May 15 - Local News & Weekend Events

Plus: Reflecting on the roles of publications and citizen journalists in protecting our community's archives

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The Bayshore shoreline and grain elevators, May 2025. Photo: Miranda Miller

I’ve been thinking a lot about the role of local journalism, not just as a necessary accountability and informational resource in the present, but as an archive of community life. Local news doesn’t just report what’s happening now; it creates a record of the decisions, events, and conversations that shape who we are and where we live.

Years from now, someone may look back and search for when a park was renovated, why a policy changed, or even how a small town responded to a safety concern. I do this all the time, and would be lost or starting from scratch on so many issues without the archives created by the Owen Sound Sun Times, Bayshore News, CFOS, The Owen Sound Hub, and others who came before us.

We tend to measure and remember time by the events that stand out: an epic snowstorm, an impactful council decision, a gloriously late summer, a tragedy, or a celebration. But the details fade. Memories bleed into one another. Stories morph and shift over multiple tellings.

That’s why our community’s archives matter.

They keep us grounded in fact, offer continuity, and provide important lessons we can look back on.

We try to be thoughtful about what we’re covering here, because unfortunately, we haven’t yet figured out how to be everywhere at once… and cloning technology is still pretty imperfect. I’m constantly considering what gets coverage, and one of the weighty factors in those decisions is: Might someone be looking for this or wondering how it happened 10 or 20 years from now?

Citizen journalism is essential to an effort like The Owen Sound Current. Maryann and I are thankful each time a reader sends in a photo from an event or their thoughts on a current issue.

For example, we couldn’t make it out to the recent Small Communities Solutions conference in person. Not to worry… not one but two readers sent in columns out of the blue, sharing what they learned!

You don’t need media credentials or excellent writing skills to be a citizen journalist. And you don’t have to be out investigating difficult situations and getting yourself in trouble, either.

Sharing what’s going on in your neighbourhood, school, service club, or social circle has value. It becomes part of that archive, that living record of who we were, what we cared about, and how we got to where we are today.

Thanks, as always, for being part of it.

When you have things to share, you can submit to owensoundcurrenteditor@gmail.com, or reply to any of these emails.

Public Notices

• The City’s Committee of Operations meets on Thursday, May 15, at 5:30 p.m. in Council Chambers at City Hall. They’ll hear reports from staff on Green Bin Project public engagement, waste and wastewater fees and charges, the City’s multi-year capital plan, and more. See the full agenda here.

• Upcoming Household Hazardous Waste and Goods Exchange Days Offer Disposal Options - City of Owen Sound

Local News

Keep reading for community events, our original reporting, and curated local news updates. Today: Owen Sound Police have made an arrest in the fatal hit-and-run from this past weekend, a dog bite in Markdale has Public Health appealing for info, OSAID wants you to take a stand against impaired driving, and a whole lot more. Keep reading.

~ Miranda Miller, Editor

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