Owen Sound Sun Times

Touted as a roadmap to recovery, the Ontario Progressive Conservative government’s budget projects another decade of deficits in Ontario. Finance Minister Peter Bethlenfalvy tabled a sweeping spending plan Wednesday totalling over $186 billion with a projected $33 billion deficit. Both of those figures are down slightly from the record-breaking budget released in November last year, […]

Two new cases of COVID-19 were reported by the Grey Bruce Health Unit Wednesday. The cases were confirmed in The Blue Mountains and Brockton, according to public health’s daily situation report, which covered testing and case counts for the 24-hour period prior to 11:59 p.m. Tuesday. They bring to 772 the number of confirmed cases […]

A Tiverton woman has plans for some home improvements, boosting her savings and having a little fun after winning $100,000 in the lottery. Donna Gallant matched five of five cards in the Feb. 19 Poker Lotto draw to win the prize. “I check my tickets at night – I compared the cards four times,” Gallant […]

The region’s top doctor was Grey-Bruce’s highest-paid public servant in 2020, and it wasn’t particularly close. Dr. Ian Arra made $631,510 in 2020, according to the province’s public sector salary disclosure, often called the Sunshine List. The list is made up of civil servants who received more than $100,000 over the course of the year. […]

The Grey Bruce Health Unit is looking for the owner of a cat that bit a woman in Meaford on Tuesday evening. At approximately 7:30 p.m. the woman was bitten by an adult male Siamese cat with a dark red collar. The woman was trying to pet the “well-groomed cat” which had been seen frequently […]

The Owen Sound Regional Hospital Foundation marked 25 years of its Caring for Tomorrow Endowment Fund with the presentation of a $575,000 cheque to be used for needs at the Owen Sound hospital. The fund’s 2020 earnings will be used to purchase medical equipment and to assist staff with specialized education and training, according to […]

Four Grey County paramedics have been honoured for their work with vulnerable patients in the community during the COVID-19 pandemic. Alysha Carlaw, Katie Gibbons, Sonia Smart and Paula Trombley have each received medical director’s commendation awards for their efforts to assist patients enrolled in the county’s community paramedicine program as well as other vulnerable patients […]

Two people charged in relation to the disappearance and death of 25-year-old Emerson Sprung in early 2020 now face additional charges. Grey Bruce OPP under the direction of the OPP Criminal Investigation Branch have now charged Laurel Campbell, 28, and Bridget Taylor Smith, 25, both of Meaford, with two counts each of failing to comply […]

The Grey Bruce Health Unit reported one new case of COVID-19 in Grey-Bruce on Tuesday. The lone case was confirmed in a resident of Owen Sound, according to the health unit’s Situation Report, which covered testing and case counts for the 24-hour period prior to 11:59 p.m. on Monday. The single case comes after the […]

Gelja Sheardown says she’s haunted by the sound of her husband Barrett Warwick falling to the floor of their Owen Sound home in the middle of the night last March. “I heard my husband drop to his death,” she said. Sheardown was sleeping on the couch at the time because the couple’s eight-month-old twins, who […]

The Meaford Hospital Foundation has named its new chief executive officer. On Monday, foundation chair Barbara Little announced that Rob Peacock will begin the role of CEO of the foundation on April 12. Peacock, who is from Collingwood, has experience as a certified fundraising professional for Meaford, Town of the Blue Mountains, Grey Highlands and […]

The Grey Bruce Health Unit said late Tuesday morning that it had received confirmation from the province that issues with the online and telephone booking system had been resolved. On Monday, there had been reports of clients unable to book clinics in Grey and Bruce counties. In Tuesday’s release the health unit said it had […]

A panel of three judges is reviewing a permit that allows South Bruce Peninsula to cut back sand dunes and build a retaining wall along part of Lakeshore Boulevard in Sauble Beach to increase roadside parking space and improve safety — possibly, opponents say, at the expense of the dune ecosystem and piping plover habitat. […]

The Grey Bruce Health Unit reported seven new cases of COVID-19 on Monday. The new cases confirmed in the 24 hours prior to 11:59 p.m. on Sunday included two each in The Blue Mountains, Owen Sound and South Bruce Peninsula, as well as a single case in South Bruce. There were six cases confirmed in […]

Fundraising continues to be a challenge for many Grey-Bruce charities as the COVID-19 pandemic continues to stretch into its second year, a new survey by Community Foundation Grey Bruce has found. Just over one-third of the 64 local charities and non-profit organizations that responded to the survey said they have been able to maintain only […]

Owen Sound has earmarked $95,000 to fund four grant programs this year in its newly adopted Community Improvement Plan, which is aimed at revitalizing the city. Financial incentives are available on a first-come, first-served basis to help businesses update facades or improve accessibility and to assist new businesses and start-up companies to set up shop […]

Bruce County has kick-started the process to create a new official plan and is encouraging residents, business owners and visitors to help “Plan the Bruce.” The first step, which has begun, includes the staggered release of interim reports on eight guiding principles or “projects” that the county says will include questions for consideration and serve […]

The Grey Bruce Health Unit is investigating a COVID-19 case associated with The Pub at the corner of 2nd Avenue East and 10th Street in Owen Sound. There is currently no evidence of transmission of the virus between patrons in the bar, but the health unit is warning that there is a potential risk of […]

Ten more cases of COVID-19 were reported in Grey-Bruce over the weekend. The Grey Bruce Health Unit reports cases up until midnight the previous day, so Sunday’s cases were as of midnight Saturday. Six cases were reported Sunday: two in Chatsworth and one each in Owen Sound, The Blue Mountains, Northern Bruce Peninsula and Arran-Elderslie. […]

South Bruce Peninsula council signalled its willingness to consider a developer’s proposal to build a hotel and condominiums on the site of the former Wiarton Foodland and part of the town campground between it and the bay, and possibly offer incentives. At its regular meeting March 16, council voted to “entertain a proposal from this […]

Two dozen people gathered around a small fire for a sunrise ceremony at Saugeen First Nation Saturday. It was the first day of spring and after the ceremony, the women and girls in their colourful ribbon dresses and wearing COVID masks struck out on a 19-kilometre wellness walk through the community to Sauble Beach. The […]

Grey Bruce Health Unit on Saturday declared the first outbreak in a hospital in Grey-Bruce. Four patients on the 6th floor at Owen Sound hospital have COVID but are asymptomatic and none of the staff have it so far, health unit and hospital officials said. Both Gary Sims, Grey Bruce Health Service’s president and CEO, […]

Like many hobbies, quilting interest surged as people found things to do during their COVID home confinement this past year. While public health concerns limited activities outside the home, sewing machines, cotton and thread for quilting grew more scarce, said Susan Warkentin, one of more than 100 members of the Bluewater Quilters’ Guild. The club […]

City council is set to vote in May on a new official plan for Owen Sound, which will include goals and policies to guide development and growth and promote quality of life for residents over the next quarter-century. A final draft, which consultants MHBC Planning are working on now, will contain several modifications from the […]

Some medical experts in Ontario agree the province has already entered the third wave of COVID-19 cases. Cases are steadily climbing, as are hospitalizations. Critical Care Services Ontario’s data shows 361 patients were in critical care as of March 17. The pandemic high of COVID-related critical care patients, 415, was reached on Jan. 16 during […]

Powerhouse vocalist Samantha Martin has done it again. The Lion’s Head-raised singer/songwriter and her 12-piece band Delta Sugar have capped off a roller coaster year – which saw their performance schedule upended by the COVID-19 pandemic and the release of their third album The Reckless One – by receiving their second Juno Award nomination for […]

The Grey Bruce Health Unit is again alerting residents after a third local fatal overdose was reported this week. Just two days ago the health unit issued a news release disclosing two fatal overdoses in 48 hours. The cause of those deaths is pending confirmation by a coroner. The fatalities “continue an ongoing trend of […]

The Grey-Bruce Ontario Health Team (Grey Bruce OHT) is recruiting community members to join its advisory community council. In December, the Grey Bruce OHT collaboration council submitted a full application to the Ministry of Health supported by signatures from 20 health service provider boards and organizations across Grey-Bruce, according to a news release issued at […]

A developer says he hopes for a “late summer start” on a seniors housing development at the former Sauble Beach Amusements property. John Cathrae appeared in person with an update and a request for members of South Bruce Peninsula council in Wiarton Tuesday. He first announced his plans for the 13-acre site in April 2019. […]

South Bruce Peninsula Mayor Janice Jackson declared a pecuniary interest and left the meeting before council got an update on a Sauble Beach seniors housing project on Tuesday. “I declare a pecuniary interest as I have been offered a position at this business once it’s operational,” she said. “And if I were to accept the […]

South Bruce Peninsula council on Tuesday selected a site layout for a new town hall/recreational community hub project to be built at the north end of Wiarton, at the top of the hill, north of Jenny Street and west of Highway 6. It was the recommended option among three presented by the town’s consultant during […]

The area’s medical officer of health and MPP both say officials have been releasing as much information as possible about the number of COVID-19 vaccines Grey-Bruce has received and the anticipated delivery of more doses. “We’ve been reporting on a daily basis since we started in January giving the vaccines the total number of doses […]

The Cole’s Sideroad Trail in Georgian Bluffs will close to motorized vehicle traffic temporarily while the township explores its options. Georgian Bluffs council agreed on Wednesday evening to amend its original motion to make the closure of the trail temporarily while it gets a detailed legal review on the matter. The temporary closure will prevent […]

An Owen Sound councillor would like the city to help downtown restaurants that have been “financially devastated” by the COVID-19 pandemic and remain unable to open at full capacity to cover the cost of creating temporary outdoor patios this summer. Coun. John Tamming said he will be presenting a motion March 29 that, if approved, […]

The Grey Bruce Health Unit reported no new cases of COVID-19 in its situation report Wednesday. There are now 13 confirmed active cases in the region including six variants of concern. In total, 10 cases of variants of concern have now been lab-test confirmed in the two counties. Dr. Ian Arra, Grey-Bruce’s medical officer of […]

The province has directed $417,920.10 in funding to local retirement homes to assist with COVID-19 costs. Bruce-Grey-Owen Sound MPP Bill Walker made the announcement in a news release Wednesday. The funding is part of a $30 million investment across the province to help the retirement-home sector cover COVID-19-related costs such as hiring, training and testing […]

The Ontario Hockey League likely won’t start until mid-April at the earliest, but a majority of its teams will be able to pay off some of their post-secondary school bills. Lisa MacLeod, the province’s minister of heritage, sport, tourism and culture industries, announced Wednesday that $2.35 million is heading the OHL’s way to cover some […]

The Grey Bruce Health Unit issued a news release early Tuesday night about two fatal opioid overdoses in Owen Sound in the previous 48 hours. The cause of death has yet to be confirmed by a coroner, but the fatalities came “in addition to an ongoing trend of multiple overdoses within Grey and Bruce this […]

The Grey Bruce Health Unit added one new COVID-19 case on Tuesday. The new case, in a resident of Owen Sound, brings the total number of cases confirmed in Grey-Bruce since the beginning of the pandemic to 733. Fifteen of those cases remain active while there are 73 active high-risk contacts, according to the day’s […]

The first order of business for the recently relocated Brampton Excelsiors and yet-to-be-named Owen Sound Major Series Lacrosse club is the 2021 Entry Draft set for Thursday at 7 p.m. Owen Sound has four selections in the five-round draft, one pick in each of rounds two-to-five. Their first pick is the ninth-overall selection. The draft […]

Grey County’s plan to operate The Sydenham Campus in the former Sydenham Community School took an important step forward at city hall Monday. Council conditionally approved a site plan agreement and directed staff to bring forward a bylaw to authorize a proposed zoning change to permit the county-managed regional skills training and innovation centre on […]

The driver of a vehicle involved in a crash in South Bruce Peninsula on Monday evening has been charged with impaired driving. Both the driver and a passenger in the vehicle were taken to hospital for treatment of minor injuries following the crash, which happened near the Chippewas of Nawash Unceded First Nation at Neyaashiinigmiing […]

A Huron-Kinloss man has been charged after a drug bust at a property in southern Bruce County on Tuesday. Members of the OPP Community Street Crimes Unit, OPP Tactical Rescue Unit and West Region OPP Emergency Response Team executed a search warrant at a property along Bruce Road 1 in the former Kinloss Township. As […]

Glassworks Cooperative would have to go through an “intensive process” to change the designation of its 46-acre property in Owen Sound from employment to residential in order to permit a proposed net-zero eco-village, council heard Monday. Coun. Richard Thomas, who expressed concerns with the proposal and potential conflicts posed by nearby industrial uses, asked MHBC […]

The Bruce Peninsula Sportsmen’s Association’s first Lures N Lines Spring Trout Derby will take place between May 7 and May 16. Tickets for the event went on sale on the weekend. Single tickets are $25 while families pay $60. There are a total of 750 tickets up for grabs. Half of the money raised from […]

Anne Howlett of the Owen Sound Waxwings has been named to the Special Olympics Team Canada 2022 Training Squad. The local cross-country skier is one of 108 athletes named to the team with the potential to represent Canada at the next Special Olympics World Winter Games. As part of a local skiing contingent featuring members […]

Grey-Bruce recorded two new cases of COVID-19, one each in Southgate and Kincardine. Monday’s daily situation report, current as of midnight Sunday, records 729 cumulative, confirmed cases of the pandemic virus here, including seven cases of variants of concern: one Brazil variant and six South Africa variant. Five South Africa variants are active among the […]

Years-long renewal and expansion plans for Kincardine hospital made a recent step forward. Plans begun in 2017 were firmed up and information endorsed by the hospital board for the second of a five-step process which, if things go as hoped, will see construction begin in 2023-24 and take two years to complete. That’s the latest […]

Problems are now fixed with Ontario’s online and phone-in COVID vaccine booking system, which left some seniors 80 and older in Grey-Bruce and elsewhere unable to book appointments, the health unit said. Grey Bruce Health Unit’s phone lines were being overwhelmed as a result of the problems, a health unit news release said Monday, the […]

Three active cases of a COVID-19 variant of concern were added to the Grey Bruce Health Unit’s case totals over the weekend. On Sunday, the Grey Bruce Health Unit reported one new case of the virus in a resident of Grey Highlands. But it also added five cases – four in residents of the Blue […]