April 30 - Local News, Events & Editorial Opinion
Plus: News stories that matter to you, including updates from Georgian Bluffs, Owen Sound Attack, Chapman House, and more
👋 Welcome to The Owen Sound Current, your source for what’s happening in and around Owen Sound. Thank you to our Sustaining Supporters for funding contributor stories and keeping public notices and letters open to all! Upgrade to a full subscription for original local reporting, event listings, curated stories, commenting privileges, and full archive access.
Owen Sound Council voted unanimously this week to oppose the province’s plan to grant the city “strong mayor” powers, but getting to that decision was anything but straightforward.
While other municipalities took a clear stand early, Owen Sound opted for weeks of legal review, a 30-question deep dive, and a nearly two-hour special meeting.
We may now be the most thoroughly briefed city in Ontario on strong mayor powers (whether we wanted to be or not). But at what cost?
Let’s take a closer look at what this slow path to consensus says about how decisions are made at City Hall.
Opinion: Why Was It So Hard for Owen Sound Council to Take a Stand on Strong Mayor Powers?
Owen Sound Council said no to strong mayor powers — but only after delays, legal advice, and 30 questions. What’s the cost of this way of governing?
Public Notices
City of Owen Sound’s Strategic Planning Ad Hoc Committee meets Wednesday, April 30, at 9:00 a.m. in Council Chambers. Although a staff report on Vision 2050 is included, the final report with recommendations, originally scheduled for delivery in March, is not part of this agenda. City Manager Tim Simmonds tells us it’s now expected in June. More on that soon.
Grey County’s Planning and Economic Development Advisory Committee meets on Thursday, May 1, at 8:30 a.m. at the Grey County Administration Building. Their agenda includes updates on tourism and economic development, a “key sector scan” and tariffs, and the County’s growth management study.
Local News
Keep reading for community events, our original reporting, and curated local news updates. Today: Volunteer of the Year awards, a new interactive play project from Sheatre to tackle elder partner violence, a big boost in funding for a new CT scan at Owen Sound hospital, economic development updates from Grey County, and a lot more.
~ Miranda Miller, Editor
If you can’t see the info below, you’re missing out. (Nope, it doesn’t all appear on the website.) Upgrade your subscription for full access.
Keep reading with a 7-day free trial
Subscribe to The Owen Sound Current to keep reading this post and get 7 days of free access to the full post archives.