Owen Sound Sun Times

Workers will be cutting down and removing high priority" ash trees infested with the emerald ash borer on Monday in Owen Sound's Harrison Park. The entrance road to the park will be closed from the entrance pillars from 5:30 a.m. until 4 p.m., a notice from the city said. Access to the small parking lot [...]

Downtown business owners looking for an injection of capital and small-business support can now apply for a My Main Street grant until March 31. The $15 million federal government investment through the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario (FedDev Ontario) is aimed at supporting the revitalization of neighbourhoods. Eligible businesses must be brick-and-mortar establishments [...]

The annual Maple Magic sugar bush event in Georgian Bluffs, which was to have been held this weekend, is cancelled for this year. Typically, the Wiarton Rotary Club's maple syrup fundraiser takes place during the last two weekends of March at Regal Point Elk Farm. A notice on the Wiarton Rotary website announces the cancellation, [...]

ATTACK ALUMNI COMPETE IN UNIVERSITY CUP Cole Cameron, Jackson Doherty, Zachary Roberts (Toronto Metropolitan University), and Justin Brack (Brock University) will join 182 Canadian Hockey League Alumni at the 2024 U Sports Men's Hockey Championships from March 14 to 17. The four former Attack players will try to topple the top-seeded University of New Brunswick [...]

City bylaw enforcement staff opened double the number of files concerning homeless encampments in 2023 than in 2022 - which represented a four-fold increase over 2021. City bylaw enforcement officers opened 134 files concerning homeless encampments in 2023, 60 files in 2022 and 27 files in 2021. Bylaw enforcement staff were unable to speculate why [...]

Grey County is continuing to take steps to try to control unauthorized motorized vehicles in the Glenelg Klondyke county forest. On Thursday, county council directed staff to continue with education, sign and trespass abatement methods to minimize any future trespassing in the forest in West Grey southwest of Markdale. The county will also repair sections [...]

Grey County has an unprecedented 11 ambulances on order as it awaits delivery of some of the vehicles from the only approved ambulance vendor in the province. On Thursday, county council approved the purchase of seven ambulances from Demers Ambulances. The ambulances include three that have been budgeted for in 2024 for enhancements to the [...]

Despite rising call volumes, Grey County Paramedic Services met all its response time targets last year. On Thursday, director of paramedic services Kevin McNab called the response times achieved by the county's ambulance service last year very positive," after call volumes exceeded 15,000 for the first time in the service's history. Grey County is committed [...]

It's down to four in the PJHL Pollock Division playoffs where the Hanover Barons and Mount Forest Patriots appear to be on a collision course barring an upset. The Barons and Patriots dispatched their quarterfinal opponents - the Goderich Flyers and Mitchell Hawks respectively - with first-round sweeps. And both clubs won Game 1 of [...]

New provincial funding to help local people access health care includes money for Saugeen First Nation to create a health team to treat band members with non-urgent needs on the reserve. This historic announcement for our community will avail funding sufficient for the recruitment of a nurse practitioner, chronic disease management nurse, occupational therapist, social [...]

The unemployment rate for the Grey-Bruce region continued to be lower than the provincial rate in February. According to the Four County Labour Market Planning Board's February report, the unemployment rate decreased to 4.5 per cent in February in the Stratford-Bruce Peninsula Economic Region. That's 0.3 percentage points lower than the region's unemployment rate in [...]

Calling all changemakers" in Owen Sound who want to schmooze and booze. Owen Sound's Harmony Centre is bringing together local community groups for a night of live entertainment set in a pub-like atmosphere complete with a cashbar and light snacks on March 22. The event builds on last year's sold-out pub night offering a networking [...]

The Owen Sound Crescent Club Junior Attack under-18 squad is headed to the Tri-County Minor Hockey League Smith Division semifinals. The top-ranked Jr. Attack topped the Centre-Wellington Fusion 4-2 in a Tri-County loop single-A representative playoff quarterfinal playoff game Wednesday night. Owen Sound will play the Oakville Rangers (Red) for a chance to compete in [...]

Kincardine council will begin implementing measures this year to help address safety concerns at its piers. At a meeting on March 6, council gave 2024 budget approval to spend a maximum of $92,000 for safety measures at the piers, including new ladder installation, sign upgrades, lifesaving station improvements and more. The recommendations were contained in [...]

Northern Bruce Peninsula is expanding its four per cent Municipal Accommodation Tax (MAT) to commercial owners beginning in 2025. Council moved to expand the MAT at its March 11 meeting after reviewing a report from staff that noted the expanded tax program will increase revenues by as much as $350,000 to $400,000, according to an [...]

Northern Bruce Peninsula residents can expect a tax-rate increase of 6.15 per cent, of which the municipality's portion increases 8.28 per cent. The 6.15 per cent figure includes county and education levies. Council approved the budget at its meeting on March 11. Homeowners will pay an additional $38.67 per $100,000 home assessment. The approved budget [...]

Two more people have been charged with indignity to a human body in relation to an incident at a residence at Chippewas of Nawash Unceded First Nation on Jan. 6. The Neyaashiinigmiing Police Service arrested Paul Nadjiwan, 65, and Sheila Robson, 51, and they have both been charged with indignity to a human body after [...]

Revitalization work in the 900 block of 1st Avenue East in Owen Sound is to start in April and be mostly finished by the end of August. City council approved a recommendation Monday to award the construction contract to do the work, which was modified to make it more affordable. The lowest bidder got the [...]

Bids to reconstruct Alpha Street came in about $3.1 million under budget. Now the work will begin, likely in April, and be substantially completed by Nov. 1. Owen Sound city council Monday approved Moorefield Excavating's low bid of $5.25 million to replace buried infrastructure, reconstruct the road, create a path beside it and landscape the [...]

It would cost about $16 million, plus tax and increases for inflation, to expand the Tom Thomson Art Gallery and create a shared entrance for the gallery, the public library next door and a new location for city tourism, a feasibility study says. The study addressed four primary needs: to increase professional collection storage, add [...]

Charges were stayed against two people with local ties who police alleged were involved in a Brampton nightclub kidnapping. Ontario Court of Justice staff in Brampton confirmed stays were entered for Jessica Proctor, 31, of Meaford, and Aaron Marshall, 35, of no fixed address, who has ties to Hanover, Kincardine, Owen Sound and Walkerton, as [...]

Owen Sound police charged a 35-year-old man with impaired driving after he fled a collision on foot early Sunday morning in the city, police said. Police responded to a 3:30 a.m. report of a single-vehicle collision just east of 7th Avenue East and 6th Street East. A Nissan Xterra failed to negotiate a turn, left [...]

An Owen Sound police officer used a fleeing suspect's abandoned bike to chase and arrest him Sunday night. Police received a report of a suspicious man pointing a firearm at a person in the area of 13th Street West and 4th Avenue West in Owen Sound just before 7 p.m. When police arrived the suspect [...]

The Owen Sound Attack are going to the playoffs. The Attack planted their flag firmly inside the Erie Insurance Arena this weekend winning back-to-back games and clinching a spot in the postseason. On Sunday afternoon, Carter George made all three stops in the shootout as the Attack topped the Otters 7-6. With the win, the [...]

Meaford rang in its sesquicentennial celebrations in style on Sunday. More than 250 people packed into the community hall at the Meaford and St. Vincent Community Centre for a birthday celebration kickoff, where an afternoon of history, speeches and stories was capped off with a group ringing of the bells to both celebrate its150th anniversary [...]

The Tom Thomson Art Gallery has launched two new exhibitions. On Saturday, the gallery unveiled its spring exhibitions - Soheila Esfahani: Are you buying these with loonies or toonies? And Racquel Rowe: Saltwater Cures All. A joint artist talk will take place on March 23 at 1 p.m., followed by an opening reception at 2 [...]

Betty Wood of Georgian Bluffs has always loved the old lamps that sat in the corner of her living room. But there was just one problem - they didn't work - so all they have done over the years is collect dust. On Saturday she gathered them up and headed down to the Owen Sound [...]

Deni Goure's nickname is Menace. He's making a case that it should be clutch". The Attack's leading scorer netted his 33rd goal of the season, 99th of his OHL career, and eighth game-winning goal of the year in overtime Saturday night to give the Owen Sound Attack a 4-3 win over the Erie Otters in [...]

The Owen Sound Attack are in the middle of a tailspin the likes of which fans of the Scenic City team haven't seen for quite some time. With seven games left in the regular season schedule, the Attack are 26-27-5-3, and just two points out of eighth place in the Western Conference. Only two teams [...]

Green hydrogen equipment start-up Hydrogen Optimized has hired a top gun" to be its new president and chief executive officer to help the company grow. Denis Krude, a 54-year-old former CEO of German green hydrogen technology manufacturer thyssenkrupp nucera for six years - reputed to be the largest green hydrogen company in the world - [...]

Rebecca Diem is looking forward to connecting more with the many talented poets in the area throughher new role as Owen Sound's poet laureate. Diem was appointed to the role by the board of the Owen Sound and North Grey Union Public Library at a meeting on Feb. 29 and took on the position on [...]

Home sales remained subdued in Grey-Bruce in February, despite a continued influx of new listings coming onto the market. The number of homes sold through the MLS System of the Realtors Association of Grey Bruce Owen Sound totaled 148 units in February, a decrease of 5.7 per cent - or nine sales - from February [...]

Owen Sound's Special Olympics athletes are home from the Canada Winter Games in Calgary, and they needed to make some extra room in the luggage for a little hardware. Owen Sound's Martin Soder earned a pair of silver medals in the 5-pin bowling competition. Soder won silver in his division in the individual competition and [...]

The St. Mary's Mustangs boys hockey team are Central Western Ontario Athletic Association (CWOSSA) champions. And it's been a long time coming. I've been here for seven years, and I've talked to coaches who were here before me and no one can remember it happening," Mustangs head coach Aeric Annetta said. It's quite the feat." [...]

Last year's Roxy Star Company participants knocked the socks off their audience, and they are backwith plans to do it all again. The program that provides adults living with intellectual, developmental or physical disabilities a chance to participate and perform in the theatre arts is now accepting registrants for its second year. Director Carrie Keeling [...]

A judge in Owen Sound found Taran Hibma guilty Thursday of criminal negligence causing death involving a tree house fire at Sauble Beach about 3 years ago. Superior Court Justice Roger Chown called the circumstances tragic." Genesis Young, 17, died of smoke inhalation in the tree house, where she and her boyfriend Jonas Renaud [...]

Hanover Police arrested a 32-year-old Kitchener man at gunpoint after an early morning disturbance at a residence Wednesday. Police Chief Christopher Knoll said that after assaulting a resident at the 13th Avenue home the suspect fled with a shotgun. When police responded at approximately 7:30 a.m., officers located the suspect hiding in the basement of [...]

Local organizations have prepared several opportunities for kids to learn and play during March Break. The Owen Sound & North Grey Union Public Library has daily programming for youth all week long, alongside regular storytime, babytime, teen writing circle and youth social justice group programs. On Monday, March 11, the library will be host to [...]

Accessibility renovations, to reconstruct the front entrance and replace a passenger lift with an elevator, have been completed at the Tom Thomson Art Gallery. The project, which began a little over a year ago, concluded with the final inspection of the elevator on March 1. With the project complete the gallery is now fully accessible [...]

A 31-year-old man of no fixed address faces a slew of drug and weapons charges after being spotted by the owner of a Sauble Beach cottage on video surveillance. According to the Grey Bruce OPP, police responded to a report of a suspicious vehicle parked in the laneway of the property owner's vacant seasonal residence [...]

Life comes at you fast in the Ontario Hockey League. In mid-January, the Owen Sound Attack won three straight games on the team's annual Eastern Ontario road swing. Then, later that month, the Attack tuned up Guelph, beat Barrie, and narrowly lost to the London Knights in a shootout before buzzing past the Sarnia Sting. [...]

The wheels are in motion to bring a new event to Wiarton during the Civic Holiday weekend. Mike Mason and Joe Vanderzand were at South Bruce Peninsula council on Tuesday where they outlined plans for the Wiarton Homecoming Weekend 2024, filling the void left by the discontinuation of the long-running Wiarton Village Fair. The pandemic [...]

Experts will try to help people repair their clothing, small appliance and electronics Saturday at a Repair Cafe in Owen Sound. Volunteers will be on duty from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. at the Owen Sound & Union Public Library auditorium every second Saturday of the month. The impulse for the initiative is environmental stewardship [...]

A man was arrested after an incident in Owen Sound on the weekend in which a knife was pulled on a taxi driver and an attempt was made to steal the vehicle. Police responded to a 911 call on the upper east side of the city Saturday after a man attempted to rob a taxi [...]

Grey-Bruce high school students went head-to-head at the annual Regional Technological Skills Challenge March 1. Eight schools from both public and separate school boards sent students to compete and the top finishers advanced to higher stages of the provincial competition. They competed at Georgian College, Sydenham Campus and OSDSS in Owen Sound in carpentry, culinary, [...]

Grey Bruce Public Health has issued an opioid alert after receiving reports of multiple suspected overdoses and poisonings in a 24-hour period, including two that were fatal. The suspected opioid overdoses happened on Monday and Tuesday and were primarily in the Owen Sound area. The individuals who died were in their 30s and 40s, with [...]

Austin Cubitt was sentenced to mandatory life imprisonment for shooting and killing Clarence Solomon at Saugeen First Nation more than 3 years ago. He must wait 10 years to apply for parole. Cubitt, 25, was found guilty of second-degree murder on Dec. 1, 2023 after a two-week jury trial in Walkerton's Superior Court of [...]

The Owen Sound River District has won a pair of awards from Festival and Events Ontario. The organization's Wheel and Ride event has received the FEO Innovation Award for events with an operating budget of $100,000 or less, while its Holiday Magic event has been named one of the top 100 festivals and events in [...]

A collection of military medals is among the items reported stolen following a residential break-in in Chatsworth Township. Grey Bruce OPP received information Sunday about a residential break-in. When officers arrieved they learned that numerous items had been stolen. Along with the victim's military medals, other items taken included jewelry, silver coins, unique coins, bank [...]

Owen Sound's short-term rental licencing bylaw came into effect on Friday, and already a handful of complete applications have been submitted. The city's STR licensing co-ordinator Niels Jensen said Monday that they are working through the licence applications that have come in. He said some operators have gone to offering long-term rentals, while others didn't [...]