Owen Sound Sun Times

Judges, lawyers and accused people are now appearing in local courts by video or by telephone in conference calls. These are among the provisions announced by the Ontario Ministry of the Attorney General on March 28 to curb the spread of the COVID-19 virus. Owen Sound defence lawyer Greg Deakin, who represents Grey-Bruce at the […]

Now there are six healthcare workers who have tested positive for COVID-19 in Grey-Bruce, the Grey Bruce Health Unit’s situation report announced Sunday. By 3:30 p.m., two new cases were reported – one woman in her 40s and another woman in her 50s – both in isolation. To date, 21 people have been diagnosed with […]

The owners of a small company that has been transporting children to local schools for decades is now the driving force behind an effort to provide youngsters in Grey-Bruce with toys to occupy their time during the COVID-19 pandemic. Paul and Mary Wiley, who operate Martin’s School Transit with their three children, have partnered with […]

After waiting more than four decades to find the woman of his dreams, Jeremy Woodley says he’s eager to finally say ‘I do’ this spring. But as it has for many couples who plan to tie the knot in 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic has put Woodley and Trinity Brewitt’s wedding plans in jeopardy, adding even […]

A 33-year-old man is faces several charges after a Saugeen Shores police officer was confronted with a knife, police said in a news release. The man, of no fixed address, was arrested after an officer struck him with a conducted energy weapon. Officers with the Saugeen Shores Police Service were called to a home in […]

An Owen Sound Walmart employee has tested positive for COVID-19, says a company official, but the east-side store remains open. Adam Grachnik, director of corporate affairs at Walmart Canada, said employees who were identified as being in close contact with the associate have been directed to self-isolate “out of an abundance of caution.” A deep […]

The Owen Sound Attack used the 10th-overall pick in Saturday’s draft to select centre Cédrick Guindon from the Rockland Nationals of the Hockey Eastern Ontario (HEO) league. Guindon is listed at five-foot-eight and 152-pounds. The Rockland native scored 24 goals and added 35 helpers for the Nationals’ midget triple-A team this past season. He also […]

With five long-term care homes between them housing hundreds of residents, Grey and Bruce counties are monitoring their residents and staff closely as the COVID-19 pandemic grips Ontario, Canada and much of the world. “We do not have a positive case in our homes and we hope to maintain it,” Jill Knowlton, managing director of […]

A female in her 50s is the second health-care worker at Maple View Long-Term Care home to test positive for the COVID-19 virus, according to the public health unit’s situation report Friday. Another female in her 50s tested positive in Grey-Bruce in the past 24 hours, but the details in that case were still pending. […]

Owen Sound announced Friday that all boat launches within the city are closed to the public, effective immediately. The move comes after a recent declaration from the city that boat launches would be open to the public. “That’s how quickly it’s changing,” city manager Wayne Ritchie said. Ritchie said that in discussions with other levels […]

It is under unprecedented circumstances with many unknowns, but teachers in Grey-Bruce are just about ready to reconnect with their students. Gary O’Donnell, director of education with the Bruce-Grey Catholic District School Board, said Friday that preparations have been ongoing over the last couple of weeks to get ready to teach students at home during […]

The Owen Sound Attack have plenty of capital to spend at the annual junior hockey market with 18 picks in Saturday’s 2020 OHL Priority Selection – including 10 picks in the first six rounds. The Attack’s first pick comes at 10th-overall, and the squad has had some luck at the spot in recent years including […]

A biotechnology company headed by Owen Sound native John Lewis is working around the clock to develop a DNA vaccine to prevent COVID-19 infections and treat people with the coronavirus. Entos Pharmaceuticals is hoping to have the novel Fusogenix vaccine ready for clinical trials in about five weeks, said Lewis, the Edmonton-based company’s chief executive […]

A 15th confirmed case of COVID-19 infection was announced by the Grey Bruce Health Unit Thursday. The male in his 30s is self-isolating. Three health-care workers working in Grey-Bruce and an employee of the Maple View Long-Term Care Home in Owen Sound have all had positive-tests confirmed in the last week. Dr. Ian Arra, medical […]

Recycling services are returning to normal in Bruce County, after collection had been temporarily cancelled for some municipalities. Bruce Area Solid Waste Recycling announced it will once again start collecting recyclables in Arran-Elderslie, Huron-Kinloss and South Bruce after the service had been temporarily cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. BASWR announced last week the recycling […]

Bruce County and its municipalities have stepped up efforts to advise people to remain home during the COVID-19 pandemic. The county held its first online council meeting on Thursday, with the heads of its lower-tier municipalities and staff participating. While there were a few small items on the agenda, most of the meeting focused on […]

The Grey Bruce Health Unit has confirmed COVID-19 at Maple View Long-Term Care residence in Owen Sound, according to its website. Richard Franzke, vice president of business development and communications for Southbridge Care Homes, Maple View’s parent company, confirmed an employee tested positive for the virus. Franzke said in an e-mail that the single employee […]

Grey Bruce Health Services is transforming the arena floor at Owen Sound’s Harry Lumley Bayshore Community Centre into a temporary 75-bed hospital, while public health is working with Grey and Bruce counties to create potential recovery centres in Grey-Bruce. At the same time, South Bruce Grey Health Centre is working to add 55 new beds […]

Two local health-care workers – including the first in a long-term care facility – brought the total confirmed COVID-19 cases in Grey-Bruce to 14 Wednesday as Grey Bruce Health Services announced it is preparing for a potential surge. A female in her 30s and a man in his 60s were the latest confirmed cases of […]

One thing that hasn’t ceased during the COVID-19 situation is the need for blood donations. “Blood has such a short shelf life and it’s needed every single day,” territory manager Elaine St. Pierre said Wednesday, before the start of Canadian Blood Services’ first Owen Sound blood donor clinic since the novel coronavirus was declared a […]

School boards and teachers in Grey-Bruce are preparing to educate students at home for at least the next month after a provincial announcement on Tuesday that schools would remain closed. But the challenges they face across largely rural Grey-Bruce are admittedly large. “This is a ginormous undertaking,” Bluewater District School Board director of education Alana […]

Crime Stoppers of Grey Bruce is now taking tips about people breaking orders to self-isolate in efforts control the spread of COVID-19. The organization’s chair, Peter Reid, said he hopes his group’s involvement clears regular emergency channels for other things. “With the potential for more calls, what we want to do is prevent people from […]

Funeral director John McGlynn says he empathizes with those families who are mourning a loved one’s death but must postpone the usual services or celebrations of life because of gathering restrictions precipitated by the COVID-19 pandemic. “Even under normal circumstances, it’s difficult. And under these circumstances, for some I think it’s going to feel like […]

Police are looking for a man who they believe may have lived in the Meaford or Thornbury areas in the early 1980s who was possibly a witness in an ongoing criminal investigation. Detectives from the Collingwood and The Blue Mountains detachment of the OPP are asking for the public’s help locating Steve Montgomery, who is […]

These are anxious times. A global pandemic, self-isolation orders, economic uncertainty, stir-crazy children. The list goes on. Everyone is looking for some relief. Some soft, crusty, warm relief. That’s where Gilles Haché comes in, and he may as well be wearing a cape. The Eugenia-based owner of Chef at Home Catering has delivered free homemade […]

Bruce Power will provide 600,000 pieces of personal protective equipment (PPE) to front-line health workers to support the province’s fight against the COVID-19 outbreak. Bruce Power CEO Mike Rencheck made the announcement on 560 CFOS AM’s Open Line radio show alongside Ontario Premier Doug Ford and Bruce-Grey-Owen Sound MPP Bill Walker. Ford said it’s the […]

As the COVID-19 pandemic continues, local midwives are noticing two trends: more women are opting for home births and their supply of personal protective equipment is shrinking. This week, Midwives Grey Bruce turned to the community to appeal for donations of surgical masks, N95 face masks, face shields, nitrile gloves and gowns as well as […]

The small southern Bruce County municipality of Huron-Kinloss has stepped up its efforts to keep cottagers away during the COVID-19 pandemic. On Monday, Mayor Mitch Twolan announced in an online statement that a municipal order had been implemented ordering everyone to refrain from turning the water on for seasonal residents. He said local tradespeople had […]

A 12th confirmed case of COVID-19 has been recorded in the region, according to the Grey Bruce Health Unit’s situation report Tuesday. The new case is awoman in her 30s and for the first time, the case involves a health-care provider working in Grey-Bruce. Details about the woman’s role in the health-care field were not […]

Foreign workers from Jamaica may soon start arriving in the Meaford area, after the Canadian government exempted them from a strict travel ban implemented to help slow the spread of the COVID-19 virus. Brian Gilroy, owner of Nighthawk Orchards and a director with the Ontario Apple Growers, said the last couple of days have been […]

The provincial government extended its declaration of emergency to April 13 and is now closing all outdoor recreational amenities to the public throughout Ontario. Monday night’s announcement followed the closure of non-essential workplaces and restrictions on social gatherings of more than five as the government tries to keep people home and slow the spread of […]

The Chippewas of Nawash Unceded First Nation is planning to monitor all incoming traffic to Neyaashiinigmiing effective midnight Thursday and will ask those without reason to enter the community to turn back. The Chippewas of Nawash Council previously passed a resolution to close Sydney Bay Road and will now monitor Coveney’s Road in an effort […]

While there were some technical hiccups, Grey County council held its first electronic meeting Tuesday with all 18 members participating from their homes. Council discussed and approved only one item during the brief session – an amendment to the county’s procedural bylaw to permit electronic council and committee meeting during declared county or provincial emergencies. […]

A tantrum over cash-back restrictions ended with a man throwing his groceries on the store floor at Rowland’s Your Independent Grocer in Port Elgin Monday. A few days earlier another man was escorted out after lying to screening staff at the door, but then admitting to a cashier that he was just back from holiday. […]

People stood on the sidewalks clapping, waving, making any noise they could. Vehicle horns sounded and ambulance, fire truck and police sirens screamed, too. That was the scene in downtown Hanover and for most of the rest of the town at about 7 p.m. Monday as the Hanover Fire Department, Grey County Paramedics and Hanover […]

An 11th confirmed case of COVID-19 was reported in Grey-Bruce Monday. It’s the second local case that points to evidence of community transmission. The woman in her 30s has been hospitalized, according to a daily situation report sent out by the Grey Bruce Health Unit. Grey-Bruce’s Medical Officer or Health Dr. Ian Arra said the […]

Two Owen Sound-based organizations that provide food to people in need have seen a spike in demand in recent weeks as the COVID-19 pandemic continues causing widespread disruptions and layoffs. The Owen Sound Salvation Army food bank, which typically serves 550 to 600 people monthly, has provided food hampers for 404 individuals in the past […]

Local police forces are preparing to enforce a provincial ban for gatherings of more than five people to help slow the spread of COVID-19. On Saturday evening, the provincial government issued a statement banning public events and social gatherings of more than five people. The measure does not apply to essential workers, child-care facilities serving […]

Georgian Bluffs is preparing to hold electronic meetings during the COVID-19 pandemic. The municipality will hold a special meeting at 1 p.m. on Wednesday to amend its procedural bylaw to permit electronic meetings during the emergency. Like municipalities across Grey-Bruce, Georgian Bluffs cancelled its meetings of council due to the pandemic. Public meetings, including one […]

Every household in Grey-Bruce will be receiving a four-page information sheet from the Grey Bruce Health Unit in the coming days, the latest initiative to come in the fight against COVID-19. “I would just advise the public to read these things,” Dr. Ian Arra said in an interview. “These things will go a long way […]

There’s evidence COVID-19 is spreading in the community in Grey-Bruce. Sunday’s daily situation report from the Grey Bruce Health Unit announced that a presumptive positive case, which was first announced Saturday, now provides “evidence of community transmission.” The case is that of a woman in her 70s. She is self-isolating at home. A second local […]

A hopeful piano melody carried through an empty church, a camera focused on a vacant lectern. Simple wishes, prayers and thanks scrolled down the side of the Facebook page of a Sunday service people couldn’t attend, given COVID-19 precautions. Some churches have turned to broadcasting their services, as has St. George’s Anglican Church in Owen […]

It’s like watching clouds gathering before a storm. In South Bruce Grey Health Centre hospitals, workers are preparing for the worst in the unfolding COVID-19 emergency by sending people home or to long-term care to free up beds, should very sick novel coronavirus patients need them. Now there’s a separate waiting area for people with […]

A Meaford-area apple producer is watching closely how the federal government and health officials regulate seasonal and foreign workers during the COVID-19 pandemic. Brian Gilroy, owner of Nighthawk Orchards in Meaford and a director with the Ontario Apple Growers, said growers are working hard to support the government in ensuring the food supply continues, but […]

Volatility is a normal part of farming, but in the COVID-19 pandemic, producers across all sectors are facing a challenge unlike any they have seen before. “This is a different volatility. This is the COVID-19 surprise. It is unpredictable and remarkable,” Grey County Federation of Agriculture president Hugh Simpson said Friday. “But farmers are used […]

A seventh confirmed case of COVID-19 infection was reported by the Grey Bruce Health Unit Friday, the third day in a row that a single case of the virus has been confirmed locally. The latest is a travel-related case involving a woman in her 20s. She is self-isolating. There are still no cases in long-term […]

Ontario’s $17-billion aid package announced Wednesday is the government’s first step to help as many as possible during the COVID-19 pandemic, including households, businesses and the vital health care sector, Bruce-Grey-Owen Sound MPP Bill Walker says. “We realize that relief is needed so we came out with this,” Walker said Friday morning. “I am sure […]

Owen Sound declared a state of emergency due to the COVID-19 pandemic Friday. Mayor Ian Boddy declared the emergency at 9 a.m. A media release said the official declaration under the Emergency Management and Civil Protection Act allows the city to share resources and equipment with the province, Grey County, and lower-tier municipalities. “In a […]

A tractor trailer that was stolen from Owen Sound early Tuesday morning was found jackknifed south of the city. A man who was suspected of being the driver was located and arrested after a witness observed a person running from the stolen vehicle. At 2:46 a.m., Grey Bruce OPP and Owen Sound Police Service were […]

Two shoplifters with a taste for fine wine, whisky and champagne have hit more than 20 liquor stores in Ontario since November of 2018, including on March 7 in Owen Sound, police said Thursday. Huron OPP issued a news release about the thefts, some of which involved hitting the same LCBO location twice. The two […]