Owen Sound Sun Times

The emergency department at the Walkerton hospital will be closed overnight beginning Dec. 27 as the South Bruce Grey Health Centre grapples with a nursing staff shortage. The hospital corporation announced on Monday that the emergency department will close overnight from 8 p.m. to 8 a.m. beginning next Monday for an indefinite period. “We have […]

Andy McKee will step down from Big Brothers Big Sisters of Grey Bruce at the end of this year after serving as its president for 20 years. He’s been part of the organization since the early 1990s, starting out on “Big Bunch” outings with groups of kids. Board members played a hands-on role for many […]

COVID-19 cases reported Sunday hit 40 in Grey-Bruce, right up there with the highest daily case counts seen in the area during the pandemic. Dr. Ian Arra, the medical officer of health in Grey-Bruce, said Sunday that April 14, when there were 42 cases and June 25 with 41, were daily cases higher in Grey-Bruce. […]

COVID-19 cases continued to climb steeply Saturday in Grey-Bruce but so far the Omicron variant hasn’t been lab confirmed here. That doesn’t mean it isn’t here and Grey-Bruce Health Unit staff have been treating each new COVID case as if it were more catching Omicron variant, said Dr. Ian Arra, the medical officer of health […]

Georgian Bluffs Mayor Dwight Burley says he couldn’t have asked for a better buyer for the Wiarton-Keppel International Airport. Clayton Smith, the same businessman who bought the Owen Sound Billy Bishop Regional Airport for $1.5 million, has also purchased the airport east of Wiarton from Georgian Bluffs for $2.6 million. “For me, I could never […]

Bruce County’s human services director Christine MacDonald has stepped into the role of interim CAO until a new, permanent top administrator is in place, according to a county news release. MacDonald, a Bruce County staffer since 2007, began work Thursday with current CAO Sandra Datars Bere, who is planning to depart in early January after […]

The Grey-Bruce Health Unit reported its highest daily COVID-19 case total in months Thursday. Thirty-two new cases were reported throughout the region by the health unit, as well as over 1,000 high risk close contacts. The health unit said approximately 10 per cent of the high-risk close contacts are expected to convert to positive cases […]

Police said Terry Specht, 63, of Chatsworth Township died in farm tractor mishap Sunday afternoon. Grey Bruce OPP identified him Thursday and said police continue to investigate the fatal vehicle rollover, which occurred about 3:30 p.m. The mishap took place on Sideroad 3 in Chatsworth Township. Chatsworth firefighters and Grey County paramedics responded, along with […]

Ontario Power Generation anticipates its proposed 42,000-square-foot nuclear materials sorting facility in Kincardine will be operating by this time next year. A ground-breaking ceremony for the Western Clean-Energy Sorting & Recycling (WCSR) project took place Thursday at the Bruce Energy Centre industrial park, about three kilometres east of OPG’s Western Waste Management Facility. The WCSR […]

There were numerous localized power outages reported on Hydro One’s Stormcentre map Thursday in Grey-Bruce, as the second windstorm in a week swept through. By 5 p.m., the online outage map showed two areas of the Bruce Peninsula involving fewer than 100 customers, plus 138 customers at Sauble, fewer than 20 outside of Port Elgin […]

Two Saugeen First Nation families conducted final walkthrough inspections of their Habitat for Humanity Grey Bruce homes Thursday and should be moved in by Christmas. Habitat built four homes at Saugeen this year and four others for the Nawash band at Neyaashiinigmiing, using Canada Mortgage and Housing grants given to each First Nation band, which […]

The Ontario Hockey League announced two more postponed games involving the Owen Sound Attack due to the league’s COVID-19 protocols and one player on the team testing positive for the virus. According to a team release, the player is asymptomatic and all other players have either received negative test results or are awaiting results of […]

South Bruce has decided to hold a referendum — but not until after next fall’s municipal election — to determine the community’s willingness to be the site of an underground storage facility for Canada’s spent nuclear fuel bundles. Council directed staff Monday to prepare to submit the willingness question to voters via a referendum after […]

A Markdale-area woman has been found guilty of criminal negligence causing death after chasing a motorcycle in her Hummer H3 and colliding with it, which left its rider, George Scott, dead. Sally Darosa, now 44, of 735556 West Back Line when charged a month after the May 29, 2019 confrontation, returns to the Superior Court […]

A three-year-old girl has died after she was injured in a collision involving a vehicle she was in and a propane truck on Nov. 30. A death notice for Erika Anjulie Joseph said she died Dec. 10. Her 27-year-old father, Brandon Joseph, was pronounced dead in hospital following the 8:30 a.m. crash along Grey Road […]

The Grey-Bruce Ontario Provincial Police are moving criminal record checks online in the new year. The OPP announced it will be switching to online applications starting in January 2022, with an exact start date yet to be determined. When the new online system begins, rather than calling the Grey-Bruce OPP or visiting a detachment, applicants […]

Lori DiCastri will return for another year as the chairperson of the Bruce-Grey Catholic District School Board. DiCastri, a trustee for Huron-Kinloss, Kincardine, Brockton Ward 31, was acclaimed to the position for 2022 during the annual organizational meeting of the board on Dec. 13. DiCastri has been a BGCDSB trustee since 2010 and was first […]

Kelly Yeaman and Lorraine Sarasin were left shattered Dec. 6 by the death of their mother Anne Bradley. A week later, the sisters suffered another devastating blow when their mother’s cremated remains were stolen from the T.A. Brown Funeral Home in Port Elgin. “Kelly and I have talked about the fact that mom was gone […]

Public health reported three new local cases of COVID-19 and two additional hospitalizations Wednesday, as the province announced that all adults will soon be eligible for booster shots at the three-month mark after their second vaccine dose. Single new cases were reported in Owen Sound, Georgian Bluffs and Chatsworth, bringing the number of active local […]

Residential Hospice of Grey Bruce received $340,000 in one-time funding from the provincial government to help with shortfalls during the pandemic. The funding is welcome, said Janet Fairbridge, the executive director of the hospice organization, which runs Chapman House in Owen Sound. The money will help cover increased staffing costs, infection protection and control and […]

Oxenden’s Julian Smith earned two gold medals this past weekend at the Nakkertok’s Eastern Canada Cup in Cantley, Quebec. Smith raced the 1.4-kilometre track Saturday morning in the wind, torrential rain and warm temperatures Saturday, finishing his qualifying heat in a time of 2:41.01. Smith then won both the quarterfinal and semifinal heats to advance […]

The Ontario Hockey League has postponed Wednesday night’s game between the Owen Sound Attack and Kitchener Rangers due to the league’s COVID-19 protocols. The game was scheduled to be played inside the Harry Lumley Bayshore Community Centre with puck drop set for 7 p.m. In a media release, the league said the move is “out […]

Keeping people safe amid the COVID-19 pandemic remains at the forefront, city officials say, as Owen Sound and its partners continue preparations for next month’s Scotiabank Hockey Day in Canada festivities, which are to include school visits, on-ice clinics and an alumni game and party. Community services director Pam Coulter said the city has developed […]

The Grey Bruce Health Unit reported 13 new COVID-19 cases in Grey-Bruce on Tuesday. The new cases reported by the health unit included three in Owen Sound, two each in Arran-Elderslie, Huron-Kinloss, Saugeen Shores and South Bruce Peninsula, and single cases in Chatsworth and Grey Highlands. There are now 93 active cases being reported along […]

Hydro One restored power to more than 37,600 customers across Grey-Bruce by Tuesday and at mid-afternoon, sporadic new outages were appearing on the utility’s Stormcentre outage map. Fewer than 20 customers were without power in Meaford and also in Owen Sound, following the weekend windstorm which hit Ontario Tuesday afternoon. A Hydro One spokeswoman said […]

A city councillor tried in vain to include on the next council agenda a resolution to terminate Owen Sound’s conventional transit service in March. Coun. John Tamming presented notice of the proposed motion Monday, but it failed to secure a seconder, which is required under the city’s updated procedural bylaw in order for it to […]

Cliff Keeling was cleaning out a hollow at the base of an old maple tree behind his farmhouse when he noticed an unusual rock in the tree’s roots. The 84-year-old doctor dug it out late this summer and found a 440-million-year old, cantaloupe-sized fossil from a time when much of North America was under a […]

A Kincardine man has been charged in connection with a fatal crash east of Durham last month. Jeremy Hogg, 26, has been charged with criminal negligence causing death, two counts of criminal negligence causing bodily harm, robbery and possession of property obtained by crime over $5,000. Hogg remains in custody, it said in a news […]

City council gave its stamp of approval Monday to a new 10-year agreement for the Owen Sound & North Grey Union Public Library. Meanwhile, both Georgian Bluffs and Chatsworth — the other two municipal partners in the union library agreement — are set to pass bylaws Wednesday to also sign the deal, which sets out […]

Holland Chatsworth Central School was open again on Tuesday after being closed on Monday after staff refused to enter the school over safety concerns around a COVID-19 outbreak there. That outbreak, which began at the school on Nov. 24, was declared over on Monday evening. A Bluewater District School Board spokesperson said Monday evening that […]

The Ministry of Labour was called to Holland Chatsworth Central School after educational workers at that school refused to go to work because they felt unsafe. The school was closed on Monday “due to operational issues.” A board spokesperson said he could not elaborate further on Monday afternoon. Elementary Teachers’ Federation of Ontario Local President […]

The Grey Bruce Health Unit declared 20 new COVID-19 cases on Monday, continuing a rise in cases locally that included 16 cases on Sunday and 13 on Saturday. Another local person has died from the virus, the health unit confirmed Monday. The new cases on Sunday included six in Owen Sound, four in Saugeen Shores […]

A man who was pinned under a farm tractor that rolled onto him was declared dead at the scene Sunday afternoon. Grey Bruce OPP is investigating the fatal vehicle rollover at about 3:30 p.m. A police news release withheld the name of the driver who died at the scene, pending notification of next of kin. […]

The Owen Sound Attack defeated the Flint Firebirds on Saturday night to sweep back-to-back games in the Michigan city. The win also gave Owen Sound the season series against Flint, going 3-1 overall. On Saturday night, Cedrick Guindon scored the go-ahead goal with three-and-a-half to play and Owen Sound held on for the win. Logan […]

Hydro outages continued in parts of Grey-Bruce as of 11 a.m. Monday after strong winds knocked down trees and broke hydro poles in a wide area of the province over the weekend. In two of the remaining local cases a fallen tree on a power line was given as the cause. An online Hydro One […]

December 13, 2021

The Grey Bruce Health Unit’s investigation into the latest increase in COVID-19 cases in Grey-Bruce indicates the chain of transmission has mainly been started in youth under 18 with connection to organized sports. There were 16 more cases of the virus reported by public health on Sunday after 13 cases were reported on Saturday, along […]

The work of the region’s young entrepreneurs was on full display in Owen Sound over the weekend. The handmade products of more than a dozen students, from elementary to post-secondary, were being featured at the second annual Student Makers Market at Grey County’s Sydenham Campus on Saturday. Everything from hand-crafted jewelry and dog treats, Christmas […]

While the strong winds that blew through Grey-Bruce late Saturday caused havoc to the power grid across the region, they were a blessing for firefighters who were called to a fire at a fuel supply business at Rockford. Inter Township Acting Fire Chief Jeff Gautreau said they were called to a truck fire in the […]

St. Mary’s High School in Owen Sound has closed and moved to virtual learning due to a COVID-19 outbreak that so far involves five cases. The Grey Bruce Health Unit is working with the Bruce-Grey Catholic District School Board and the high school to address the outbreak. A total of 11 cohorts and one bus […]

Grey County is moving forward with plans to do more to promote local Black history. Grey Roots Manager Jill Paterson told county council on Thursday that Grey Roots staff have worked closely with community members to discuss potential collaborations and ways to promote the area’s Black history, including education programs, promotional material, film screenings, a […]

Grey County has been presented with a proposed 2022 budget by staff that includes a net levy increase of 3.75 per cent. While there is still some unknowns and work to be done prior to the draft budget being presented and discussed at council in late January, the proposal presented during council’s committee of the […]

Teams quit in sports all the time. Some will likely never admit it, but the basketball team down 30 in the fourth quarter or the football team stuck 21 with two minutes left on the clock are just going through the motions and trying not to get hurt. In some sports, like curling, you can […]

The Salvation Army in Owen Sound received a special delivery of close to 9,000 pounds of food on Friday thanks to an initiative between Grey County Paramedic Services and Transportation Services and the humanitarian aid organization GlobalMedic. The boxes upon boxes of kidney beans, chickpeas, lentils, pearled barley, rice and other dry goods were unloaded […]

The Grey Bruce Health Unit does not recommend asymptomatic COVID-19 testing due to low case counts in Grey-Bruce, Dr. Ian Arra, the local medical officer of health, announced in a news release Friday. That guidance comes in the wake of the province’s offer to give take-home rapid antigen screening tests to all public school children […]

By connecting them with one of the artists it is currently featuring, the Tom Thomson Art Gallery has given some local students the opportunity to have their voices heard through their unique works of art. The art gallery recently launched its initiative Emerging Artists Unmasked, which features more than 20 creations of senior art students […]

With the Omicron COVID-19 variant threatening to completely replace Delta by the beginning of January, new COVID-19 measures were announced Friday at Queen’s Park. The provincial chief medical officer of health, Dr. Kieran Moore said Friday in a news briefing that Omicron could represent all new cases of the pandemic virus in Ontario “by the […]

Now curling, now basketball, now hockey. On badminton, on volleyball, on nordic skiing – – you get the idea. Winter sports are back on the high school circuit and some are already in full swing around the courts and rinks in the region as the Bluewater Athletic Association’s schedule gets some games in before the […]

Municipalities received confirmation this week that provincial grants will generally double for infrastructure expenses next year. The money was mentioned in the government’s fall economic statement several weeks ago. But municipalities have been wrestling with whether to include it in budgets plans without a letter confirming it, Meaford CAO Rob Armstrong said. Those letters came […]

Bruce County has reached an out-of-court agreement with the Saugeen Ojibway Nation over the First Nations’ long-standing legal action in relation to the Bruce Peninsula. The settlement was announced on Thursday, and includes the transfer of approximately 306 acres of county forest within the Lindsay Tract and Amabel Tract, according to a joint news release […]