June 16 - Local News & Events This Week

Plus: Longest day of the year celebrations in and around Owen Sound; Public Health warns of West Nile virus

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Weeds and grass flourish around a City of Owen Sound sign on 3rd Ave E — across the bus station — advertising a public meeting dated over two years ago, in May 2023.

There has been a lot of grumbling on local social media recently about the overall state of disrepair and neglect that has settled into our public spaces. Garbage and litter, rusting lamp and sign posts, drug paraphernalia, and boarded-up windows… oh, my.

Now, you could blow this off as a few Negative Nancys or “keyboard warriors” (that seems to be a local favourite) just having a gripe.

Or… you could pause for a moment, look around those shared spaces — without defensiveness, without assumptions — and ask yourself a simple, honest question: Could we do better?

That question isn’t a condemnation. It’s not a complaint.

It’s the starting point of any meaningful progress.

A desire to be better, to do better, isn’t negative; it’s an act of care. It shows we value the places we live in and the people we live alongside. Communities grow stronger when we’re willing to challenge ourselves and each other, not out of cynicism, but out of belief in what’s possible.

When residents speak up about a cracked sidewalk, an overgrown park, or a neglected downtown street, it’s very rarely baseless criticism. More often, it’s love in disguise. Perhaps it’s masked by frustration, sharpened by disappointment, or tangled up in the fatigue of feeling unheard. But at its core, it’s love.

People don’t complain if they don’t care. And I don’t think any of us wants to live in a place where people have stopped caring.

Holding ourselves to a higher standard is a good thing. It’s how things improve. It’s how we move from “good enough” to truly great.

Let’s not be afraid to ask more of each other, and of ourselves. A community that knows how to keep asking How can we do better? and isn’t afraid to hear the answers is on the right track.

Public Notices

• Deceased crow found in Grey-Bruce tests positive for West Nile Virus - Grey Bruce Public Health

• Owen Sound City Council meets today, June 16, at 5:30 p.m. in council chambers at City Hall. On the agenda: a public meeting for the Zoning By-law Amendment application for 1115 10th Street East (the former Georgian Heights); a proposed update to the City’s flag-flying policy; a deputation from Banditfest Youth Music Festival, and more.

Local News

Keep reading for community events, our original reporting, and curated local news updates.

Today: a look ahead to the longest day of the year and celebrations of all kinds happening in Owen Sound; a big win for the city at the Canadian National Miss pageant; a sizeable provincial funding boost for Bayshore improvements; and a lot more.

~ Miranda Miller, Editor

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