Owen Sound Sun Times

A call to boycott Chapman’s Ice Cream by groups opposed to COVID-19 vaccine mandates has actually led to a groundswell of support for the Markdale-based ice cream company, says its vice-president. Ashley Chapman said Tuesday that a campaign targeting the company was launched after someone at Chapman’s took a picture of a reminder post at […]

Owen Sound’s snow-clearing operations kicked into high gear late Monday as the city received its first significant dumping of the white stuff this season. Dennis Kefalas, director of public works and engineering, said street and sidewalk plows, along with graders and front-end loaders, assisted with the relatively routine clean-up effort. “We have a couple areas […]

Wiarton’s famous weather-predicting albino groundhog has died. A tooth abscess caused Wiarton Willie’s untimely demise prior to his annual Groundhog Day prognostication earlier this year, according to South Bruce Peninsula Mayor Janice Jackson. The town finally confirmed the news of his death Tuesday — more than nine months after the red-eyed rodent was noticeably absent […]

Four new cases of COVID-19 were reported in Grey-Bruce Monday, on top of five new local cases over the weekend. Two cases in Meaford and one new case each in Hanover and West Grey were reported Monday. There are 22 active cases being followed by the health unit, along with 54 high-risk contacts. Case counts […]

Most teachers and students welcome the province’s announcement last week that regular semesters will resume by February, one teachers’ union rep said Monday. “I would say Catholic teachers in Bruce-Grey are very happy and relieved to hear that they can return to a normal semester starting in February,” said Rose Hillyer, who represents high school […]

With Christmas just over a month away, local toy drives have kicked off and early indications are that the need in the Owen Sound area is as high as it has ever been. Alice Wannan of the Owen Sound Salvation Army said on Monday that the organization did its first Christmas hamper application day last […]

The Owen Sound Salvation Army had a “tremendous” start to its annual Christmas campaign. Family services co-ordinator Alice Wannan said the organization collected nearly 2,000 pounds of non-perishable food items for its food bank during Saturday’s 76th annual Kiwanis Owen Sound Santa Claus Parade. “We did tremendously well. We were so surprised. We were unsure […]

Demand for food assistance in Grey-Bruce so far this year continues to outpace the record-setting numbers seen in 2020 — the year the COVID-19 pandemic took hold — with the typically busiest month still to come. Francesca Dobbyn, executive director of the United Way of Bruce Grey, said data from the Food Grey Bruce app, […]

A 36-year-old Markham resident has been charged with careless driving after a collision involving an OPP cruiser north of Paisley. An on-duty South Bruce OPP officer was on general patrol, heading northbound on Bruce County Road 3, when an eastbound car drove into the intersection at Bruce County Road 40 and struck the cruiser, according […]

Benjamin Gaudreau turned aside 26 shots Sunday afternoon in Sarnia to earn his first Ontario Hockey League shutout in a 4-0 win over the Owen Sound Attack. Madden Steen actually beat the former seventh-overall pick in the game, but the goal was called off immediately as Julian Fantino was deemed to have made contact with […]

The holiday season kicked off in Owen Sound with an energetic, illuminated nighttime parade, roaring campfires by city hall, fireworks over the Sydenham River and ceremonial lighting of kilometres of festive displays. Saturday saw the convergence of three events — the River District’s Holiday Magic, the Kiwanis Owen Sound Santa Claus Parade and the opening […]

Public health reported five new local cases of COVID-19 over the weekend as the Grey Bruce Health Unit gears up for the start of vaccinations for children aged five to 11 later this week. Medical officer of health Dr. Ian Arra said Sunday the health unit is expecting to receive the earliest shipment of vaccines […]

Talk about fitting in. William Portokalis scored two goals Saturday night as the Owen Sound Attack exploded to a 6-3 victory over the Saginaw Spirit at the Harry Lumley Bayshore Community Centre. It’s the club’s fifth straight win. They have points in their last seven games and haven’t dropped a Saturday-night tilt at the Bayshore […]

The Grey Bruce Health Unit reported three new local cases of COVID-19 Saturday — all from Huron-Kinloss. There are now 31 confirmed active cases of the virus in Grey-Bruce and 129 active high-risk contacts. One Grey-Bruce resident is currently in a local hospital with a case of COVID-19. Public health says there have been 2,485 […]

The Owen Sound Attack’s rookie class is helping captain Mark Woolley raise money for Diabetes Canada with an online auction in support of Woolley’s Warriors. As part of their high school leadership class, the rookies have organized a fundraiser through DASH Auction. Items up for bid include signed jerseys from NHLer Nicklas Backstrom, Maple Leafs […]

The company proposing to build an 829-unit housing development across from Georgian College in Owen Sound has scheduled a meeting for Dec. 1 to receive public input on the plan. Markham-based Flato Developments is planning to hold the drop-in “community engagement meeting” from 4 to 8 p.m. at Best Western Inn on the Bay. Flato […]

Nick Chenard made all three stops in the shootout and Sam Sedley scored as Greg Walters tapped three defencemen in the post-overtime skills competition to pull out a 3-2 victory over the Guelph Storm Friday night inside the Sleeman Centre. Nolan Seed and Andrew Perrott had their shootout shots turned aside by Jacob Oster, but […]

It’s the end of an era in the crease for the Owen Sound Attack. The Attack dealt over-age goaltender Mack Guzda to the Barrie Colts for a pair of draft picks Friday afternoon. The picks include a third-round selection in the 2023 OHL Priority Selection and the fifth-round pick in 2022. A former 31st-overall pick […]

A trial concerning Saugeen First Nation’s claim to the popular strip of beach north of the “Welcome to Sauble Beach” sign will begin Tuesday, not Monday as previously scheduled, due to what the court administration said were technical reasons. The Superior Court of Justice will hear this case, tried in civil court in Toronto. It […]

Andrew Armitage, a local historian, author, book reviewer and prolific reader who served as Owen Sound’s chief librarian from 1973 to 2000, has died. The Leith resident, who had a long-running book review column in The Sun Times and wrote roughly 10,000 scripts as the “Georgian Bay Explorer,” died Thursday at his home. He was […]

It’s approaching four years since Nolan Panchyshyn’s parents last saw their 20-year-old son. Friday, the day David Beattie was sentenced to nine years for killing him and assisting in dismembering and hiding their son’s remains, they said they want to move on. They would have preferred a little longer prison sentence but they respect the […]

The Grey Bruce Health Unit reported a single new COVID-19 case Friday, in Southgate. The newly added case meant there were 28 active COVID-19 cases and 135 high-risk associated contacts as of just before midnight on Thursday in the two counties. The health unit is reporting 2,485 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Grey-Bruce since the […]

A legal dispute involving Saugeen First Nation’s claim to ownership of a big chunk of Sauble Beach, one of the most popular beaches in Ontario, goes to court Monday in Toronto. The band argues it is owed about 2.25 kilometres (1.4 miles) of beach to the north of the landmark “Welcome to Sauble Beach” sign […]

A Wiarton landmark was well on its way to being demolished Thursday. The white Caframo warehouse building, with its orange roof visible across Colpoys Bay, is being demolished. Deterioration was too great and refurbishment wasn’t feasible, the long-time local company’s president, Tony Solecki, announced in a news release. The building was constructed in 1902 by […]

Two YMCA 2021 Peace Medals were bestowed Thursday to honour those who established the Potter’s Field Memorial and the Gitche Namewikwedong Reconciliation Garden in Owen Sound. Ys across Canada award Peace Medals every year and the local Y has honoured 23 people and 14 groups for their peace-building work. The presentations take place between Nov. […]

The Grey Bruce Health Unit reported three new local cases of COVID-19 Thursday — the same day the province saw its largest increase in new cases since late September. Two of the new local cases were from Arran-Elderslie, while the third was from Grey Highlands. There are now 30 confirmed active cases of the virus […]

The Georgian Bay Symphony is returning to live performances for their annual Christmas concert early next month. It will be the first in-person event, since COVID-19 took hold, for the community orchestra, which opened the 2021-22 season with a virtual concert in October after pivoting to an all-digital schedule last season due to the pandemic. […]

Georgian Bluffs has secured an agreement to sell off its Wiarton-Keppel International Airport. Mayor Dwight Burley confirmed the township has inked an agreement of purchase and sale with a buyer for the facility. The transaction is set to close Dec. 17. Burley said until that happens, the township will not be releasing details of the […]

Grey Bruce Health Unit reported four new cases of COVID-19 Wednesday. Two were confirmed in Owen Sound, while Saugeen Shores and Southgate each had one confirmed case. The health unit is following 27 active cases and 121 high-risk contacts of people who tested positive for COVID. Since the start of the pandemic, Grey-Bruce has recorded […]

Just over a week ago the Owen Sound North Stars junior B executive organization chart was bare. Mark Rouse planned to step down as team president after 11 years at the helm. Only secretary Ted Kitto was named to a role, with Rouse staying on as past president to ostensibly do the same job without […]

South Bruce Peninsula has begun accepting licence applications for short-term rental properties. Owners or property managers of residential dwellings that provide temporary accommodations of up to 30 consecutive days will be required, starting Jan. 1, to have a licence from the town. Mayor Janice Jackson said the municipality is urging operators to apply for a […]

Dale DeGray and the Owen Sound Attack are hoping a change in scenery will help a skilled veteran tap into a store of offensive potential. Owen Sound sent a 12th-round pick in the 2024 Ontario Hockey League Priority Selection to the Mississauga Steelheads Wednesday for 19-year-old forward William Portokalis. The Mississauga native was originally a […]

South Bruce Peninsula is returning to a fully in-house bylaw enforcement model in the new year as the town continues to see demand for the service grow amid increasing visitor numbers. Council approved a staff recommendation Tuesday to authorize the transition from the current hybrid model of both contracted and in-house enforcement. The new model […]

The Bells of Christmas were quickly snapped up and gifts are already rolling in to be delivered to Owen Sound-area long-term care and nursing homes. The program, designed to provide gifts for lonely seniors at Christmastime, is once again proving to be a success, said an organizer. “It is a wonderful experience to be involved […]

A precautionary boil water advisory has been lifted for the Lion’s Head water system. The Grey Bruce Health Unit announced Tuesday evening that the advisory had been lifted by the Northern Bruce Peninsula in consultation with the health unit and the Ontario Clean Water Agency. The advisory was issued Saturday evening following a water main […]

A new case of COVID-19 in Huron-Kinloss and one in Meaford were reported by the Grey Bruce Health Unit Tuesday. The health unit now is managing 26 active, confirmed cases, plus 137 high-risk contacts of confirmed cases. One Grey-Bruce resident is in a local hospital due to the pandemic virus, the health unit’s situation report […]

Following what staff described as a “generally successful” paid-parking pilot program at Memorial Park in Meaford, council will now discuss expanding the program in 2022. During Monday’s committee of the whole meeting, councillors approved a motion to recommend the permanent continuation of the paid-parking program at Memorial Park while directing staff to expand the program […]

Ontario Premier Doug Ford made a stop in Dundalk Monday, where he was photographed at a ceremonial groundbreaking for a new health clinic. The government’s final approval for the 17,000-square-foot South East Grey Community Health Centre in Dundalk has not been granted yet and Ford didn’t announce whether it would be. But Southgate Mayor John […]

Blue Mountains Deputy-mayor Rob Potter is being remembered as someone who worked tirelessly for the community, even as his health deteriorated in recent months. Mr. Potter died Sunday at the age of 65. Blue Mountains Mayor Alar Soever said Tuesday that he enjoyed working with Mr. Potter and his commitment to the community was second […]

The owner of two American Bully dogs deemed by West Grey to be pit bulls and seized earlier this year is taking the municipality to court. After an eight-month dispute, Nove and Dexter are home with the Wheeler family in Varney, but now Deanna Wheeler is seeking nearly $35,000 to recoup boarding costs and for […]

The city will be referring to Owen Sound’s 9.86-hectare waterfront park as “Kelso Beach at Nawash Park” as it works to create a new 10-year master plan for the west-side site. Community services director Pam Coulter said the park — which is on traditional Anishinaabe territory, near the original Nawash village, and home to the […]

South Bruce OPP are asking for the public’s help finding a trailer containing tools and equipment estimated to be valued at more than $35,000. On Thursday, just before 8:30 a.m., police received a report of a theft of a trailer from Main Street North in Elmwood. Sometime between midnight on Nov. 5 and 8 a.m. […]

Grey Bruce Health Services now says any staff member or physician who is not fully vaccinated against COVID-19 by Dec. 3 “will no longer be employed” with the hospital corporation. The updated vaccination policy does not apply to employees with an approved medical exemption. “We must be able to reassure the public that we are […]

Three people have been charged after police received a report of a theft at the Port Elgin WalMart on Nov. 9. The Saugeen Shores Police received the report of the theft and a detailed description of the vehicle was provided by staff at that time, it said in a news release. Police located a vehicle […]

Opening ceremonies return for the 34th annual Festival of Northern Lights on Saturday, starting at 6 p.m. by the farmers’ market in downtown Owen Sound. The lights and related entertainment, on the east side of the river this year, will come at the end of a day of family-friendly events starting at 2 p.m. along […]

In an effort to find new ways to produce revenue, Owen Sound will look into a tax on hotel, bed & breakfast and other short-term stays. City council unanimously approved a motion during budget deliberations Friday that directs staff to present a report “sometime in 2022” regarding a potential municipal accommodation tax for stays under […]

Hanover police have arrested a man and closed nearly 30 cases. On Nov. 9, following an in-depth investigation by the Hanover police that culminated with a foot-chase and subsequent arrest of a suspect in the downtown, the man was charged with criminal offences that include multiple counts of break and enter, possession of stolen property […]

A precautionary boil water advisory for Lion’s Head remianed in effect Monday after a water main break on the weekend. Northern Bruce Peninsula, in consultation with the Grey Bruce Health Unit and Ontario Clean Water Agency, issued the advisory after the break Saturday night. At about 10 p.m. the water main break in the municipal […]

A mother and daughter from Durham have been arrested and charged after a series of thefts from Owen Sound businesses on Sunday. An alert store employee observed two women stealing several items from an eastside retail business, Owen Sound police said in a release. The employee contacted the Owen Sound Police Service and watched the […]