Owen Sound Councillor Carol Merton calls for practical, collaborative steps to create a safer, more inclusive, and vibrant downtown, emphasizing trust, compassion, and community engagement.
Thank you Carol for your thoughts on collaborative action to support change for our downtown Owen Sound Community. Many of us who live in downtown Owen Sound know that we have seen improvement in the last few years: two drug treatment centres, Grey County motel purchase to decrease homelessness, the SOS Wednesdays at the market to increase contact and support for people living on the street, the programs of United Way and ongoing police and paramedic services to the hardest to serve in our city. Statistics indicate that crime is down and the death from drug overdose has decreased.
Businesses, social services and cultural organizations as well as the City, County and Provincial governments working together with us as citizens will solidify collaborative action.
Thank you for pointing us toward new possibilities in this article.
Carol, many thanks for your letter. You are an admirable city councillor. The practical suggestions you give - like more public washrooms and benches for stopping to rest downtown - are long overdue. I also really hope the little pockets of nature we have there can be maintained and expanded. There is so much evidence to tell us how beneficial all these efforts bring - to everyone. Thanks again.
I am applauding Councillor Carol Merton's letter to the editor, her practical suggestions concerning provision of downtown facilities and action on RentSafe initiatives. Collaboration is key to building a resilient and inclusive community. Opportunities for the Council and community groups to work together will benefit everyone.
Thank you, Carol, for sharing your thoughts and ideas.
There has been a great deal of negativity present on social media recently regarding the state of things downtown. A few folks have commented on positive actions we could take to help. This was encouraging to read.
Your recommendations for the changes needed make eminent sense. I especially appreciate and support the idea of interviewing and sharing the life experiences of those willing to speak about themselves. It's an excellent way to enlighten others and hopefully increase the understanding and compassion necessary for positive changes to happen.
Thank you again for caring and continuing with your positive efforts in helping others.
Councillor Merton, while your ideas and suggestions for actions to make our city safer, cleaner, more welcoming, and prosperous are good ones – they are the same ideas and suggestions offered in good faith by the 1000+ survey respondents and hundreds of Owen Sound residents who participated in the Future Owen Sound 2050 Project.
Yet, you and the organizers of the recent downtown stakeholders meeting failed to recognize the work of and the ideas that came from the Future Owen Sound 2050 Project and failed to connect the dots back to the residents of Owen Sound and the plan of action already developed.
The culture of mistrust between the council and citizens was further damaged at the June 21st, 2025, meeting of the council. At that meeting, and against the recommendations of senior staff, you and every member of council voted not to approve and begin implementing the Future Owen Sound 2050 strategic plan. By voting to further delay action, delay use of the $100K approved for implementing the plan in 2025-2026, the council once again ignored the public urgency for action that was expressed so clearly, once again eroding public confidence that our voices are respected.
If you want trust, stop asking what we think while ignoring what we’ve said. Over and over and over again. We’ve told you. We made a plan. A plan you and every member of the council voted not to approve.
If building trust is the foundation for “a kind, compassionate, inclusive and vibrant community”, the city council needs to start getting its own house in order, before gaining the public confidence sorely needed for community-wide change.
Thank you Carol for your thoughts on collaborative action to support change for our downtown Owen Sound Community. Many of us who live in downtown Owen Sound know that we have seen improvement in the last few years: two drug treatment centres, Grey County motel purchase to decrease homelessness, the SOS Wednesdays at the market to increase contact and support for people living on the street, the programs of United Way and ongoing police and paramedic services to the hardest to serve in our city. Statistics indicate that crime is down and the death from drug overdose has decreased.
Businesses, social services and cultural organizations as well as the City, County and Provincial governments working together with us as citizens will solidify collaborative action.
Thank you for pointing us toward new possibilities in this article.
Carol, many thanks for your letter. You are an admirable city councillor. The practical suggestions you give - like more public washrooms and benches for stopping to rest downtown - are long overdue. I also really hope the little pockets of nature we have there can be maintained and expanded. There is so much evidence to tell us how beneficial all these efforts bring - to everyone. Thanks again.
I am applauding Councillor Carol Merton's letter to the editor, her practical suggestions concerning provision of downtown facilities and action on RentSafe initiatives. Collaboration is key to building a resilient and inclusive community. Opportunities for the Council and community groups to work together will benefit everyone.
Thank you, Carol, for sharing your thoughts and ideas.
There has been a great deal of negativity present on social media recently regarding the state of things downtown. A few folks have commented on positive actions we could take to help. This was encouraging to read.
Your recommendations for the changes needed make eminent sense. I especially appreciate and support the idea of interviewing and sharing the life experiences of those willing to speak about themselves. It's an excellent way to enlighten others and hopefully increase the understanding and compassion necessary for positive changes to happen.
Thank you again for caring and continuing with your positive efforts in helping others.
Councillor Merton, while your ideas and suggestions for actions to make our city safer, cleaner, more welcoming, and prosperous are good ones – they are the same ideas and suggestions offered in good faith by the 1000+ survey respondents and hundreds of Owen Sound residents who participated in the Future Owen Sound 2050 Project.
Yet, you and the organizers of the recent downtown stakeholders meeting failed to recognize the work of and the ideas that came from the Future Owen Sound 2050 Project and failed to connect the dots back to the residents of Owen Sound and the plan of action already developed.
The culture of mistrust between the council and citizens was further damaged at the June 21st, 2025, meeting of the council. At that meeting, and against the recommendations of senior staff, you and every member of council voted not to approve and begin implementing the Future Owen Sound 2050 strategic plan. By voting to further delay action, delay use of the $100K approved for implementing the plan in 2025-2026, the council once again ignored the public urgency for action that was expressed so clearly, once again eroding public confidence that our voices are respected.
If you want trust, stop asking what we think while ignoring what we’ve said. Over and over and over again. We’ve told you. We made a plan. A plan you and every member of the council voted not to approve.
If building trust is the foundation for “a kind, compassionate, inclusive and vibrant community”, the city council needs to start getting its own house in order, before gaining the public confidence sorely needed for community-wide change.