General City News

The Township of Georgian Bluffs and City of Owen Sound are working together to offer use of the City’s Leaf and Yard Waste depot to Georgian Bluffs residents.

Owen Sound Transit is now operating an entirely new fleet of more accessible and technologically advanced vehicles.  The new buses have undergone several preparations, and drivers are completing training on an updated data management system.

Owen Sound Fire and Emergency Services are excited to be starting a Junior Firefighter program in May of this year. This free youth training program will be open to students in grades 5 or 6 at Owen Sound Schools.

The Owen Sound River District and the City of Owen Sound are proud to announce it is the recipient of a Festival & Events Ontario Innovation Award for Holiday Magic 2022.

The City of Owen Sound is proud to announce that it is the recipient of both a Top 100 Award of Achievement and an Impact Award from Festivals & Events Ontario (FEO) for The Sound Waterfront Festival event that took place last summer.  The awards were presented during International Women’s Day yesterday at the annual conference held in Niagara Falls. Alongside these two awards, The River District won an Innovation award for the 2022 Holiday Magic event.

Owen Sound City Council has approved the 2023 Budget, which includes one of the lowest tax levy increases in more than 12 years, with a proposed total municipal levy increase of 0.86%, or $36.38 per year for the average home in Owen Sound.  Council and staff have focused on continuing to pursue internal efficiencies to achieve savings of more than $720,000 and present a fiscally responsible budget for 2023.

Online registration for youth summer programs in Owen Sound will open Wednesday, March 1, 2023.

Monday evening, City Council approved a Zoning Bylaw Amendment that permits additional residential units (ARUs) in urban areas, allowing for an increase in more efficient and affordable housing in Owen Sound.

The City of Owen Sound and the Owen Sound River District would like to invite couples to City Hall on February 14, 2023, for a Just Say Yes Wedding Event from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.

Rural areas have found it more challenging to attract enough doctors to meet patient needs.  Owen Sound continues to look for support to attract and retain Family Physicians to the area while also leveraging relationships with neighbouring municipalities.