Owen Sound Community Profile
Your Future Neighbours
In Owen Sound, you run into neighbours everywhere you go...
You'll bump into your dentist swimming laps at the Y, meet a colleague at the weekly farmer's market, or see the mayor at your local coffee shop.
With 60% of residents commuting less than 15 minutes, we actually have time to enjoy our abundant parks and trails, catch the local OHL hockey game, and meet up for a meal in the River District where menus are prepared using the freshest ingredients grown right here in Grey County.
In this Community Profile, you’ll meet some of the people you’ll get to know as neighbours. People who were just like you—from large urban cities, or countries on the other side of the world—who made the decision to pull up a chair at our table and call Owen Sound, home.
There’s a feeling of connectedness here, something we value deeply alongside creativity, resilience, and entrepreneurship.
If you share these values, we’d like to meet you.
Get to know us even better with the latest demographic data
Big City Amenities, Small Town Charm
Owen Sound is a regional hub for sports, culture, healthcare, education, community services, and more!
Explore our amenities and discover why we're known for being 'Where You Want to Live.'
An arts and culture hotspot known for its thriving creative community, Owen Sound is home to the Tom Thomson Art Gallery, a historic Carnegie public library, and multiple museums you can access for free with the innovative OPEN card.
You can also check out a play at the 400-seat Roxy Theatre, catch a foot-stomping musical act at Heartwood Concert Hall, immerse yourself in the Georgian Bay Symphony Orchestra at the OSCVI Auditorium, or join a community choir at the Harmony Centre.
The city hosts an abundance of free community events, including Canada Day and New Year’s Eve, as well as live music every week throughout the summer.
From Pride Month and Summerfolk to the Salmon Spectacular and the Festival of Northern Lights, our community celebrates together year-round.
Centrally located and regionally connected, Owen Sound is home to more than 250 community services and organizations.
These groups are dedicated to a variety of causes that have positive impacts on our city and the surrounding area, including:
- YMCA of Owen Sound Grey Bruce
- Community Foundation Grey Bruce
- M’wikwedong Indigenous Friendship Centre
- Grey Bruce Pride
- OSHARE
- Community Living Grey Bruce
- REACH Centre
- United Way of Bruce Grey
- The Scenic City Order of Good Cheer
- Kiwanis Club of Owen Sound
- and many more!
Each year, the City recognizes the dedication and community spirit of our residents through the Volunteer of the Year awards.
Providing quality education for students from primary to post-secondary, Owen Sound is served by the Bluewater District School Board and the Bruce-Grey Catholic District School Board, and also offers French-language, Montessori, and Forest School education.
The Owen Sound campus of Georgian College includes Canada’s most advanced marine simulation and research centre and a growing apprenticeship program now providing more than 750 placements annually.
Elementary Schools
- Alexandra Community School
- East Ridge Community School
- Hillcrest Elementary School
- Keppel-Sarawak Elementary School
- Notre Dame Catholic School
- St. Basil's Catholic Elementary School
Secondary Schools
French (elementary/secondary)
Alternative/Private
Post-Secondary Education
Continuing Education
The Owen Sound Hospital is the largest in the Brightshores Health System, offering community care and specialized acute services, including MRI.
The city is host to a robust network of family physicians and extended health care providers, including physiotherapy, chiropractic treatment, osteopathy, sports medicine, acupuncture, massage, x-ray, imaging, and diagnostics.
Our community is actively exploring alternate healthcare delivery models in collaboration with neighbouring municipalities as part of a regional recruitment strategy.
Owen Sound’s year-round farmer’s market is a beloved Saturday tradition, recently featured in Grey County's Gather campaign.
Enjoy farm-to-table dining at local establishments, with world-class menus highlighting our abundance of fresh produce. The city boasts a charming blend of specialty shops and major grocery chains.
Need your caffeine? You can sample 40+ different teas at Frog Ponds Café. Catch up with your neighbours with a perfectly-pulled espresso at one of our many local cafés and coffee bars or grab your go-to order to-go from Starbucks or Tim’s.
Internationally recognized as a Tree City of the World, Owen Sound’s natural abundance includes beaches, rivers, hiking trails, and waterfalls. There’s actually a public park or playground within 800m of every residence.
From vibrant forest walks to sunsets over the harbour to stargazing under the northern lights, our community loves to get outside. We have not one, but two incredible regional parks within the city: Kelso Beach at Nawash Park and the 100-acre Harrison Park.
Owen Sound has its own full-time, dedicated community fire and police services. Roads are maintained year-round with dedicated snow removal and winter maintenance teams.
The city has also invested in comprehensive, upgraded utility services, including water treatment and distribution.
The Owen Sound Attack is an Ontario Hockey League team that’s been a cornerstone of the city’s sports culture since 1989.
Owen Sound has produced several notable professional athletes, including NHL Hall-of-Famer Harry Lumley, lacrosse player Adam Jones, and Olympic skier Larisa Yurkiw. Other athletes like Curtis Sanford, Cody Bass, Chris Minard, and golfer Jessica Shepley have also brought pride to the community.
These athletes have made significant contributions to their sports and highlight Owen Sound's rich sports heritage and continue to give back and be actively involved with the local minor sports associations.
Owen Sound is a 5G cellular community, with fibre optic connectivity to every home and business.
This means ultra-fast and reliable connections are ready when you need them, wherever you need them.
We’re also investing in the future as part of the Rural ReCharge network, with 30+ public electric vehicle charging station ports (Level 2/Level 3) within 15km.
Local bus service is provided by Owen Sound Transit, operating 6 days a week with four routes connecting the city. Intercommunity bus service is available via Guelph Owen Sound Transportation (GOST), and Flixbus, which connects to Toronto and Barrie.
Featured Neighbours
Owen Sound is a community. We'd like to introduce you to a few neighbours who live, work, and study here.
Where You Want to Work
Our Clean Energy Era
Owen Sound is one of four founding members of the Southwestern Ontario Isotope Coalition, a partnership with Saugeen Ojibway Nation, the Nuclear Innovation Institute, and the Canadian Nuclear Isotope Council to drive research and investment in lifesaving medical isotopes. We’re also part of the Clean Energy Frontier, a tri-county network driving innovation in Canadian energy production in partnership with Bruce Power.
Many local companies are pioneering new methods to decarbonize and electrify their industries, including globally-recognized innovators like Hydrogen Optimized and MacLean Engineering.
Innovation Partners
As a hub for regional connectivity and innovation, Owen Sound works alongside Grey County and neighbouring municipalities to ensure that you can access the people, information, and resources to build or grow your business.
The Sydenham Campus is a regional skills training, trades, and innovation center in Owen Sound, adjacent to Georgian College, with support for entrepreneurs and small businesses. It is also host to the region’s largest Makerspace at 8,000 sq.ft., complete with eight dedicated fabrication spaces to support prototyping and training. Over 150 machines and state-of-the-art equipment are available in this space.
Climate Change Resilience
While enjoying the natural protection of our freshwater resources and stable geology, Owen Sound is doing its part to prepare for climate change impacts through regional collaboration on mitigation strategies and preparedness.
We’re also investing in future changemakers as host to the Youth Climate Action Conference, and a proud member of the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Cities Initiative.
Community Investment
Our community has identified targeted areas for growth and investment.
The tools to support these investments include a five-point Community Improvement Plan, grants for individuals and businesses, physician recruitment initiatives, and county-wide economic development programs.
We're here to help you find the answers you need.
If you would like more information or have a specific query, please reach out to our team.
Print Edition
Owen Sound Community Profile
View the print edition of the Community Profile in this interactive flipbook.
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Contact Us
808 2nd Avenue East,
Owen Sound, ON
N4K 2H4
Phone: 519-376-1440
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