Fri Apr 26: Owen Sound Attack Donates $29,400 to Community Groups

Plus: ‘The Sound’ Waterfront Festival events announced; charges for a local man after a Meaford vehicle theft

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An artificial rendering of a fireworks display for illustrative purposes only.

Here’s something to look forward to…

The City has released new info on this year’s Canada Day celebrations at Kelso Beach at Nawash Park, and it looks like we’re in for a full weekend of fun.

The event starts on Friday, June 28, at 7 pm and runs through Monday, culminating in a fireworks display at 10 pm on July 1.

Youth Day is back on Saturday, June 29, with workshops, youth performers and vendors, a glow party, and a lot more. The entire weekend promises family-friendly fun, and most of the activities are free for all to enjoy.

But listen… fireworks in urban areas have become a point of contention and controversy. Sure, they’re colourful and entertaining. Fireworks are culturally important to some, including Hindus and Sikhs who celebrate Diwali.

Yet detractors say they’re a source of noise pollution, environmental damage, and trauma for pets and people with PTSD and sensory issues. TVO did a special recently questioning whether municipalities should ban fireworks entirely.

Residential school trauma, ongoing Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls (MMIWG) inequity, and the need for meaningful Reconciliation efforts further add complexity and nuance to Canada Day. Some settlers are choosing to forgo celebrations entirely in favour of a solemn day of recognition and reflection.

The question is: what do you think?

If you’d like to share your thoughts for context, full subscribers can comment on this article. All are welcome to submit a letter to the editor at owensoundcurrenteditor@gmail.com.

Full subscribers, there’s a lot more for you below, including…

• Great news from the Owen Sound Attack on funds raised via their Volunteer Ushers program, and which community groups will benefit

• A report from OPP with several charges for an Owen Sound man arrested for a vehicle theft in Meaford

• A solemn update from Please Bring Me Home, a volunteer search organization, as the body of a missing Thornbury man is recovered

• Congratulations to the owners and employees at Fresh Slice, a new pizza shop in downtown Owen Sound

• Info and a warning from South Bruce OPP as various types of fraud and scams have resulted in major losses this year to date

~ Miranda

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