Owen Sound Sun Times

Bruce-Grey-Owen Sound MP Alex Ruff was in Ottawa supporting his party colleagues early Wednesday morning while they took part in a marathon debate over the federal government’s new $107 billion Canada Emergency Response Benefit. The aid package was passed by a pared-down parliament before sunrise and moved through the Senate Wednesday afternoon. It’s expected to […]

As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to keep businesses and facilities closed and people at home, some more popular outdoor spaces are now closing. Bruce County announced on Wednesday morning that it was closing all county-owned trails effective immediately. “We’re taking this measure to limit the risk of coming into close contact with other people in […]

All eight municipalities in Bruce County have declared a state of emergency, allowing them to take actions they deem necessary to protect residents during the COVID-19 pandemic. Northern Bruce Peninsula, South Bruce Peninsula, Arran-Elderslie, Saugeen Shores and Kincardine on Tuesday, and Brockton, Huron Kinloss and South Bruce on Monday, have all declared a state of […]

Bruce Power has scaled back the number of people at its site by three-quarters from peak operation, while also performing only essential work on the nuclear plant’s major component replacement project, in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. “The priority of the site is to minimize the number of employees working within the facility while maintaining […]

An Owen Sound man has been charged with arson after a fire was started in an enclosed porch of a home on the city’s east side. Just before midnight on Tuesday, a concerned citizen contacted the Owen Sound police about a suspicious man knocking on doors in a neighbourhood on the city’s east side. Police […]

South Bruce Peninsula Mayor Janice Jackson declared a state of emergency Tuesday and may use it to quarantine snowbirds returning to Sauble Beach, who she’s repeatedly said in some cases are flouting COVID-19 public health directives to stay home. In neighbouring Northern Bruce Peninsula, Mayor Milt McIver declared an emergency Tuesday too and was to […]

Ontario is ditching time-of-use electricity pricing for at least 45 days as more people are asked to stay at home amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Premier Doug Ford made the announcement Tuesday alongside Energy Minister Greg Rickford and Associate Energy Minister Bill Walker. Farms and small businesses are eligible for reduced pricing as well. The […]

Sales at the weekly Owen Sound Farmers’ Market are a main source of income for a lot of the local growers, producers, bakers and artisans who bring their products to the Saturday events, says co-manager Richard Thomas. So the decision to indefinitely close the market – perhaps for the first time ever – because of […]

The evolving and unpredictable COVID-19 situation can exacerbate stress, anxiety and depression, according to local mental health agencies, which are continuing to offer counselling and other services via telephone and online. Phil Dodd, executive director at Keystone Child, Youth and Family Services, said the mental health of young people, parents and others in the community […]

Phone trouble experienced by the Grey Bruce Health Unit in Owen Sound is at minimum an “inconvenience,” spokesman Drew Ferguson said Tuesday. The health unit is spearheading the local response to the COVID-19 pandemic and among the services affected has been the dedicated helpline used by health care workers, people who’ve visited assessment centres and […]

Local service groups and businesses are working together to help deliver groceries and medicine to people who are in isolation or unable to access necessities amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Strict measures put in place by the provincial government to slow the spread of the virus have made a trip to the grocery store difficult or […]

For Meaford’s Mason Dobie, the road to the national stage has been short. The lanky infielder didn’t play organized ball until he was nine years old. At 17, he was named to Baseball Canada’s Junior National Team’s spring training squad. Before Major League Baseball suspended its operations in mid-March, Dobie was lining up against players […]

Monday evening, the Canadian Hockey League made the unprecedented decision to cancel the Memorial Cup tournament, set for May 22-31 in Kelowna, B.C. It’s the first time in the trophy’s 102-year history that it will not be awarded. The CHL playoffs have been scrapped too and with it the Owen Sound Attack’s 10th-consecutive playoff performance. […]

On a day Grey-Bruce learned of a fourth local confirmed case of COVID-19, Grey-Bruce Medical Officer of Health Ian Arra said he expects more cases to come, and while he remains “concerned,” the “sky is not falling.” By 10:30 a.m. Monday, a fourth case of COVID-19 in Grey-Bruce was confirmed by the Grey Bruce Health […]

A 63-year-old Owen Sound woman died at the scene of a fire in her eastside home Saturday night. City police issued a news release Monday identifying the victim as Deborah Hood after a criminal and Office of the Fire Marshal investigation. The cause of the fire is not considered suspicious, police said. Emergency responders arrived […]

Municipal officials in Grey-Bruce are discussing their next steps after the province granted councils the ability to hold meetings electronically during the COVID-19 state of emergency. Several local councils are planning to meet remotely over the next week to consider amending their own procedural bylaws to permit the electronic meetings during declared emergencies. Owen Sound […]

In what’s being called a proactive move, both Grey and Bruce counties reached out to the public over the weekend asking for help finding personal protective equipment (PPE) for frontline emergency service and healthcare workers. Required supplies include N95 masks, nitrile gloves, disposable impermeable gowns, general surgical masks, and hand sanitizer and disinfectant with a […]

Northern Bruce Peninsula officials are asking people to put off visiting the municipality for the next several weeks and visitors currently in the area to make plans to return home. “This recommendation is temporary only – just as the COVID-19 pandemic is – and we look forward to welcoming everyone back again soon,” Mayor Milt […]

West Grey declared a state of emergency Monday in response to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. “The spread of COVID-19 and the safety of our residents remains our top priority,” Mayor Christine Robinson said in a media release. “West Grey is joining with several other municipalities to declare a state of emergency to signal the seriousness […]

Harrison Park and some homes in Owen Sound will be without water Tuesday while planned water system work goes ahead as part of the Inglis Falls Road reconstruction. Water will be shut off for certain city residents starting Tuesday morning at 8:30 a.m., and restored at 2 p.m. for some residents and 6 p.m. for […]

Sweetpea owner Tessa Snider says online orders will now be the “lifeblood” of her downtown Owen Sound business until she’s able to reopen the shop’s doors. Like many merchants, Snider has shuttered her store indefinitely because of the COVID-19 pandemic, which has caused widespread disruptions and prompted Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to again urge Canadians […]

A 21-year-old Meaford driver has been charged with failing to stop for a red light after a two-vehicle collision in Owen Sound. An investigation revealed that the driver of a vehicle travelling east on 16th Street East failed to stop for a red light and struck a vehicle that was turning westbound onto 16th Street […]

The Ontario Fire Marshal’s office is investigating after a woman was pronounced dead following a house fire in Owen Sound. Acting Sgt. Bill Ringel of the Owen Sound Police Service said firefighters contained the blaze and the unconscious woman was found inside the house during a search by firefighters. Grey County paramedics performed CPR, but […]

A city police officer was able to quickly extinguish an apartment fire at an eight-storey building Saturday morning, preventing a potentially tragic outcome, according to the Owen Sound Police Service. Emergency crews were called to Parkway Apartments at 305 14th St. W. at about 5:45 a.m. in response to a fire. The officer went to […]

Municipal officials in Owen Sound and other communities are warning residents that “wipes clog pipes.” As a result of the COVID-19 situation – which has led to instances of hoarding and panic buying – multiple stores have run out of toilet paper and some areas are experiencing shortages. That has resulted in municipalities seeing “a […]

With COVID-19 causing widespread disruptions, two Owen Sound siblings have turned their minds to helping the less fortunate in the community. Teena Ritchie, 18, and her 13-year-old brother Jayden Weiss recently purchased non-perishable food items and other supplies – from diapers to toothpaste – and have put them on shelves at the end of their […]

City officials are asking people to only use Owen Sound’s public transit system for essential travel while the current COVID-19 pandemic continues. The city has seen ridership increase significantly since Thursday morning when the service became free to use, Dennis Kefalas, director of public works and engineering, said. “Our intention was to keep providing transit […]

The 8th annual Wiarton & District Job Fair has been rescheduled to Tuesday, April 21 from 2 p.m. to 7 p.m. at the Wiarton Community Centre, event organizers said in a news release. Information about full-time, part-time and summer jobs and apprenticeship opportunities will be available. Local employers will have booths there with staff to […]

A 32-year-old Brockton resident has been charged with assault with a weapon and assaulting a peace officer after South Bruce OPP were dispatched to the scene of a disturbance in Mildmay Thursday morning. At 10:03 a.m. officers arrived at the scene on Pinkerton Street and determined an assault had taken place. The accused refused to cooperate […]

Despite originally planning to forge ahead in the face of union unrest and fears over the COVID-19 virus, the organizers of the 2020 Bluewater Regional Science and Technology Fairs have cancelled the events. The 2020 Senior Regional Science Fair scheduled for April 1 and the 2020 Junior Regional Science Fair scheduled for April 8 at […]

The owners of Saugeen Springs RV Park have opened their property early to provide sites for RV snowbirds who have had to return to Ontario earlier than planned because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Catherine Serez, who owns and operates the seasonal campground near Hanover with her children, said there are many people who live full-time […]

Owen Sound is postponing until further notice the launch of its planned twice-daily transit service between the city’s bus terminal and Guelph. City officials announced Friday that Guelph Owen Sound Transportation (GOST) will not be starting up on April 1 as scheduled due to the COVID-19 situation. Dennis Kefalas, director of public works and engineering, […]

Peter Suke loaded his groceries then jumped in his car as quickly as he could to escape a downpour Friday morning in Owen Sound. Cold and dripping wet, he reached for a disinfectant wipe in a plastic zip bag on the passenger seat and worked the soggy napkin between his fingers and all over his […]

MPP Bill Walker said Thursday he thinks the region’s healthcare system is in good shape as local, provincial and federal governments continue to enact measures to slow community transmission of the COVID-19 virus while dealing with a destabilized economy. As of Friday morning, there were three confirmed cases of the COVID-19 virus in Grey-Bruce. Three […]

An Owen Sound-area man left the city’s COVID-19 assessment centre Thursday feeling he’d “wasted” his time because his sick son wasn’t tested. He said if people knew how strict the testing criteria are, there would be a lot fewer people showing up seeking a test for the virus which is sweeping the world, which has […]

Grey-Bruce residents listened to five of the region’s top healthcare professionals in a telephone town hall hosted by Bruce Power Thursday night, and dotted often among the important and prudent advice was something Dr. Ian Arra’s grandmother told him when he was five years old. Wash your hands. Don’t touch your face. “I sound like […]

Police in Grey-Bruce are working closely with the medical officer of health to contend with COVID-19 challenges now, while planning for the worst in case this pandemic virus continues to spread into the community as expected. They’re taking steps to minimize face-to-face contact with people who report incidents, on a case-by-case basis, by encouraging online […]

The United Way of Bruce Grey has launched a new website aimed at connecting volunteers remotely with people in isolation during the COVID-19 pandemic. Executive director Francesca Dobbyn said the mobile-friendly “The Do” site – which can be found at thedo.ca – officially launched Thursday. “It’s to connect isolated people and create a sense of […]

The Municipality of Meaford and Town of Blue Mountains are working to continue essential services after the cancellation and closures of most municipal facilities and public meetings to help slow the spread of the COVID-19 virus. In Meaford, the town hall, Meaford Hall, museum, public library and community centre have all been closed to the […]

With extra precautions in place, work is continuing on Owen Sound’s 10th Street bridge replacement project amid the ongoing COVID-19 situation. Dennis Kefalas, director of public works and engineering, said the contractor’s plan is to keep the project going unless an order comes down from the province to cease all construction in Ontario. “They’ve got […]

South Bruce OPP are looking for the public’s help in identifying a suspicious vehicle and driver after a youth was approached in Kincardine Tuesday. A dark blue or black car stopped on St. Albert Street near Park Street and the driver called out to the young person. The youth ignored the driver and ran home. […]

West Grey’s fourth Polar Plunge for Special Olympics drew a large and energetic crowd Friday. “There’s overall more support this year,” said Const. Mitch Roulston. “It’s through the Special Olympics, and every service usually has a couple of officers or members that take on a role with assisting with Special Olympics and the support from […]

Two more COVID-19 assessment centres are opening in Grey-Bruce Thursday. One at Hanover & District Hospital in Hanover will run from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., seven days a week. The other is at South Bruce Grey Health Centre’s Kincardine hospital, which will run from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., seven days a week. Owen […]

The big news here is that I made it home. There might have been a minute or two when I wasn’t sure, when I thought I might be living in Ireland for a while. I didn’t hate the idea, particularly since friends offered us the use of a cottage by the seaand since we elbowed […]

For Bob and Marie Knapp, all’s well that ends well, even if it ended with a precautionary 14-day self-quarantine. The Georgian Bluffs couple cut short their winter getaway to Ecuador’s mountainside town of Banos de Agua Santa and arrived home in the wee hours of Tuesday morning. They grew increasingly concerned about COVID-19, which when […]

All playground structures in Owen Sound are closed for the next four weeks. The city will also be providing, as of Thursday, free public transit service and will pick up garbage bags on scheduled routes even if they don’t have a tag on them. It’s suspending downtown parking enforcement until further notice and will not […]

The Ontario Hockey League announced it will forgo the 56 remaining games on its regular-season schedule Wednesday as it continues to pause and monitor developments in accordance with the spread of the COVID-19 virus. The league said that following a meeting with the OHL Board of Governors and consultation with medical professionals, it was determined […]

South Bruce Peninsula Mayor Janice Jackson is imploring snowbirds to self isolate inside their home for 14 days immediately upon their return to the area in an effort slow the spread COVID-19. “They need to understand that they have to drive straight home. They can’t stop at the grocery store. They need to go straight […]

This extraordinary COVID-19 situation has led to an unprecedented partnership between two Owen Sound organizations, which both provide help to the community’s most vulnerable. Safe ‘n Sound and the Owen Sound Hunger and Relief Effort (OSHaRE) will be working together during the ongoing coronavirus pandemic to ensure the people they serve continue receiving the lunches […]

A 61-year-old man who public health says acquired COVID-19 while travelling internationally is Grey-Bruce’s third confirmed case of the virus. The Grey Bruce Health Unit confirmed Wednesday afternoon that it has received laboratory confirmation of the positive case, which was first posted on the Ontario Ministry of Health & Long-term Care’s 2019 novel coronavirus webpage. […]