Owen Sound Sun Times

Many outdoor recreational amenities, including golf courses and tennis courts, will reopen Saturday in Ontario, and outdoor gathering limits will expand to five people. Premier Doug Ford made the announcement during a news conference Thursday afternoon while revealing a three-step “roadmap to reopening”. The gradual approach to reopening lessens restrictions as vaccinations in the adult […]

Residential Hospice Grey Bruce will have a new executive director next week. Janet Fairbridge succeeds Alex Hector, who will become executive director of South East Grey Community Health Centre in Markdale. Hospice board chair Paul Rowcliffe announced the appointment in a news release. He said Fairbridge was the foundation director of Hospice Georgian Triangle and […]

A third of the way through 2021, and in the midst of COVID-19’s third wave and vaccine rollout, Grey-Bruce’s medical officer of health is still working around the clock and unable to delegate legislated responsibilities to anyone else at the Grey Bruce Health Unit. Last year, while keeping watch over the public health unit “24/7” […]

A former director of operations and program development at the Grey Bruce Health Unit is suing the board of health for nearly $500,000, citing wrongful dismissal, breach of contract and moral and aggravated damages. In a statement of claim filed Jan. 15, 2021, in the Ontario Superior Court of Justice, Karen Sweiger says she was […]

Lake Huron beach town officials are warning people to stay home this holiday weekend to help prevent the spread of COVID-19, as Ontario’s stay-at-home orders require most people to do. “Unfortunately, the pandemic is not over and as we work to get more of the population vaccinated, we all need to do our part by […]

The Grey Bruce Health Unit reported seven new cases of COVID-19 Wednesday. The newest cases were found in Kincardine (2), West Grey (2), Southgate (2), and South Bruce Peninsula. There are now 54 active and confirmed cases in the two counties including 41 involving a variant of concern. Three COVID-19 patients being followed by the […]

A proposal to purchase and install a CT scanner at the Southampton hospital has taken a step forward. Ontario Health has confirmed that the proposal “is well aligned with both Ministry and Ontario Health priorities and sufficiently meets all identified requirements.” The government agency’s endorsement is required for the Ministry of Health to approve Grey […]

Owen Sound city council on Monday extended an exemption to the noise-control bylaw to allow construction equipment to operate on worksites on holidays between 8 a.m. and 7 p.m. until Nov. 1. It’s a move in recognition that bad weather can reduce construction workers’ income and of lost time due to COVID-19. City staff recommended […]

Bruce Power is providing its fire training facility for Brockton’s new fire training centre. The facility, which is already available for training free of charge to municipal fire departments in Grey, Bruce and Huron counties, will help the centre with live fire training for volunteer firefighters, according to a news release from Bruce Power. “We […]

The need for emergency housing in Grey County soared in 2020 by 160 per cent over the previous year. COVID-19 was a factor in that increase, Anne Marie Shaw, Grey County’s housing director, told Owen Sound city council during a presentation Monday night that included an overview of her department’s work. There were 395 emergency […]

The Court of Appeal for Ontario has granted leave for South Bruce Peninsula to appeal its two convictions of damaging endangered piping plover habitat. No date for the appeal has been set. The little shorebirds at Sauble Beach have been in the midst of a row between the town and the Ministry of Natural Resources […]

Police were not releasing any more details on Tuesday about a homicide investigation into the death of a Holland Centre man. Owen Sound Police Insp. Jeff Fluney said Tuesday that he couldn’t provide any information beyond what was contained in a news release that was issued late Monday afternoon. In that release it said that […]

The puck is set to drop on the 2021-22 Ontario Hockey League season Oct. 7. The Ontario Hockey League recently announced key dates for the 2021-22 season including the upcoming draft taking place over two days, Friday, June 4 and Saturday, June 5. “It’s an exciting time for everyone as we turn our attention to […]

Grey Bruce Medical Officer of Health Dr. Ian Arra said it’s difficult to predict when the region’s vaccination progress will lead to a real flattening of new-case numbers in the two counties. Arra said with numbers already on the low side, it’s hard to make any inference. “With 100 cases a day you’ll see a […]

A Dundalk man has won $400,000 playing the OLG’s Instant Plinko game. Leslie Franks, a father and grandfather, won the prize after dropping a chip on a real Plinko board at the OLG Prize Centre in Toronto. “I’ve been playing the lottery for decades,” Franks said in a news release from OLG. “This is my […]

While the move of the Brampton Excelsiors to Owen Sound awaits a final vote by the Ontario Lacrosse Association’s board of directors, one thing is now certain – they won’t play for a Mann Cup in 2021. The Major Series Lacrosse league in concert with the Western Lacrosse Association in British Columbia and Lacrosse Canada […]

A Southgate man has been charged with dangerous driving and failing to remain at the scene of a collision after a pedestrian fell from the hood of a car in Dundalk. On May 8, just after 3 p.m., Grey Bruce OPP responded about an injured pedestrian who was thrown from a moving vehicle on Bradley […]

A Holland Centre man is dead after an altercation in Owen Sound Sunday night, and police say they are investigating the case as a homicide. Shortly after 9:30 p.m. Sunday Owen Sound police responded to a report of an altercation in the 900 block of 6th Street East. When they arrived they found a man […]

The monument recognizing the more than 1,200 people buried in Potter’s Field at Greenwood Cemetery has been unveiled. On Monday, the volunteer committee overseeing the project announced that the cover had been taken off the monument. Constructed of solid granite and cast bronze, the monument was installed in December and covered for the winter, in […]

All Ontarians 18 and older will be able to book a COVID-19 test as of 8 a.m. Tuesday. The province announced Monday it would speed up its vaccination effort and make those 18 and older eligible a week ahead of schedule. Those who meet the criteria can book using the province’s online booking portal or […]

Concerned Grey Highlanders and conservationists are asking the municipality to delay any sale or development of more than 200 acres of land in the Beaver Valley so it may be preserved. In late April, the municipality began its Beaver Valley Planning Partnership seeking the public’s input about the future of the former Talisman Resort. The […]

With the rectory at the St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Owen Sound about to come down, the plants around the 148-year-old building have been saved to be admired by others. On Friday, a small group of volunteers removed a trailer load of plants from the gardens around the rectory and transplanted them at The Women’s […]

Four more COVID-19 cases were reported by the Grey Bruce Health Unit on Sunday, bringing the number of confirmed cases in the region to 1,294 since the pandemic began. The cases reported on Sunday included one each in Southgate, Owen Sound, The Blue Mountains and Saugeen Shores. The health unit reported eight new cases on […]

The families, staff and children at the Queen of Hearts nursery school have opened their hearts to help the Chapman House hospice by raising funds in honour of someone they were very close to. As of Saturday more than $18,000 had been raised by Team Queen of Hearts for the Residential Hospice of Grey Bruce […]

The Grey Bruce Health Unit reported eight new cases of COVID-19 on Saturday. The new cases included two each in Southgate, South Bruce, Huron-Kinloss and Arran-Elderslie. There have now been 1,287 confirmed cases in Grey-Bruce, including 338 that are variants of concern. Of the total cases, 53 remain active, while there are 36 VOC cases […]

As the provincial shutdown extends further into spring, the Georgian Bay Folk Society is determined to hold Summerfolk 46 this summer. What this year’s festival will look like remains up in the air, but organizers are prepared to adjust to whatever the COVID-19 landscape looks like. “The concept we are working on is really, really […]

Police are looking for information about an assault in downtown Owen Sound that left a man lying in the street with significant facial injuries early Saturday morning. Just before 1:30 a.m. Owen Sound police were advised of the man lying on the street in the 900 block of 2nd Avenue East. The caller told police […]

The Grey Bruce Health Unit confirmed six new COVID-19 infections and a newly reported death Friday. Two new cases of the pandemic virus were reported in both Southgate and Kincardine while Owen Sound and South Bruce Peninsula recorded a single new case each. The health unit is now following 49 confirmed active cases of COVID-19 […]

Chesley hospital’s emergency room remains closed overnight, due to a shortage of nurses and increased demands on them due to COVID-19, the hospital corporation’s president and CEO said Friday. The department has been closed from 8 p.m. to 8 a.m. since September 2019, to ensure patient and staff safety, hospital officials have said. Of the […]

Barricades have now been installed across prime beachside parking spots on Lakeshore Boulevard North in Sauble Beach. A plan to cut back encroaching sand dunes and install a retaining wall along Lakeshore Boulevard North between the Crowd Inn and Kinloss Lane, to increase space for vehicles, was protested by the neighbouring Saugeen Ojibway Nation before […]

The Nuclear Waste Management Organization has started drilling test boreholes in South Bruce, an important step to determining if the location is suitable to store used nuclear fuel underground. The first of two boreholes was started northwest of Teeswater in recent weeks and has reached a depth of about 20 metres as the NWMO evaluates […]

Construction of four Habitat for Humanity homes at Chippewas of Saugeen First Nation comes with the usual expectation that homeowners will work on their homes alongside volunteers and skilled tradespeople. The builds will also include up to 10 Indigenous community members aged 18 to 30, from Saugeen and Chippewas of Nawash Unceded First Nation at […]

The Georgian Bay Symphony will be closing out its 49th season Saturday night with a free virtual concert as planning continues to stage a hybrid 50th season in 2021-22 featuring both digital and live concerts. Saturday’s event will be streamed at 7 p.m. on the symphony’s YouTube channel and will include works by Vivaldi, Mozart […]

A five-year plan approved last month by county councils in Grey-Bruce was created to attract and keep newcomers and immigrants to help employers desperate for workers. But Jacinda Rudolph, who is involved in implementing the plan, says its more than an employee recruitment tool. It’s a community response by organizations to help people who may […]

Owen Sound is hoping the third time’s a charm in its quest to find a developer to buy and redevelop its historic former courthouse and jail properties. City hall is accepting proposals until June 11 at 1 p.m. for an “adaptive re-use” of the sites at 1235 and 1259 3rd Avenue East. “Ultimately, the first […]

A large sightseeing and tour boat will be plying the waters around Tobermory this summer. The 90-foot Tobermory Legacy – previously the Miss Midland – has been purchased by Tobermory Cruise Line and will be offering sunset and lunch and dinner cruises that will see the boat sailing around Tobermory, through the islands of the […]

Life in lockdown will remain a reality in Ontario until at least June 2, the provincial government announced Thursday. With more than 700 COVID-19 patients in intensive care units, and provincial case counts still totalling over 2,700 on average this past week, the provincewide stay-at-home order has been extended. The province also announced schools will […]

Bruce County has completed an organizational shuffle to bolster oversight as control of its long-term care homes is transitioned back to the county. As part of the change, former Gateway Haven administrator Megan Garland has been appointed to the newly created role of director of long-term care and senior services reporting to the CAO of […]

Georgian Bluffs has approved its 2021 budget, but not before some on council again expressed concerns about how much the Wiarton-Keppel International Airport continues to cost the municipality. At its council meeting on Wednesday, the bylaw to adopt this year’s operating and capital budget passed in a close 3-2 vote. And it was the close […]

A third piping plover has arrived this season at Sauble Beach and local spotters are hoping this one sticks around long enough for a mate to join her on the sandy shoreline. Caleb Johnstone, outreach co-ordinator for the local Plover Lovers group, said the female shorebird was first reported Wednesday near the south end of […]

Thirteen more Grey-Bruce residents have contracted COVID-19, according to the Grey Bruce Health Unit’s daily situation report distributed Wednesday afternoon. The newest cases include four in Kincardine, three in South Bruce, two in Arran-Elderslie, and single cases in Georgian Bluffs, Hanover, Saugeen Shores and West Grey. Altogether, the health unit was following 46 confirmed COVID-19 […]

City council is set to discuss, in closed session Monday, the financial aspects of two presentations that included proposals aimed at boosting revenue and the use of the Owen Sound Billy Bishop Regional Airport. City manager Tim Simmonds said staff is reviewing information both Stephanie Price and Melanie Middlebro presented at Tuesday’s operations committee meeting […]

Ontario’s new plan to stop wild pigs from becoming established in the province has a part for you to play. There have been a few sightings of wild pigs in Grey-Bruce over the past few years and the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry would like people to keep reporting them. The Ontario Invasive Species […]

A newly installed pedestrian crossing in a “high-profile” area of the city’s downtown – just a stone’s throw away from the Sydenham River – is an ideal location for Owen Sound’s first rainbow crosswalk, says Mayor Ian Boddy. “This is something we’ve been talking about casually or informally for quite a while, but had never […]

A Southgate man has died in a crash west of Dundalk. Mitchell Benoit, 32, was pronounced dead at the scene of the crash, which occurred just before 6 p.m. on Tuesday. Grey Bruce OPP along with Grey County Paramedic Services and the Dundalk Fire Department attended the collision on Southgate Road 22 near Southgate Sideroad […]

The Hockey Hub model developed in Grey-Bruce is expanding to Peel Region to help one of the province’s hardest-hit areas vaccinate more of their residents. The mass-vaccination model developed by Grey Bruce Health Unit Medical Officer of Health Dr. Ian Arra and supported by Bruce Power reportedly set a national record in April when 3,500 […]

Grey-Bruce is ready to return to Green-zone restrictions if Ontario’s stay-at-home order makes way for the previous colour-coded approach for reopenings, the local medical officer of health said Tuesday. Dr. Ian Arra said in an interview he has already told provincial officials and local directors of education that schools would be ready to reopen for […]

A shotgun and ammunition has been seized and an Owen Sound man faces charges after a police investigation involving death threats on the weekend. On Friday, police learned that the suspect was unlawfully in possession of a shotgun, Owen Sound police said in a news release. The 55-year-old man was arrested on Saturday for uttering […]

For the second day in a row, four new cases of COVID-19 were reported in Grey-Bruce Sunday. Single cases were reported in Owen Sound, Meaford, Southgate and West Grey, bringing the total number of confirmed local cases to date to 1,242, according to public health’s daily situation report. There are now 42 known active cases […]

The young piping plover spotted at Sauble Beach last week hasn’t been seen along the sandy shoreline in days. Andrea Gress, Birds Canada’s Ontario piping plover program co-ordinator, said the endangered shorebird – believed, based on his leg bands, to be a first-year male from Michigan – was first reported at Sauble May 4, but […]