario Court of Justice hearing to committing mischief motivated by bias, prejudice or hate of a religion. Brodie Williamson, 26, of 1005 2nd Ave. E. in Owen Sound, pleaded guilty to those five charges from Nov. 21 and […]

As lumber and material costs drive up the price of building construction, unfortunately constructing a replica historical general store doesn’t come with historical costs. The tender for the construction of the 1920s General Store at the Grey Roots Museum and Archives has been awarded with construction planned to begin next month in the Moreston Heritage […]

As part of National Volunteer Week’s 20th-anniversary celebration, the YMCA of Owen Sound Grey Bruce is recognizing Deb Broomfield for more than four decades of volunteer service. Broomfield is the local YMCA’s longest-serving volunteer. She has been at it for 45 years, beginning as a fitness instructor in 1976. “Our Fitness and Wellness Department wouldn’t […]

Police acted lawfully to arrest a suspect hiding in the woods near Flesherton, even if they may have aggravated the suspect’s broken left foot, a police oversight agency’s director concluded. Special Investigations Unit director Joseph Martino’s review of the case found “it remains unclear whether the injury was aggravated by police in the course of […]

Grey-Bruce’s top doctor is feeling “really good” about the region’s COVID-19 case numbers less than a week after a “critical threshold” was declared because of a spike in numbers locally. Dr. Ian Arra said Wednesday that the trend was showing that the Grey Bruce Health Unit had regained control over contact tracing following last week’s […]

Owen Sound has become a more crypto-friendly community with the recent launch of Grey-Bruce’s first Bitcoin ATM. The kiosk, which allows people to buy or sell the cryptocurrency for cash, was installed April 14 at Central Variety on 8th Street East. David Sheffield, whose Owen Sound-based Sheffield Software Solutions is managing the machine on behalf […]

The Nature Conservancy of Canada is working to finalize the purchase of approximately 400 acres of wood and wetland in Northern Bruce Peninsula situated on both Britain and Otter Lakes. Mike Hendren, NCC regional vice-president (Ontario region), said during a government funding announcement Wednesday that the purchase is being completed . Hendren was joined by […]

With Greater Toronto Area hospitals feeling the weight of a crush of COVID-19 patients, the hospital corporations in Grey-Bruce are making changes to be able to assist them. The three corporations announced together on Wednesday that they are ramping down elective surgeries and procedures in response to escalating bed capacity challenges across the province. With […]

The man police charged after the 130-year-old Wesley United Church was destroyed by fire at Saugeen First Nation last Sept. 28 will be getting another lawyer. During an appearance in the Ontario Court of Justice in Walkerton Wednesday, Sophia Newbould said it appears she has a conflict related to the case and said her client, […]

Owen Sound is conditionally waiving just over $212,000 in development fees for two projects that will add a combined 39 rental units in the city. Some councillors said Monday that the two developments – a 23-unit build near Duncan McLellan Park and 16-unit townhouse project on 16th Avenue East – are exactly what council had […]

Local reaction to the federal budget included excitement and hope that problems highlighted during the COVID-19 pandemic will improve as a result of spending, but some things were missed, including adequate broadband investments, two people commented. Politically, Bruce-Grey-Owen Sound MP Alex Ruff called it an election budget that spends more than is needed and doesn’t […]

Sun Times multimedia journalist Scott Dunn won the 2020 Ontario Newspaper Award for feature writing (under 25,000 circulation) for a series of stories looking at the long-term repercussions of the Walkerton water tragedy. Dunn wrote four stories, published in May 2020, to mark the 20th anniversary of E. coli contaminating Walkerton’s drinking water supply, killing […]

Owen Sound has approved some tax policy changes that will result in owners of active commercial and industrial properties seeing a noticeable drop in their property tax bills this year. City council voted Monday to eliminate a 30 per cent tax discount for vacant commercial and industrial land – not to be confused with a […]

The Grey Bruce Health Unit reported just three new cases of COVID-19 on Tuesday. The new cases reported prior to midnight on Monday included one each in Southgate, Georgian Bluffs and South Bruce. It marks a substantial drop in cases from last week when the health unit declared a “critical threshold,” with new daily cases […]

Grey-Bruce’s board of health has “grave concerns” about “misleading assertions” raised by Coun. John Tamming that it worries are undermining public confidence in the region’s health unit during the COVID-19 pandemic. Those comments are included in a letter to city councillors, signed by health board chair and Hanover Mayor Sue Paterson, that was read aloud […]

The Ontario Hockey League has officially cancelled the 2020-21 season. The league announced the official end of its return-to-play planning effort Tuesday in a news release. “Earlier this month the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) and the Government of Ontario reached an agreement on a return-to-play plan for the League. However, the recently extended stay-at-home order […]

The Kiwanis Sk8 and Bike Park has been closed again after the city announced it would reopen late Monday afternoon. On Tuesday morning, the City of Owen Sound put out an advisory notifying the public that the facility at Victoria Park would be closed under the guidelines stay-at-home order that has been put in place […]

The first Bruce Peninsula Sportsmen Association Lures N Lines Spring Trout Derby has been postponed until May 28. Initially slated to begin May 7, the derby start has been pushed back amid the surging COVID-19 pandemic and resulting provincial restrictions. Derby organizers said those looking for refunds will be accommodated with proof of purchase (a […]

City council has formally reprimanded one of its own after an investigation by Owen Sound’s integrity commissioner found Coun. John Tamming engaged in “harassing and bullying” actions towards Deputy-mayor Brian O’Leary. Mayor Ian Boddy left the mayor’s chair Monday to move the motion to reprimand Tamming – as recommended in a 16-page report by Principle’s […]

The Grey Bruce Health Unit reported 13 new cases of COVID-19 Monday. Four of the newest cases were found in Owen Sound, while three were in Southgate, two in Georgian Bluffs, and single cases were found in Meaford, The Blue Mountains, Grey Highlands and Chatsworth. It’s the fourth straight day of declining daily numbers since […]

The Owen Sound hospital’s intensive care unit received three “very sick” COVID-19 patients from the Toronto region on the weekend. And more are expected to arrive as the province’s hospitals fill up in a third wave of the pandemic in which the variants are winning the battle over vaccinations. “For the first time we are […]

Police said a man stole at least five vehicles, threatened and assaulted people and struck three people with a vehicle before police boxed in and arrested a suspect in Berkeley Friday night after he’d evaded earlier attempts to stop him. Nelson Toste, 40, of Brampton, remains in custody and returns to bail court by video […]

Three people were injured and taken to hospital after a propane leak caused an explosion in Grey Highlands on April 13. Grey Bruce OPP responded to a report of an explosion and subsequent fire at a rural property on Grey Road 12 near Sideroad 10A just before 9 a.m., a police news release said. A […]

Starting Tuesday, people over 40 are eligible to receive AstraZeneca’s COVID-19 vaccine at over 1,400 pharmacies in Ontario. Several pharmacies in Grey-Bruce are booking vaccination appointments. An updated list is available on the province’s website. Kristen’s Pharmacy in Southampton has administered over 500 vaccines to date and had 84 appointments booked Monday. Pharmacist Kristen Watt […]

April 17, 2021

Seventeen new cases of COVID-19 were reported to the Grey Bruce Health Unit Sunday, marking the third straight day of declining daily numbers since a record-high 42 local cases were reported Thursday. Thirty-two new local cases were reported Friday, followed by 18 new cases Saturday. Five of the new cases reported Sunday were from Owen […]

Eleven local fire departments will receive a share of $76,100 in funding, announced by Bruce-Grey-Owen Sound MPP Bill Walker, to help firefighters conduct training and inspections safely during the COVID-19 pandemic. The one-time funding, part of a $5-million provincial investment for municipal fire services, will allow departments to update technology and equipment, such as high-speed […]

Renowned storm spotter Gerald Cheng will be leading a virtual session early next month on spotting, reporting and staying safe in severe weather. Grey County, in partnership with several local municipalities, is holding the free CANWARN Severe Weather Awareness and Preparedness live event May 4 from 7 to 9 p.m. Registration is now open for […]

A 40-year-old Brampton man is facing robbery, vehicle theft, dangerous driving, assault and other charges in connection to several criminal incidents in Grey-Bruce Friday. The Grey-Bruce OPP says the man was arrested on Highway 10 near Berkeley at about 7:30 p.m. Friday. Three OPP cruisers were damaged while attempting to stop the suspect, according to […]

Charges are pending against event organizers and others after about 40 people took part in an anti-lockdown protest in the town Saturday, according to Hanover police. Deputy-chief George Hebblethwaite said officers monitored the group during the event, which began and ended at Hanover Park on 7th Avenue, and are still conducting an investigation. The protest […]

Eighteen new cases of COVID-19 were reported to the Grey Bruce Health Unit on Saturday. Five of those cases were from Owen Sound, while both South Bruce and The Blue Mountains had four cases each. Single cases were reported in Georgian Bluffs, Grey Highlands, Kincardine, Meaford and West Grey. There are now 166 active cases […]

The province has backtracked on allowing police to randomly stop vehicles or people to enforce the province’s stay-at-home order after a long list of police departments, including those in Owen Sound, Saugeen Shores and West Grey, said they would not be using the enhanced powers. An update, posted to the province’s COVID-19 emergency information page […]

It might feel like a case of déjà vu, but Owen Sound is once again reminding residents not to flush wipes down the toilet. Just as they did last spring after the COVID-19 pandemic began to take hold in Ontario, city hall has issued another spring warning that “wipes clog pipes.” City officials say it […]

All scheduled COVID-19 vaccination clinics in Grey-Bruce are going ahead as planned, says medical officer of health Dr. Ian Arra, who confirmed Saturday that public health has now regained control over case and contact management. This comes three days after the local health unit declared a “critical threshold” in COVID-19 cases due to a surge […]

Owen Sound native John Lewis says his biotechnology firm Entos Pharmaceuticals has begun Phase 1 clinical trials of its made-in-Canada COVID-19 DNA vaccine. The first trial participants were injected with Covigenix VAX-001 Thursday at the Canadian Center for Vaccinology in Halifax, N.S. “We’re obviously very pleased that our vaccine platform has begun clinical trials and […]

Grey-Bruce’s COVID case count grew by 32 Friday, a day the province extended the stay-home order by two weeks and tightened pandemic restrictions, as modelling shows the third wave of the pandemic threatens to get much worse. Dr. Ian Arra, the medical officer of health, issued his class order Friday as promised, effective until further […]

Meaford’s nearly $2.4 million reconstruction of Sykes Street North will likely begin in May closing a 250-metre stretch of the downtown’s main thoroughfare for three months. The work will tear up Sykes Street North, between Collingwood and Lombard streets, and replace its underground pipes. This past Monday, Meaford council approved Arnill Construction Limited’s $2,354,161 bid […]

Owen Sound’s integrity commissioner is recommending council formally reprimand Coun. John Tamming after concluding he engaged in “harassing and bullying” actions towards Deputy-mayor Brian O’Leary. Principles Integrity lays out its findings and recommendation in a 16-page report, to be presented to council Monday. The report, which stems from a council code of conduct complaint filed […]

The “tired” Kemble community centre has had funding approved for a major upgrade. But residents are being warned that it isn’t going to be an easy task to get the facility back into shape. On April 8, it was announced that the former arena was one of 10 local projects to receive funding through the […]

Bruce-Grey-Owen Sound MPP Bill Walker announced $650,000 in one-time combined federal and provincial funding for improvements at Lee Manor Friday. The funding is part of a $100 million investment to install heating, ventilation and air-conditioning (HVAC) systems, and make retrofits or repairs to fire sprinkler systems, in 95 long-term care homes across the province. Of […]

Area school boards will receive over $8.4 in provincial and federal funding to help improve and upgrade infrastructure at local schools. Specifically, the money is aimed at helping protect against COVID-19. The money is being funded through the COVID-19 Reliance Infrastructure Stream of the Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program (ICIP). The Bluewater District School Board […]

Given the latest surge of COVID-19 cases in Grey-Bruce, vaccinations are being redeployed and that will mean next week’s large-scale COVID-19 vaccine clinics are cancelled, the local public health unit announced Thursday. Those vaccines will be given to more vulnerable residents in First Nations, shelters and congregate settings over the coming four days, Dr. Ian […]

Grey-Bruce’s medical officer of health says people are lying to public health investigators, which is helping to spread COVID-19. Dr. Ian Arra declared a “community outbreak” in eastern Grey County involving a COVID variant Thursday, a day after raising concerns about people not telling the truth, or the whole truth, to public health investigators. So […]

The Owen Sound & District Chamber of Commerce will soon be offering free rapid antigen screening test kits to small and medium-sized businesses. Diane Austin, the organization’s chief executive officer, said any business with under 150 employees will soon be able to register on the chamber’s website to receive two kits per employee. She said […]

With public health declaring a “critical threshold” of local COVID-19 cases, area politicians are echoing a call for people to stay home except for necessities and many businesses have opted to voluntarily close until at least Saturday. Grey County Warden Selwyn Hicks said he’s alarmed by the surge in local cases and close contacts. “Please, […]