Owen Sound Sun Times

While navigating the unprecedented COVID-19 pandemic presented challenges for Owen Sound in 2020, the city also experienced many highlights and successes throughout the year, Mayor Ian Boddy said in a year-end interview. “Nobody wants to go through 2020 again. It’s been hard on everybody; it’s hard on mental health. But, if you didn’t have that […]

The Grey Bruce Health Unit reported four new cases of COVID-19 Wednesday. Two of the newest cases were reported in Owen Sound while Grey Highlands and Kincardine each had a single case. There are now 25 active cases confirmed in the region with 17 active probable cases and 138 high-risk contacts associated with active cases. […]

The Festival of Northern Lights will continue to be powered up for much of the provincial shutdown. Organizers decided to extend the annual lights-and-displays festival by two weeks. It’s now set to end Jan. 17, six days before lockdown restrictions aimed at stopping the spread of COVID-19 are set to be lifted. “When we heard […]

Two New Year’s Eve shows – traditional country music with the Beckett family and comedy from The Second City — will be streamed to a TV or computer screen year you today. Since public celebrations to ring in the New Year aren’t happening this year to limit the spread of COVID-19, the events are presented […]

The Home of the Whopper will soon have a home in Owen Sound. Toronto-based Redberry Restaurants is planning to build a 2,600-square-foot Burger King with drive-thru in Owen Sound in 2021, Sharron Fry, marketing director for the quick-service restaurant franchisee, confirmed Wednesday. “Owen Sound was selected for the new Burger King restaurant because it is […]

Local police services will receive nearly $120,000 over the next two years from the provincial government through the Reduce Impaired Driving Everywhere (RIDE) grant program. The funding is part of a $4.8 million investment by the province to help police services keep impaired drivers off the roads. The money will help 171 police services in […]

The Township of Georgian Bluffs will suspend its garbage bag tag program throughout the province’s 28-day lockdown. The township made the announcement in a media release distributed Tuesday. “The health and safety of our residents is the township’s top priority, therefore we encourage all residents to adhere to the direction of the province and Grey […]

The Grey Bruce Health Unit reported three new cases of COVID-19 on Tuesday. The cases, one each in residents in the Blue Mountains, Meaford and Owen Sound, bring the total reported in the two counties since the beginning of the pandemic to 479, with 24 remaining active. There are also 14 active probable cases in […]

Owen Sound is hoping to reopen the outdoor Harrison Park Good Cheer Rink next week, which it opted to close Dec. 26 in response to the provincewide shutdown aimed at stopping the spread of COVID-19. Community services director Pam Coulter said staff will be developing a plan, in consultation with Grey Bruce Health Unit officials, […]

Snowmobile trails have started to open in Grey-Bruce, but due to warm ground and pooling water underneath the snow cover, it is expected to be some time until many others are. On Tuesday, the first trails in the Ontario Federation of Snowmobile Clubs District 9, which includes the two counties, opened to limited availability. The […]

The Grey Bruce Health Unit reported three new COVID-19 cases Monday, in Meaford, Southgate and South Bruce. The three new cases raise the region’s cumulative total to 476 with 31 cases currently active. The health unit also reported 14 probable cases and 131 high-risk contacts of confirmed cases. Probable cases are those that are not […]

A Sauble Beach resident is asking a court to stop South Bruce Peninsula from cutting back ecologically sensitive sand dunes along Lakeshore Boulevard, a project the municipality says is intended to improve parking and pedestrian safety. An application to the Superior Court of Justice seeks to quash and declare null and void a Grey Sauble […]

The early bird draw for the third Bigger Together 50/50 Raffle is Dec. 30. The winner of that draw will receive $500, but the final draw winner will receive half of all ticket revenue sold across Ontario. The Big Brothers Big Sisters Ontario draw helps youth in Grey-Bruce because half of the money raised through […]

Some local musical favourites are featured in a two-hour food bank fundraising concert to be broadcast and streamed by Rogers TV Jan. 1. Rockin’ for the Food Bank will feature six local acts in performances recorded for the show, something made necessary due to COVID-19 gathering restrictions. The bands include Juanita and the Big Deal, […]

By recruiting teens to talk to other teens, Matt Evans hopes to get young drivers to think twice before driving after drinking or using pot, texting while driving or speeding. The group will put together an online symposium for classes of students who will be asked to help come up with strategies to address a […]

Two special Christmas meals were shared free of charge with hundreds of people leading up to and on Christmas Day. The Salvation Army and Owen Sound Hunger and Relief Effort teamed up on Christmas to serve hot, takeout turkey dinners from a Sally Ann emergency services truck parked in the OSHaRE soup kitchen parking lot […]

Grey-Bruce’s COVID-19 count rose by a dozen cases this weekend. Sunday saw two more cases, in Kincardine and South Bruce Peninsula, the Grey Bruce Health Unit reported Sunday afternoon. That brought the cumulative total to 473 confirmed cases, of which 33 are active cases. Another 15 are active probable cases involving people showing symptoms, who […]

A 22-year-old Edmonton man was arrested by Saugeen Shores Police in Port Elgin on a Canada-wide warrant for several violent offences Wednesday. Saugeen Shores Police were contacted by the Edmonton Police Service Tuesday to assist them in locating the male who was believed to be living at a residence in Port Elgin. Saugeen Shores Police […]

The Grey Bruce Health Unit reported nine new cases of COVID-19 Thursday including three at Saugeen First Nation. A pair of cases were reported in Brockton while single cases were found in Saugeen Shores, Kincardine, Georgian Bluffs and Owen Sound. A case at Saugeen First Nation was first reported Monday. Before that point, no cases […]

A Saugeen First Nation man suspected of breaking into a residence and abducting a child is facing charges after the child was safely recovered by its parents. Grey Bruce OPP said in a news release that police were notified on Dec. 23 at 8:17 p.m. that a suspect broke into a residence, took a young […]

South Bruce OPP charged a 55-year-old Arran-Tara resident with mischief after police received a false report of a vehicle theft involving a threat with a weapon. The incident was reported on July 16 at 10:01 p.m. from an address along Bruce Road 10 in the township. The caller reported a pedestrian had brandished a weapon […]

Southampton Care Centre will move to a new, 160-bed long-term care facility with 49 more beds than it has now. The “state-of-the-art” home with “superior functionality” will be built on property adjacent to the current, 45-year-old, 111-bed facility at 140 Grey St. South in Southampton. Construction is to begin in spring 2022 and take 18 […]

This year’s CFOS-Sun Times Christmas Fund Broadcast – held amid the global COVID-19 pandemic – has raised a record tally of donations. Ian Solecki, Bayshore Broadcasting’s director of operations, said just shy of $45,000 had been raised for the 81st annual event as of Christmas Eve. All money raised will be evenly distributed to 22 […]

West Grey Police have charged a pair of Owen Sound residents after two suspects crashed a stolen delivery vehicle just feet away from a Durham home and attempted to flee the scene. Police say at approximately 9:49 a.m. Wednesday, they received information that a delivery truck had been stolen during a delivery at a Garafaxa […]

The Grey Bruce Health Unit reported 10 new cases of COVID-19 Wednesday. The newest cases were found in Arran-Elderslie (3), Kincardine (2), South Bruce (2), Southgate, Grey Highlands and Meaford. There are now 28 active cases, 12 probable cases and 149 high-risk contacts associated with confirmed active cases in the region. Three patients with COVID-19 […]

A health unit investigation prompted by a cluster of four COVID-19 cases in South Bruce Peninsula with links to two dinner parties around Thanksgiving found no grounds to lay charges. “After reassessing attendees and numbers, the party fell just within acceptable limits so a report was not submitted,” said Dr. Ian Arra, the Grey-Bruce medical […]

An extensive Owen Sound Police Service investigation targeting methamphetamine and fentanyl trafficking resulted in 10 people charged, with more arrests possible in the coming weeks, police announced Wednesday. They laid 72 charges related to drug selling and after executing warrants to search two residences, seized more than $20,000 worth of narcotics including fentanyl, meth, cocaine, […]

Following a meeting with its board of governors and general managers, the Ontario Hockey League announced a further delay to the start of its 2020-21 season due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and provincewide shutdown. The OHL had planned to start training camps mid-January with regular-season games scheduled to begin Feb. 4. Those plans have […]

The board of health for the Grey Bruce Health Unit has ratified new two-year collective agreements with three bargaining units, which cover a combined 122 staff at public health. The collective agreements with the Ontario Nurses’ Association, Ontario Public Service Employees’ Union-ProTech and OPSEU Support each include wage increases of one per cent in Year […]

The Grey Bruce Health Unit is urging people to heed public health recommendations before they become provincial regulations on Boxing Day and nix holiday celebrations planned outside of the household. “It really boils down to asking ourselves where have the majority of transmissions happened in Grey-Bruce? They’ve happened in small household type settings,” said Ian […]

A city committee is recommending council authorize moving to the next planning stage of a proposal to renovate the historic, 115-year-old chapel at Owen Sound’s Greenwood Cemetery and include a 387-niche columbarium inside. The community services committee supported proceeding to the design and engineering stage of the project in 2021 after receiving a staff-prepared business […]

The Grey Bruce Health Unit reported two new cases of COVID-19 Tuesday, one in Southgate and one in The Blue Mountains. There are currently 26 active cases, 12 probable active cases and 149 high-risk contacts of active cases in the region. Three patients with COVID-19 are currently hospitalized, one less than yesterday. No deaths have […]

Bluewater District School Board elementary and secondary school students will start virtual learning Jan. 4 to Jan. 8, right after the holiday break. As provincial plans are set now, elementary school students will return to their classrooms Jan. 11 in person, while secondary school students remain home and continue with virtual learning until Jan. 25. […]

The Bruce Trail Conservancy has made one of its most significant acquisitions by securing a 533-acre piece of Bruce Peninsula wilderness at Cape Chin. The property includes a 270-degree view of Georgian Bay and the Niagara Escarpment cliffs, approximately 1.5-kilometres of optimum Bruce Trail route and is habitat for several species at risk. Bruce Trail […]

Safe Restart Agreement funding announced for the Huron-Bruce riding Dec. 18 will help municipalities avoid deficits caused by COVID-19 expenses. It’s part of $695 million set aside across the province, building on the first phase of the federal-provincial Safe Restart Agreement announced this summer. “The money will help municipal councils in Huron-Bruce to develop a […]

Grey Bruce OPP charged a 35-year-old man with attempted murder, arson and uttering threats following what police said was a suspicious fire in Southgate Township earlier this month. Police said in a news release Tuesday that they were dispatched to the scene at 2:49 p.m. Dec. 11. The fire was at a residence on Southgate […]

Less than a week after it opened its ski hills, Blue Mountain Resort will shut them down to comply with a provincewide lockdown to try to curb the spread of COVID-19. The resort opened some lifts and runs for the season on Saturday morning with capacity limits and health measures in place, but announced Monday […]

From the yellow zone to full-blown shutdown, the Grey-Bruce region will wake up locked down on Boxing Day. The provincial government announced Monday it will pause its colour-coded COVID-19 Response Framework in favour of a provincewide shutdown a minute after midnight on Dec. 26. The shutdown will essentially mirror the provincewide restrictions put in place […]

Ontario Premier Doug Ford said on Dec. 21 that schools aren’t to blame for much COVID spread, but he’s extending students’ Christmas break by one week to Jan. 11. Grey-Bruce elementary school kids may return to their classrooms Jan. 11, while secondary school students will start remote learning Jan. 11 until Jan. 25, when they […]

The flag at the former OSCVI will fly at half-staff in honour of Barry Boley, a long-time high school teacher and football and basketball coach who’s described by those who knew him as a mentor, dedicated educator and devoted family man. Mr. Boley died Saturday night of cancer at his Owen Sound home. He was […]

The Grey Bruce Health Unit reported five new cases of COVID-19 Monday and declared the COVID-19 outbreak at Lee Manor in Owen Sound over. The outbreak at the long-term care home was declared on Dec. 11 when a staff member tested positive for the virus. No others tested positive inside the facility. COVID-19 outbreaks declared […]

People poured into stores in anticipation of a lockdown even before the province made it official Monday afternoon. Owen Sound Zehrs store manager Cynthia Dawson said customers started to arrive in droves shortly after opening. “We’re lined up out the door and tons of people are heading out. We are obviously maintaining out capacity at […]

The field hospital is to remain at the Harry Lumley Bayshore Community Centre for the foreseeable future. GBHS president and chief executive officer Gary Sims said on Monday that they had hoped that if all indicators around the pandemic were good in early December, they may actually be able to take the field hospital down, […]

The three hospital corporations in Grey-Bruce are appealing to Grey-Bruce residents to follow public health guidance to slow the spread of COVID-19. On Monday, Grey Bruce Health Services, Hanover and District Hospital and South Bruce Grey Health Centre issued a joint statement in which they said they have seen a surge in occupancy in recent […]

The Salvation Army’s annual Christmas Day dinner will be distributed from a truck this year, served by OSHaRE and Salvation Army staff combined on Friday. Public health protocols intended to limit the spread of COVID-19 won’t let guests dine together this year at the citadel. But a hot, take-out meal will be waiting for them […]

A COVID-19 outbreak has been declared at the Errinrung Long-Term Care Home after a staff member there tested positive for the virus. The Grey Bruce Health Unit reported the outbreak on Sunday, when six more cases of the virus were reported in residents of Grey-Bruce – two in Arran-Elderslie and one each in Owen Sound, […]

While heading outdoors and counting birds may seem like an ideal way to pass time when physical distancing and isolating from others is being encouraged, even it has had its challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic. On Saturday, the 50th annual Owen Sound Christmas Bird Count was held around the city, with more than 30 volunteers […]

Santa made a pre-Christmas appearance at half-a-dozen seniors homes in Owen Sound on Sunday morning. But it was a crew of helpers driving pickup trucks that were bearing gifts for the residents of the homes. Rebecca Macdonald, a bookkeeper at Richard’s No Frills, and Heather Eyselein, owner of The Admiral’s Barbershop, teamed up to lead […]

The Grey Bruce Health Unit was reporting eight new cases of COVID-19 in the region on Saturday, including an outbreak among staff at The Village Seniors Long-Term Care in Hanover. The cases, recorded in the 24 hours prior to 3:30 p.m., include two residents of West Grey, two residents of Owen Sound and one case […]