Owen Sound Sun Times

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 […]

Grey County has left the door open to consider a proposal to buy property next to the Old Durham Road Black Pioneer Cemetery to create a commemorative space for the area’s historic Black settlement and settlers. In a 48-36 recorded vote, council deferred a staff recommendation to take no further action towards purchasing the 40-acre […]

Owen Sound police are seeking the public’s assistance in identifying two people who appear to be vandalizing the newly-painted Pride crosswalk in downtown Owen Sound early Sunday morning. The city cops released a short black-and-white video Thursday, timestamped from June 20 at 1:51 a.m. The video shows two individuals approaching the crosswalk, both carrying objects. […]

Consultants hired by Georgian Bluffs and Grey County believe the Wiarton Keppel International Airport could evolve into the region’s business-leading airport and attract economic development opportunities in aviation, non-aviation, aerospace, medevac and charter flight services. However, some of the councillors who represent the municipalities being asked to sign the cheques aren’t as optimistic. The Loomex […]

Owen Sound will send fireworks into the night sky over the harbour on Canada Day. People are asked to distance from others to respect public health protocols due to the ongoing pandemic, and to use designated viewing areas. Launch time will be about 10 p.m. July 1, the city confirmed in a news release Thursday. […]

The Grey Bruce Health Unit again reported 15 new COVID-19 infections Thursday, for the second straight day. The newest cases were reported in Meaford (6), Owen Sound (4), South Bruce Peninsula (2), West Grey, Brockton and Neyaashiinigmiing. The Neyaashiinigmiing case is only the second case reported in the community throughout the pandemic. There are now […]

Steve Kenny endured some of the worst pain of his life during his just-completed 900-kilometre run up the length of the Bruce Trail. It was days of rising at 4 a.m. after four hours of sleep, limping along with what frequently was incapacitating pain, then running some more, as if his body were drawing on […]

The province has approved an aquaculture licence for Georgian Bay Innovation Group’s proposed 500,000-square-foot land-based recirculating salmon farm near Colpoy’s Bay, but more senior government and local approvals are required before the project can go ahead. Jolanta Kowalski, a Ministry of Natural Resources & Forestry spokesperson, said while the facility proposed for 83 Berford Lake […]

Rainstorms forecast for this weekend prompted Saugeen Valley Conservation Authority to advise caution around rivers, bridges and dams because of dangerous, fast-moving water and potentially slippery, wet footing. “While significant flooding is not expected, rivers could reach or exceed bank-full conditions, with minor flooding in traditional low-lying areas,” the SVCA’s flood outlook statement said. “More […]

An Owen Sound man been charged after he was found outside his residence after being ordered to isolate after testing positive for COVID-19. The 26-year-old man had been directed by the Grey Bruce Health Unit earlier this week to self isolate at home, but members of the Owen Sound police located him outside his residence […]

A recent decision made by Grey Highlands council to not renew lease agreements with Ontario Power Generation has cut off two public access points at Lake Eugenia causing concern among those who use them. At the May 18 meeting of Grey Highlands council, a motion was carried that council direct staff to notify OPG that […]

The Grey Bruce Health Unit declared the COVID-19 outbreak at the Forum rooming house in Hanover over Wednesday. The outbreak was first declared on June 3 when 10 people tested positive for the virus. Further testing revealed the first case in the outbreak involved the Delta variant, a more highly transmissible variant of the COVID-19 […]

The Grey Bruce Health Unit reported 15 new COVID-19 infections Wednesday. The new cases are the most in a single day this month, and the most since the health unit declared a critical threshold of COVID-19 cases in April when case counts swelled over several days in the region. Eight new cases were found in […]

A trio of students and their teacher spent the better part of two years completing a mural in the senior wing at École Catholique Saint-Dominique-Savio in Owen Sound. With the guidance and assistance of project leader and art teacher Éloïse Guindon, Grade 12 students Spencer Stobbe, Emily Matheson and Elaina Gunn stayed after school a […]

A man police said had gone on a fishing trip down the Saugeen River and was reported missing Tuesday night has been found in good health. West Region OPP announced he was found with the help of an OPP helicopter. Police shared the news via Twitter about 11:30 on Wednesday morning, and later in a […]

Owen Sound’s eastside Beer Store will be the only one open on Canada Day in Grey-Bruce. The Beer Store hours have been extended for Canada Day in some stores, the provincial retailer said in a news release. The Owen Sound store on 1st Avenue East will have regular hours June 30 and will be open […]

Jeff Burnett isn’t training for his nearly 200-kilometre single-day bike ride for ALS. And there’s a reason. The Burlington resident, whose father Frank died from the fatal nervous system disease on July 1, 2020, in Owen Sound, said people never expect an ALS diagnosis or are prepared for the brutality of the disease and what […]

The Billy Bishop Museum is resurrecting its spooky Ghost Walks for the summer. The events are a chance for people to learn more about Owen Sound’s history of spirits, seances, murders and shipwrecks, according to a news release from the museum. The 2.5-kilometre outdoor-only tours will take place each Sunday and Wednesday in July and […]

More than 70 per cent of people over 12 years old in the region covered by the Grey Bruce Health Unit have been vaccinated with at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccines, the public health organization announced Tuesday. The region covered by the GBHU includes Bruce County, Grey County, Saugeen First Nation and Neyaashiinigmiing. […]

Sunshades have been installed at the outdoor visiting areas of Grey County’s three long-term care homes thanks to area Rotary Clubs. Grey County says it was contacted in the spring by the Thornbury-Clarksburg club who expressed an interest in completing a project to support seniors living in local long-term care communities. County staff suggested installing […]

The South Bruce OPP is investigating after two 500-pound playground structures were stolen from a property in Mildmay. Police received a report of the theft at about 10 a.m. on June 11. The large red, grey and blue structures, valued at a combined $2,500, were being stored on a Vincent Street property. Anyone with information […]

With Grey County council set to vote Thursday to formally abandon plans to build a transportation depot on property next to a Black pioneer cemetery, the committee overseeing the historic site is urging the county to still buy the adjacent land, but for a commemorative space. Naomi Norquay, president of the Old Durham Road Black […]

ArtWalk returns to downtown Owen Sound Saturday. The celebration of local artists and their work takes place June 26 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. For the first time, an ArtWalk Urban Sketchers’ competition is being held for amateur and professional artists. Once registered, the artists are assigned an outdoor space downtown where they can […]

The Sunset Cruisers will set off this Sunday for the first cruise of the year around Bruce County. Cars will gather at five different locations at noon, June 27, with a shotgun start to follow at 1 p.m. The public is invited to come out and view the travelling car show, but are asked to […]

Southbridge Care Homes has listed for sale its two existing long-term care homes in Owen Sound as work continues to erect the company’s 160-bed amalgamated facility on 16th Avenue East. Candace Chartier, Southbridge’s chief seniors’ advocate and strategic partnerships officer, said construction of the new home remains on track for an anticipated summer 2022 opening. […]

The Grey Bruce Health Unit reported six new cases of COVID-19 Monday. According to the health unit’s situation report, the newest cases reported as of just before midnight Sunday were located in Owen Sound (2), Brockton, Hanover, Arran Elderslie and The Blue Mountains. There are now 42 active cases confirmed in the region. The health […]

Education is the most effective tool in the journey towards reconciliation with Indigenous people, Chief Greg Nadjiwon said during a dedication ceremony Monday for Owen Sound’s busiest bridge. “I think the quickest, easiest and necessary path forward is to have our history and who we are as a people recognized in the curriculum from coast […]

A GoFundMe page set up to raise $15,000 for the Friends of the Beaver Valley and the Escarpment Biosphere Conservancy had collected $3,650 from 20 donors as of midday Monday. The Friends of the Beaver Valley and EBC seek to conserve most of the 200-plus acre property that’s home to the former Talisman Resort in […]

Eleven new COVID-19 cases were added to Grey-Bruce’s total Sunday, a spike which public health investigations attribute to transient people who stay in rooming houses and shelters, the local medical officer of health said Sunday afternoon. But so far just two of the 11 new cases were high-risk contacts in the COVID-19 outbreak in a […]

Summerfolk plans call for in-person afternoon concerts and live-streamed evening performances in and around Owen Sound, all arranged to respect COVID-19 realities which currently forbid large public gatherings. Organizers of the 46th annual Summer Music and Crafts Festival announced on Sunday the folk music festival’s flexible plans. The event will take place Aug. 21 and […]

Owen Sound police are investigating vandalism to the newly opened rainbow-coloured Pride crosswalk downtown. Sunday morning Const. Chris Mahy helped direct traffic around city works department employee Mark Vachon, who was using a pressure washer and canned solvent to remove two lines of black paint from the crosswalk, just east of the 8th Street bridge. […]

Three new COVID-19 infections were confirmed by the Grey Bruce Health Unit Saturday afternoon. They were recorded in South Bruce Peninsula, Brockton and Hanover. The health unit reports cases current as of the previous midnight. There are 36 active cases and another 101 active, high-risk contacts being followed by health unit staff. Grey-Bruce has had […]