Tues Feb 20: Are We Willing to Say Goodbye to the Small Town Arena?

Plus: Local news highlights, upcoming events, and an update on local food marketplace Eat Local Grey Bruce's urgent appeal for support

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What did a trip to the arena mean for you as a child, and what might life be like without these small-town community hubs?

“Two of our local arenas (Desboro and Chatsworth) have closed, and other local arenas, Markdale being one, are close on their heels. With fewer arenas for our children to both practice and play in, getting sufficient ice time becomes a challenge. This is further compounded by the fact that ice is being put into our local arenas almost a month later than average.”

In a new letter to the editor, Bren Dykxhoorn appeals to the community to think back on their experiences at small town arenas and pay attention to their plight today:

Plus, we have a quick update and a bit of good news following up the article we posted last week about the uncertain fate of local food marketplace Eat Local Grey Bruce. Members received an email simply entitled ‘A Huge Thank You From ELGB’ from board member Kel Smith on Monday. In it, she wrote:

“We put a call out to the community last week, looking for a few more orders per week to ensure that we had enough income to keep operations running.

We were looking to increase orders by 10-15 for a total of 100-110 weekly orders to feel safe and secure moving into the spring.

We closed the ordering window last night with 211 orders.”

It looks like ELGB will live to deliver another day! The group asks for customers’ patience as they call on volunteers and adjust operations to meet the influx of demand.

Full subscribers, there’s plenty more for you below, including:

• Details about a new self-guided walking tour in Owen Sound

• A former Owen Sound Mayor recognized for lifetime achievements

• Information from police after a collision in the 2500 block of 3rd Avenue West, Owen Sound

• Charges for a woman who drove impaired and without insurance after Grey Bruce OPP investigated a report of a physical altercation between a driver and passenger

• An appeal from Grey Bruce OPP for help identifying suspects and providing video related to recent crimes

• Lots of local events coming up next weekend

~ Miranda

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