Letter: Coming Home and Nowhere to Go — What Owen Sound Still Lacks for Young People
Owen Sound resident writes in that young adults need more than retail growth and recreational sports. They need places to connect, create, and feel like they belong.
LETTER TO THE EDITOR
Dear Editor,
When I moved away from Owen Sound to attend university in Toronto, I didn’t expect that one of the biggest adjustments wouldn’t be the pace of city life or the cost of living, but something much simpler: having somewhere to go.
In Toronto, there were options — almost too many. Cafés open late, public events, community spaces, live music, pop-ups, drop-in programs, and just places where you could exist without having to spend much money. It wasn’t just about entertainment; it was about access to spaces where people my age could gather, meet, and feel part of something.
Coming home this summer, that contrast has been hard to ignore.
For young people in Owen Sound, especially those in their late teens and early twenties, the options for social life remain limited. Outside of organized sports, occasional programming through the library, or going to bars, there are few consistent, accessible spaces designed with youth in mind. If you’re not an athlete, not much of a drinker, or simply looking for something different, your choices narrow quickly.
This isn’t a new problem. Growing up here, my friends and I often found ourselves cycling through the same routines: driving around, hanging out in parking lots, or gathering in someone’s basement. It was less about preference and more about a lack of alternatives. There were few places that felt intentionally created for us; places where we could spend time safely, affordably, and without expectation.
What’s striking is how little that reality has changed.
Over the years, Owen Sound has seen development and investment, but much of it has focused on commercial growth: fast food chains, big-box retail, and services geared toward convenience rather than community. While these businesses serve a purpose, they don’t necessarily create spaces for connection. They aren’t places where young people can linger, express themselves, or build relationships.
And that absence matters more than we often acknowledge.
When there are limited opportunities for meaningful social engagement, young people don’t just get bored, they can become disconnected. Community isn’t something that forms automatically; it requires space, intention, and accessibility. Without those elements, it becomes harder to foster a sense of belonging, especially during a stage of life that is already marked by transition and uncertainty.
At the same time, Grey County has been grappling with rising concerns around substance use. While it would be overly simplistic and unfair to suggest that a lack of social spaces directly causes drug use, it’s worth asking how these issues intersect. When young people don’t have places to go, things to do, or communities to plug into, the risk of isolation increases. And isolation, in many cases, can make other challenges more difficult to navigate.
This isn’t about placing blame on the city or expecting a single solution. It’s about recognizing a gap that has persisted for years and considering what it might look like to address it.
Other communities like the township of Centre Wellington and Simcoe County have experimented with youth hubs, late-night cafés, arts-based programming, and multi-use community spaces that aren’t tied to alcohol or organized sports. These initiatives don’t just provide activities; they create environments where young people feel seen and valued. They signal that youth are not an afterthought, but an integral part of the community’s present and future.
Owen Sound has the potential to do the same. The city already has strong foundations in its natural landscape, its arts scene, its sense of local pride. But there’s an opportunity to think more intentionally about how those strengths can translate into everyday third spaces for young people.
What would it look like to invest in a dedicated youth-oriented venue? To support grassroots events or creative programming outside of the library? To rethink how existing public spaces are used? These aren’t radical ideas, but they require a shift in priorities from development that is purely commercial to development that is also social and cultural.
Returning home after being away has made one thing clear to me: young people don’t just leave small towns for school or work. Owen Sound’s Vision 2050 report reflects this reality, identifying youth leaving as one of the community’s most frequently raised concerns. Many leave because they’re searching for a sense of possibility — for places where they can connect, explore, and grow.
If communities like Owen Sound want to retain young people, or even just better support those who are already here, that sense of possibility has to exist locally too.
Sincerely,
Heaven Silver
Owen Sound
Letters to the Editor do not necessarily reflect the opinions or beliefs of The Owen Sound Current and its editor or publisher.
Related:
