Owen Sound Attack to Remain in City Under New Ownership, Council Told
Council approved an assignment of lease Monday for a new Attack ownership group, with the OHL and current owners affirming the team will stay in Owen Sound.
Owen Sound City Council has approved an assignment of lease that clears the way for a change in ownership of the Owen Sound Attack, the city’s Ontario Hockey League franchise.
At its meeting on Monday, May 11, council voted to assign the existing lease for the Harry Lumley Bayshore Community Centre — currently held with Owen Sound Attack Inc. — to include a new entity called Ecological Dynamic Sports Partnerships. The decision was passed as part of the consent agenda without discussion at the council table.
A corresponding bylaw, 2026-057, was also passed later in the meeting authorizing the mayor and clerk to execute the assignment of lease agreement.
The lease assignment is contingent on written confirmation from the OHL that it has approved the sale. The OHL Board of Governors is scheduled to meet Wednesday for a final review and vote.
What the City’s Staff Report Says
According to a staff report prepared by City Manager Tim Simmonds and included in Monday’s council package, the city’s existing lease with the Attack requires city consent for any change of ownership, except for transfers among existing shareholders.
The report describes an April 15 meeting between the city, current ownership, the prospective new ownership group, and the OHL. At that meeting, current ownership outlined their intention to sell the team and indicated they intend to remain involved with the organization.
“Current ownership indicated that they have entertained other offers in the recent past; however, finances aside, those offers were not viewed as the right fit for the community,” Simmonds wrote in his report. “They emphasized that they are very confident in this prospective ownership group and its long-term commitment to Owen Sound.”
Simmonds wrote that all parties at the April 15 meeting stated the transaction is not an expansion or relocation opportunity.
“Based on the information provided to staff, including commitments made by the current ownership, the prospective new ownership group, and the Ontario Hockey League, staff are satisfied that the proposed sale of the team does not present a relocation or expansion risk and is intended to support the long-term success of the franchise in Owen Sound,” Simmonds wrote.
OHL Commits to Owen Sound
A May 6 letter from OHL Commissioner Bryan Crawford, also part of Monday’s council package, addressed speculation that the team could be moved.
“The Owen Sound franchise has been an important member of the Ontario Hockey League and a valued part of the Owen Sound community for many years,” Crawford wrote. “The league remains strongly committed to the long-term stability and success of the franchise within the city and looks forward to continuing its longstanding relationship with the municipality and the community moving forward.”
Crawford said the OHL intends to issue a further public statement following completion of the formal approval process, reaffirming its commitment to the city.
Lease Runs Through 2034
The Attack and the city entered into a 10-year lease agreement in 2024 for use of the Lumley-Bayshore. That deal runs until May 31, 2034, with an option for a five-year extension if both parties agree.
The current ownership group dates to 2000, when a group of six local businesspeople purchased the team after the city exercised its first right of refusal to prevent a sale to a Cornwall-based group. Three of the original six — Dr. Bob Severs, Peter MacDermid, and Paul MacDermid — continue to hold stakes in the team.
Several key details have not yet been made public:
The identity of the principals or investors behind Ecological Dynamic Sports Partnerships
The sale price
Whether the transaction will result in changes to team staff or operations
The date of any community meeting the city has indicated will be held to explain the changes
Owen Sound Current will follow up after the OHL Board of Governors’ vote and as further details become available.
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