Owen Sound Sun Times

The Inter Township Fire Department is hoping to keep a fire truck at Owen Sound’s fire hall, despite the 10th Street bridge being open again. Representatives with Georgian Bluffs and Meaford plan to meet with City of Owen Sound officials to discuss keeping one of their trucks at the fire hall on the city’s east […]

Santa came early to Grey-Bruce and he brought a sack of COVID-19 relief cash for local municipalities. The provincial and federal funding included more than $1 million for Hanover, $619,000 for Grey County, $500,000 for Bruce, ringing in at $2.972 million for 13 local municipalities. Municipalities can use the money at their discretion to avoid […]

Jessica Hastings-Lesperance knew she wanted to help raise money and awareness for mental health initiatives, but didn’t know where to start. So when staff members from the Owen Sound hospital’s mental health and addictions department began talking about their work inside Hastings-Lesperance’s Cedar Wellness Studio yoga class, it seemed like a serendipitous moment. “It was […]

Two studies of the municipal biodigester jointly owned and operated by Georgian Bluffs and Chatsworth are to be combined into one. On Wednesday, Georgian Bluffs council approved a motion that will see an assessment of the biodigester – including the possibility of temporarily mothballing the facility — become an extension of a biodigester feasibility study […]

Georgian Bluffs has adopted its new recreation and trails master plan. Council passed a bylaw Wednesday to adopt the plan, which provides council and staff with direction for its recreational assets over the next decade. “It is a living document and it is good that we have it done,” Mayor Dwight Burley said Thursday. “It […]

A surprise parade Thursday morning acknowledged nine months of living and working during the COVID-19 pandemic has been hard on everyone, but people’s efforts are appreciated. Fire trucks, ambulances, police cars and others drove past the health unit, one of 18 parade stops. Vehicle lights flashed and sirens and horns blasted in appreciation. One van […]

A luxury camping retreat proposed for a 25-acre patch of farm and woodland in Meaford cleared another hurdle Monday, but some neighbours are protesting the project. At its final regular council meeting of 2020, Meaford council passed a bylaw to grant site plan approval and authorize the execution of a site plan agreement with the […]

The Grey Bruce Health Unit reported nine new cases of COVID-19 Wednesday. The newest cases were found in Southgate (2), Owen Sound (2), Arran Elderslie (2), Saugeen Shores, Huron-Kinloss and Brockton. There are now 33 active cases in the region with six probable cases and 232 high-risk contacts. Four people with a confirmed case of […]

The St. Mary’s and the Missions Catholic parish anticipates receiving a permit any day now to demolish its historic 148-year-old rectory in Owen Sound and make way for the construction of a new, accessible church residence. Neil Devlin, the parish’s building committee chair, said asbestos abatement work in the now-vacant rectory, next to St. Mary’s […]

A remastered and expanded version of Queen’s Hotel Blues, the 2007 documentary about the turmoil surrounding the demolition of a controversial downtown Owen Sound landmark, will be available for download Dec. 20. Filmmaker Graeme Bachiu added several minutes to the original 25-minute doc, and added bonus features including uncut interviews with some of the players […]

The other day I sat at a cafe and drank coffee and wrote and I don’t feel even a little bad about it. Before I tell you about my lovely experience at the cafe, I’m going to hit you all with my COVID edits because these have become a part of every conversation that I […]

A lover of the outdoors, conservation and teaching, Fred Geberdt died Tuesday of cancer. He was 79. Mr. Geberdt survived a few bouts of cancer since kidney cancer was diagnosed 16 years ago. When it came back as a brain tumour it proved too much, his son Chris Geberdt said. He died at his east […]

A large, bright yellow sharps disposal kiosk has been installed in downtown Owen Sound. The kiosk is part of a one-year pilot project aimed at reducing the amount of discarded needles and other sharps found in public places in the city and increasing the rate of return of sharps provided through public health’s needle syringe […]

Two new cases of COVID-19, in Meaford and The Blue Mountains, were reported by the Grey Bruce Health Unit Tuesday. There are now 31 active cases in the two counties as well as six probable cases and 231 high-risk contacts associated with the active cases. Probable cases are listed when a close contact of an […]

South Bruce OPP has called on the public to help find a stolen $29,000 snowmobile. The purple and white Polaris Assault 850 snowmobile was taken from the bed of a pickup truck parked on Absalom Street in Mildmay. Police said it was taken between 1 a.m. and 2:30 a.m. Sunday, a theft reported later that […]

Jeannette Cannon of Port Elgin hopes that telling others a bit about what her mother went through during the Spanish Flu pandemic of 1918 will help see them through the COVID-19 pandemic. Cannon has helped piece together the details of her family’s own tragic experiences during the Spanish Flu pandemic for a new exhibit at […]

An idea to string Christmas lights over a tree in Hepworth’s memorial park in honour of loved ones must have struck a chord in people’s hearts. Sunday 75 people gathered to watch a tree near the Hepworth cenotaph lit up after nearly 40 donors raised more than $20,000 in a few weeks – nearly triple […]

A driver who failed to stop for police is facing charges after police were dispatched to a report of an erratic driver on Highway 6 in Georgian Bluffs Monday. Grey Bruce OPP Const. Adam Belanger said a red vehicle was witnessed driving above and below 80 kilometres per hour south of Shallow Lake. “OPP officers […]

There will be music in the Owen Sound Farmers’ Market square on two dates this week. The city says following the success of its free, socially distanced lunchtime concert series Music at the Market this fall, it has scheduled free holiday performances Dec. 17 featuring Moondance and Dec. 18 with Coco Love Alcorn. The concerts […]

West Grey police charged a 20-year-old Hanover man after witnesses reported an erratic driver Sunday. A black Volkswagen Jetta was seen driving fast and “swerving all over the road” about 3:35 p.m., eastbound on Grey Rd. 4 in West Grey. As witnesses followed at a safe distance and updated police dispatchers, the Jetta crossed the […]

Owen Sound will continue proactive enforcement efforts in a neighbourhood council identified in September as a hotspot due to ongoing complaints about criminal activity and bylaw infractions related to an address there. Council approved a staff recommendation Monday to maintain the hotspot status for the location and direct the city’s security provider to continue with […]

An athlete described as a “leader with a calm demeanour,” a local poet and environmental advocate and a long-time Sydenham Sportsmen’s Association volunteer have each been honoured by the city. Mayor Ian Boddy presented Lauren Radbourne with Owen Sound’s youth volunteer of the year award and Liz Zetlin with the city’s volunteer of the year […]

The application for the Grey-Bruce Ontario Health Team has been submitted to the Ministry of Health. The application, submitted by the health team planning committee, is supported by signatures from 20 health service provider boards and organizations across Grey-Bruce, it said in a news release issued on Friday. The health teams are being established across […]

News that Calgary police just charged someone in the 1994 shooting death of a young Wiarton man has left his 74-year-old mother and other family feeling grateful and relieved. Trevor Thomas Deakins, 25, and a second victim, Barry Christian Buchart, 26, were both killed on July 11, 1994 in Calgary. Two intruders entered a residence […]

The Grey Bruce Health Unit reported two new cases of COVID-19 on Monday. The new cases of the virus — one each in Brockton and West Grey – brings the total number of confirmed cases to date in the two counties to 402. There remain 32 active cases, as well as six active probable cases, […]

A home on Owen Sound’s east side sustained an estimated $30,000 in damage from a fire on Friday evening. The occupants were able to get out after a heating appliance started a fire in the wall of the home at 790 8th Ave. E. around 10 p.m. “It could have been a lot worse,” Owen […]

Work is underway to fix up a two-storey building near Owen Sound’s 10th Street and 2nd Avenue East intersection that has sat vacant and boarded up since 2017 when it was heavily damaged during an arson spree. A boom crane was recently lifting stacks of new drywall into the second-level window of 1010 2nd Ave. […]

There has been a fourth application made to the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario for a retail cannabis store in Owen Sound. The AGCO said Monday that an application for a new store called Moonfire Cannabis at 1050 2nd Ave. E., Suite 5, had entered into the 15-day public notice phase. The public is […]

The average price of homes sold in Grey and Bruce counties continues to march higher. The Realtors Association of Grey Bruce Owen Sound released its November home sales numbers, which showed the average price of homes sold in the two counties last month reached $547,555, an all-time record for any month, and a 36.8 per […]

The Grey Bruce Health Unit is working with the Bluewater District School Board to address a case of COVID-19 associated with Walkerton District Community School. The assessment by the health unit had yet to show any evidence that transmission of the virus took place at the school,according to a news release issued on Sunday evening. […]

December 14, 2020

Two families are settling into their new Owen Sound homes, built over the summer and fall by Habitat for Humanity Grey Bruce. Executive director Greg Fryer said the Emmerson and Sopkowe/Wood families received the keys Dec. 5 to their semidetached homes on 4th Avenue East. “It’s very exciting. We’re thrilled they were able to move […]

Two families are settling into their new Owen Sound homes, built over the summer and fall by Habitat for Humanity Grey Bruce. Executive director Greg Fryer said the Emmerson and Sopkowe/Wood families received the keys Dec. 5 to their semidetached homes on 4th Avenue East. “It’s very exciting. We’re thrilled they were able to move […]

Six new cases of COVID-19 were reported to the Grey Bruce Health Unit Sunday. Two of the cases were from South Bruce, while the others were from Saugeen Shores, Hanover, Grey Highlands and Kincardine. There are currently 32 known active cases of the virus in the two counties, according to public health’s daily situation report […]

Six new cases of COVID-19 were reported to the Grey Bruce Health Unit Sunday. Two of the cases were from South Bruce, while the others were from Saugeen Shores, Hanover, Grey Highlands and Kincardine. There are currently 32 known active cases of the virus in the two counties, according to public health’s daily situation report […]

Owen Sound police are turning to the public for help after a vehicle hit a pedestrian Saturday night and failed to remain at the scene. The collision happened at about 7:40 p.m. in the area of 9th Street and 3rd Avenue East, according to an Owen Sound Police Service news release. The pedestrian was taken […]

Owen Sound police are turning to the public for help after a vehicle hit a pedestrian Saturday night and failed to remain at the scene. The collision happened at about 7:40 p.m. in the area of 9th Street and 3rd Avenue East, according to an Owen Sound Police Service news release. The pedestrian was taken […]

Five new local cases of COVID-19 were reported to the Grey Bruce Health Unit Saturday, according to public health’s latest situation report. Two of the new cases were from Brockton, while the others were from Southgate, South Bruce Peninsula and Saugeen Shores. There are now 30 known active cases of the virus in the two […]

Five new local cases of COVID-19 were reported to the Grey Bruce Health Unit Saturday, according to public health’s latest situation report. Two of the new cases were from Brockton, while the others were from Southgate, South Bruce Peninsula and Saugeen Shores. There are now 30 known active cases of the virus in the two […]

The Grey Bruce Health Unit has issued its second opioid overdose alert in as many weeks – this time following reports of two fatal drug poisonings Friday. Public health said the overdoses happened near Owen Sound and in Hanover and the substance involved appears to be fentanyl or carfentanil. In one of the poisonings, the […]

The Grey Bruce Health Unit has issued its second opioid overdose alert in as many weeks – this time following reports of two fatal drug poisonings Friday. Public health said the overdoses happened near Owen Sound and in Hanover and the substance involved appears to be fentanyl or carfentanil. In one of the poisonings, the […]

Every week or so since the 10th Street bridge replacement project began, Owen Sound resident David Strutt has strolled down to the construction site with his trusty Panasonic Lumix digital camera in hand to snap photographs of the progress. He’s been posting the pictures to social media, effectively creating an online photographic journal of a […]

Every week or so since the 10th Street bridge replacement project began, Owen Sound resident David Strutt has strolled down to the construction site with his trusty Panasonic Lumix digital camera in hand to snap photographs of the progress. He’s been posting the pictures to social media, effectively creating an online photographic journal of a […]

The first drivers to cross Owen Sound’s new 10th Street bridge Friday afternoon honked their horns and blinked their lights as people on the sidewalks waved, cheered and clapped. It happened minutes after local dignitaries cut a long red ribbon, tied between two construction barrels on either side of the bridge’s five-lane roadway, to officially […]

“We know what we are but now not what we may be.” William Shakespeare Hamlet 4.3 I have to tip my hat to the Owen Sound Little Theatre that came up with the brilliant idea of performing Shakespeare at Kelso in the summer (if we are ever allowed to gather in larger outdoor groups). […]

Grey County is going to try to encourage much-needed rental housing development by waiving or deferring its development charges for such projects. Several changes proposed by county staff are forecast to cost county coffers an average of $250,000 to $300,000 annually. These fees are collected to pay for services associated with development, including provision of […]

Grey County is planning to use new funding announced this week to help some of the community’s most vulnerable with their housing needs. On Thursday, the province announced that Grey County would receive an additional $433,900 from the Social Services Relief Fund, bringing its total to more than $3.5 million since the beginning of the […]

Three new cases of COVID-19 were reported by the Grey Bruce Health Unit Friday, in Owen Sound, Huron-Kinloss and Kincardine. The health unit also declared a new outbreak at Lee Manor in Owen Sound after a single staff member tested positive for the virus. Meanwhile, the health unit is working with the Bluewater District School […]

Grey County will create an accessible transit service early in January, parallel to its new, inter-municipal bus service, in some form. Council gave its approval but some councillors raised concerns Thursday during a Grey County council meeting about possible needless duplication and suggested there may be a better way. Grey County received $1.85 million from […]

Georgian Bluffs is asking for feedback from ratepayers in advance of its 2021 budget deliberations. The township has included a link on its website at www.georgianbluffs.ca to a 2021 budget survey. In the survey a series of questions are asked around how the township spends money and the services they provide. Residents are able to […]