Editorial: Housing is the county's job, but Owen Sound's mayor shouldn't call worried residents uninformed for questioning housing policy as homelessness grows. The city has tools of its own.
I do not see homeless people or folks doing drugs in public when I drive through Wiarton, Meaford, Thornbury or Collingwood. So why can't these issues be solved in Owen Sound?
Well done, Miranda. You write & research so well. We are lucky to have you taking on this city blind spot. Of course there are things the city can do. I sure hope councillors and mayor-prospects can focus on helping other orders of government focus on affordable housing and managing the drug-addicted. For sure it is Owen Sound's biggest problem.
Owen Sound is a lot smaller than Ottawa or Toronto! We shouldn’t have the big problem we have. I was just in Stratford and I didn’t see people lying on the sidewalks the way they do here.
I would like to offer a somewhat contrarian opinion on the pillaging of Mayor Boddy. Ms Beechcroft make a very valid point. If you want ants on your countertop then put sugar on it. All the services listed by Ms Beechcroft ATTRACT the homeless and people with mental problems. And, that creates problems for the rest of us. It is unfortunate that we cannot relocate these services to Meaford or Southampton but helping these people has become an INDUSTRY. Let us not forget the high cost of policing that City taxpayers have to pay. When I used to take my bicycle out 8th Street East it was not uncommon to see 2 or 3 police cars rushing out to Brightshores. In November of 2025 I was a patient there twice. I would wander around the treatment rooms and would sometime find a guy zonked out of his mind but being minded by 2 City officers. Recently I have have heard of two seniors waiting hours for treatment at Brightshores. One with a heart attack another a broken nose from fall. Why the delay? Answer: Emergency was clogged up with overdoses and homeless. And, driving past 305-14th Street West it is not uncommon to see police there. Public housing might be a county affair but policing is costing city taxpayers much money. Let us not forget that another Housing buildng at 248-7thh Avenue East and its 20 units remains vacant because of a fire. Arson or accidental I cannot recall. So, maybe Ms Beechcroft has a valid point and that we are doing TOO MUCH for these people. Maybe before treatment or benefits we should establish whether they are from Grey County or not. Maybe we should bill Grey County for policing services if they are not from Owen Sound. And, maybe we should REFUSE benefits unless they sign up for rehab. I do not see this as Mayor Boddy's fault JOHN PICKETT
I have so many thoughts! 1. Yes, services attract people. 2. Relocating said services to another town smacks of NIMBYism. 3. Yes, 8th St is the direct route to our hospital so the first responders use it. 4. Wait times are a thing. Not a good thing, we know this. 5. You misunderstand my point: I did not say or imply that "we are doing TOO MUCH for these people." If anything, we're not doing ENOUGH. 6. Why would you be wandering around treatment rooms? 7. Lastly, a minor point to you perhaps, but an important one to me: it's BEEcroft, not BEECHcroft.
Excellent Editorial Miranda!
I do not see homeless people or folks doing drugs in public when I drive through Wiarton, Meaford, Thornbury or Collingwood. So why can't these issues be solved in Owen Sound?
Do those places have anything like SOS, Safe n Sound, OSHARE, CMHA, United Way and so on?
Well done, Miranda. You write & research so well. We are lucky to have you taking on this city blind spot. Of course there are things the city can do. I sure hope councillors and mayor-prospects can focus on helping other orders of government focus on affordable housing and managing the drug-addicted. For sure it is Owen Sound's biggest problem.
Owen Sound is a lot smaller than Ottawa or Toronto! We shouldn’t have the big problem we have. I was just in Stratford and I didn’t see people lying on the sidewalks the way they do here.
I would like to offer a somewhat contrarian opinion on the pillaging of Mayor Boddy. Ms Beechcroft make a very valid point. If you want ants on your countertop then put sugar on it. All the services listed by Ms Beechcroft ATTRACT the homeless and people with mental problems. And, that creates problems for the rest of us. It is unfortunate that we cannot relocate these services to Meaford or Southampton but helping these people has become an INDUSTRY. Let us not forget the high cost of policing that City taxpayers have to pay. When I used to take my bicycle out 8th Street East it was not uncommon to see 2 or 3 police cars rushing out to Brightshores. In November of 2025 I was a patient there twice. I would wander around the treatment rooms and would sometime find a guy zonked out of his mind but being minded by 2 City officers. Recently I have have heard of two seniors waiting hours for treatment at Brightshores. One with a heart attack another a broken nose from fall. Why the delay? Answer: Emergency was clogged up with overdoses and homeless. And, driving past 305-14th Street West it is not uncommon to see police there. Public housing might be a county affair but policing is costing city taxpayers much money. Let us not forget that another Housing buildng at 248-7thh Avenue East and its 20 units remains vacant because of a fire. Arson or accidental I cannot recall. So, maybe Ms Beechcroft has a valid point and that we are doing TOO MUCH for these people. Maybe before treatment or benefits we should establish whether they are from Grey County or not. Maybe we should bill Grey County for policing services if they are not from Owen Sound. And, maybe we should REFUSE benefits unless they sign up for rehab. I do not see this as Mayor Boddy's fault JOHN PICKETT
I have so many thoughts! 1. Yes, services attract people. 2. Relocating said services to another town smacks of NIMBYism. 3. Yes, 8th St is the direct route to our hospital so the first responders use it. 4. Wait times are a thing. Not a good thing, we know this. 5. You misunderstand my point: I did not say or imply that "we are doing TOO MUCH for these people." If anything, we're not doing ENOUGH. 6. Why would you be wandering around treatment rooms? 7. Lastly, a minor point to you perhaps, but an important one to me: it's BEEcroft, not BEECHcroft.