Owen Sound Sun Times

The Grey Bruce Health Unit continues to endure a province-topping spike of cases as the spread of the Delta variant and recent case clusters have pushed the region’s daily case counts higher than those of Toronto, Waterloo and Peel regions. After reporting 22 new COVID-19 cases Sunday, the Grey Bruce Health Unit added 13 cases […]

With the province set to enter Stage 3 of its reopening plan on Friday, Ontario Minister of Heritage, Sport, Tourism and Culture Industries Lisa MacLeod was in the Owen Sound area for a “soft launch” of her tour to boost the tourism and cultural sectors hit hard by the 16-month pandemic. But as Grey-Bruce continues […]

Owen Sound has begun a search for its next top firefighter after Chief Doug Barfoot announced his plan to retire once a replacement is found. Barfoot, a local firefighter for 41 years who came out of a brief retirement in 2015 to become chief of Owen Sound Fire & Emergency Services, said Monday he feels […]

Kemble’s best-known piper, community booster and honorary mayor, Keith Davidson, has received a national Women’s Institute award for his contributions to the Kemble Women’s Institute and its promotion of “home and country.” He was recognized at a ceremony Monday afternoon at the Kemble Women’s Institute Scenic Lookout, in a parkette beside Grey Road 1 overlooking […]

The Tara Twins opened up the 2021 season this past weekend by picking up a pair of victories. First, the Twins spotted the Elmira Heat a six-run lead in the opening three innings before climbing their way back into the game. Anthony Klerks led off the fourth inning with a walk, followed by a double […]

Several Owen Sound North Stars girls’ field lacrosse teams were in Halton Hills this past weekend for Ontario Women’s Field Lacrosse tournament dates. The OWFL hosted its first of three weekend tournaments this season for the under-11, under-13, under-15 and under-19 age groups at the Trafalgar Sports Park. All games are being played seven-on-seven with […]

Grey-Bruce’s recent high COVID case count is due to unvaccinated people not following public health advice while involved in too many activities, the Grey Bruce Health Unit announced Sunday. The health unit declared an outbreak after finding five people so far who attended field party July 3 near Chesley. All attending are considered high-risk contacts […]

According to the provincial data, the Grey Bruce Health Unit remains one of the hardest-hit areas in Ontario with approximately 48 active COVID-19 cases per 100,000 people. The province’s data often differs from the Grey Bruce Health Unit’s daily situation report because of differences in reporting deadlines and data lag. Still, the provincial overview shows […]

The Saugeen Ojibway Nation expects to receive a decision by the end of July on their claim of the Bruce Peninsula and aboriginal title to the lands under the water of its traditional homeland. The Chippewas of Nawash Unceded First Nation, which makes up SON along with Saugeen First Nation, provided an update Monday that […]

Bruce Power has reached a deal with SGRT for the replacement of steam generators on Units 3 and 4 of the company’s Major Component Replacement. Under the agreement SGRT will perform engineering and planning activities, remove the existing steam generators and install the new steam generators on the units. SGRT is a joint venture between […]

Westario Power Inc. and Bruce Power have signed a memorandum of understanding to explore projects focused on removing and offsetting carbon emissions. The initiatives to be looked at by the two companies include potential incentives to encourage the adoption of electric vehicles, helping to lower carbon emissions and help Canada reach its Net Zero 2050 […]

Lots more doses of COVID-19 vaccine are coming to Grey-Bruce as new cases of the virus, though rising, are stabilizing, Dr. Ian Arra said Sunday. “It is stabilizing. Some numbers went down in the transient community in general in Grey-Bruce,” Arra said by phone. A rooming house outbreak in Hanover in early June kicked off […]

The Sydenham Sportsmen’s Owen Sound Salmon Spectacular fishing derby returns with pandemic modifications Aug. 27 to Sept. 5. After stay-home orders, business closures, masking requirements and social isolation, people are ready to get fishing, derby co-chair Chris Geberdt said Sunday. Last year’s derby was cancelled due to COVID-19. In 2019, 4,500 fished in the derby […]

A 26-year-old suffered life-threatening injuries in an off-road vehicle collision Saturday. Grey Bruce OPP was called about 3:30 p.m. to the collision on Moto Park Road in Chatsworth Township. Grey County paramedics and Chatsworth firefighters also responded. No other details were provided in an OPP news release Sunday. The injured person was air-lifted to a […]

An Owen Sound city councillor wants an Indigenous land acknowledgement to be read before every council meeting. Coun. Carol Merton, at the June 28 council meeting, said she would move a motion at the next regular council meeting calling for an expansion of the city’s current land acknowledgement practice. Her motion proposes the land acknowledgement be […]

COVID-19 has caused a ninth death in Grey-Bruce, this one due to the more dangerous delta variant. The person died Friday and was included the Grey Bruce Health Unit’s daily situation report Saturday. Daily reports reflect the situation in the 24-hour period up to midnight the previous day. “They were a high-risk contact of another […]

Like ants they worked, each with a job to do. More than 150 people gathered Saturday morning to clean up debris strewn across farm fields by a tornado which destroyed Brandon and Roxie Zehr’s farm a week ago. The barn is gone, so are their garage and chicken coops. The part of their house which […]

New COVID case counts continue to remain high, with 23 more added Friday, the Grey Bruce Health Unit reported. Cases were spread across Grey-Bruce: seven in Saugen Shores, five in Owen Sound, three in Arran-Elderslie, two each in Meaford and Huron-Kinloss and one each at Saugeen First Nation, Chatsworth, Georgian Bluffs and Hanover. There are […]

The Owen Sound Attack off-ice team is set for the upcoming season, with a new head coach in place and contract extensions for other key pieces, including general manager Dale DeGray. On Wednesday, the Attack announced that Greg Walters, 50, would be the 16th head coach in Attack history. Two days later the team revealed […]

Owen Sound council adopted its updated official plan Monday, a document to guide community development for the next 25 years. Now it’s on to Grey County for final approval. Some changes were noted during a presentation by consultant David Aston, of MHBC Planning, and in remarks by city manager of planning and heritage, Amy Cann, […]

Saugeen First Nation residents are under a two-week stay-at-home order and are asked to avoid gatherings to combat the surging spread of COVID-19, a news release said late Thursday. A state of emergency was declared by the band’s chief and council by band council resolution on Wednesday. As of Friday, all band services and businesses […]

Another 31 confirmed cases of COVID-19 were reported by the Grey Bruce Health Unit on Canada Day. Sixteen of them were from Saugeen First Nation. Saugeen Chief Lester Anoquot in a video posted to Saugeen’s website Wednesday night called COVID infections a crisis there. He said there were 71 cases of the virus in his […]

Most Grey-Bruce leaders making remarks tied to Canada Day this year considered the discovery of hundreds of unmarked gravesites at two former residential schools in Western Canada. Bruce-Grey-Owen Sound MP Alex Ruff issued a statement this week calling the graves at former residential schools “tragic beyond words.” He called on the federal government to implement […]

Billy Bannick’s run from Cape Croker to Wiarton filled him with hope for Indigenous reconciliation with Canada on the country’s birthday. He had taken for granted hostility against his community, he said. But the daylong relay made him reconsider. He proposed the Canada Day relay as a public act to honour Indigenous children and raise […]

Saugeen First Nation Chief Lester Anoquot says his community is now in a state of emergency and crisis with the COVID-19 outbreak that has hit it in recent days. In a video posted to the Saugeen First Nation website on Wednesday evening, Anoquot said there have now been 71 cases of the virus confirmed in […]

Police have charged seven people in connection with a large marijuana grow op in the Municipality of Meaford and seized plants and assets estimated worth more than $12 million. On Wednesday, the Grey Bruce OPP Community Crimes Unit, with the assistance of the OPP Emergency Response Team, OPP Tactics and Rescue Unit, OPP Canine Unit, […]

The Grey Bruce Health Unit confirmed another 32 cases of COVID-19 on Wednesday, almost half of them in residents of Saugeen First Nation. And the number of people in hospital with the virus also jumped locally, from eight on Tuesday to 14 on Wednesday. There are also two local cases that have been transferred to […]

Saugeen Ojibway Nation members and others will walk, run and bike on Canada Day in honour of the children who died in residential schools, including some in recently discovered unmarked graves, and to honour all Indigenous children. The Honouring Our Children Relay: Past Present & Future, will start at Neyaashiinigmiing, on what historically was the […]

The Grey Bruce Health Unit has added a drive-through vaccination clinic at its headquarters in Owen Sound on Canada Day. The clinic is to run Thursday at 101 17th St. E. by appointment only. Appointments for the drive-through clinic can be made through the health unit’s local booking system that can be found at […]

Regional transportation intitiatives in Grey-Bruce have been approved for funding that would extend the services for at least two more years. On Tuesday, Bruce-Grey-Owen Sound MPP Bill Walker announced the province is providing more than $1.9 million more in funding to three municipalities – Grey County, Owen Sound and Southgate. The funding from the Community […]

Aviation enthusiast Gord Price told city council Monday night that its new airport fees will cost the city $100,000, not raise more money. But suggestions he offered won’t bring enough money in to help offset airport losses either, the mayor told him. Council imposed landing fees at the Owen Sound Billy Bishop Regional Airport in […]

The Owen Sound Attack open up the 2021-22 season with a home-and-home against the rival London Knights. Fingers crossed. After the COVID-19 pandemic abruptly put a stop to the 2019-20 Attack season and forced the cancellation of the entire 2020-21 campaign, the Ontario Hockey League has charted a course back to action. A planned 680-game […]

Owen Sound council’s discussion about whether to proceed with Canada Day events included moments of poignancy, passion and encouragement for people to educate themselves about Indigenous history in Canada. Council decided to keep its daytime online lineup of entertainment and night-time fireworks, preceded by five minutes of silence or discussion of what Indigenous people are […]

The Grey Bruce Health Unit reported six cases of COVID-19 on Tuesday, the lowest the daily case count has been in a week. The new cases included four in Saugeen Shores and one each in Owen Sound and Southgate. The lower daily tally comes after Grey-Bruce experienced a surge in cases over the past week. […]

Owen Sound’s Canada Day celebration will now include five minutes of silence or discussion of Indigenous issues before fireworks are lit at 10 p.m. July 1. The introduction of the symbolic gesture comes in the wake of national grieving over the discovery of children’s bodies in grave sites at residential schools. It has forced municipalities […]

The Saugeen First Nation community is dealing with a cluster of 27 confirmed cases of COVID-19, an update posted to the SFN website Sunday said. The Grey Bruce Health Unit confirmed six new confirmed cases at Saugeen First Nation in its situation report Monday. The highly transmissible Delta variant is believed to be behind the […]

The local community has rallied around a Chatsworth family whose homestead was devastated by a tornado that roared through the area south of Owen Sound late Saturday afternoon. By Monday afternoon, more than $66,000 had been raised on a GoFundMe campaign set up for Roxie and Brandon Zehr and their five children, while a community […]

Seasons Owen Sound resident Jean Kuglin was recently recognized as a Remarkable Resident for her skill in quilting. Kuglin has made more than 75 handmade quilts, one of which was featured in More of Our Canada magazine. In its ninth year, the Seasons Remarkable Residents program honours the lives of its residents and ensures their […]

The Grey Bruce Health Unit reported 21 new COVID-19 infections Sunday including 11 at Saugeen First Nation. In an update posted to the SFN YouTube page Saturday, band administrator Trish Meekins said it’s believed the Delta variant is behind the surge of cases within the community. A vaccination clinic was operating in the community’s health […]

The day after a twister touched down east of Chatsworth and heavy winds battered the small community of Walter’s Falls, residents and researchers began to pick up the pieces. Environment Canada confirmed at least one tornado touched down east of Chatsworth late Saturday afternoon, citing reports of damage and radar imaging. The Zehr family farm […]

Roxie Zehr and her five children were watching a movie at their home east of Chatsworth late Saturday afternoon when the storm hit. It was windy and rainy, but they hadn’t seen the warnings put out by Environment Canada about the possibility of tornadoes in the area. When their patio furniture started to fly off […]

Krystal Reid said her family had just minutes to scramble into the basement before a blinding white roar rushed past her Walter’s Falls home like a freight train Saturday night. Neighbours in the small Grey County community surveyed the damage and traded stories just over an hour after strong winds cracked trees in half and […]

The Grey Bruce Health Unit said it’s working to stem a surge of COVID-19 cases affecting disadvantaged groups including transient individuals, drug users, and the homeless population. The health unit reported 41 new cases Saturday. They were found in Owen Sound (15), Saugeen First Nation (7), Meaford (7), South Bruce Peninsula (6), The Blue Mountains […]

Local artists helped add a splash of colour on a grey and gloomy day in Owen Sound as ArtWalk returned to the downtown core Saturday. The celebration of local artists and galleries took place during a steady rain, but the artists were able to find cover, colour, and inspiration all the same. Tony Miller said […]

The Saugeen Valley Conservation Authority issued a flood watch bulletin Saturday morning after advising the watershed received between 40 to 60 millimetres of rain between Friday afternoon and Saturday morning. The SVCA noted a special weather statement has been issued by Environment Canada and is currently in effect over much of southern Ontario. Another wave […]

City cops charged the same 26-year-old Owen Sound man three times over seven days for failing to isolate despite testing positive for COVID-19. According to an Owen Sound Police Service news release, the man was found in downtown Owen Sound for non-essential reasons, outside of his residence, and received another $880 fine under the Health […]

The Grey-Bruce region is headed in the opposite direction compared to the rest of the province regarding COVID-19 case counts. After back-to-back days reporting 15 new cases of COVID-19, the Grey Bruce Health Unit reported 23 cases on Friday. The newest cases were reported in Owen Sound (7), Chatsworth (6) South Bruce Peninsula (4) Saugeen […]

Fresh cash from the province will help meet growing health-care demands as the pandemic threat wanes, said Gary Sims, Grey Bruce Health Services president and CEO. GBHS is getting an additional $4,708,500, a 3.2 per cent increase over 2020/21 government funding, a news release from Bruce-Grey-Owen Sound MPP Bill Walker said. “We have seen increasing […]

How Grey Bruce Health Services navigated the pandemic over the past year is a large part of the hospital corporation’s 2020-2021 annual report released this week. Gary Sims, GBHS president and CEO, thanked staff, physicians and volunteersfor adapting to pandemic demands, in his report remarks. But staffing shortages are looming, and human resource planning is […]

With COVID-19 in retreat, the field hospital set up at the Harry Lumley Bayshore Community Centre arena floor is coming down. Grey Bruce Health Services staff on July 12 will begin removing the 75-bed temporary facility, which was built in May 2020. It was a contingency requested by the provincial government and it turned out […]