Tues June 11: Public Notices, Local News & a Community Poll

Plus: How much longer will the City let the Legate building rot away before our eyes?

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Photo credit: Miranda Miller, June 2024

Our downtown has serious socioeconomic and safety issues that I understand many are working hard to address. After seven people overdosed in the downtown core on Thursday, it does begin to feel as though we’re waging a losing battle.

However, property standards aren’t one of those issues we can’t do anything about. We have property standards bylaws in place to ensure owners maintain their properties, so we don’t have derelict buildings in prominent places dragging down the neighbourhood. They’re fairly specific:

• 2.4.1.1 “The exterior walls of a building and their components shall be maintained so as to be weather-tight, free from loose or unsecured materials and objects and in good repair.”

• 2.4.1.3 “Appropriate measures shall be taken to remove any objectionable markings, stains or other defacements occurring on the exposed finished exterior surfaces of any structure, and where necessary, to restore the surface and adjacent areas to, as near as possible, their appearance before the marking, staining, or defacement occurred.”

What are we doing here?

How is it possible the former Legate building, right across from City Hall, has been allowed to become such an eyesore?

This isn’t new. Anne Finlay-Stewart tackled this one a number of times at The Hub, including here where she shared the process for filing a property standards complaint. That was over a year ago.

So I’m curious:

Public Notices

• Sections of 2nd Avenue East will be temporarily closed between 5:30 a.m. and 11:00 a.m. on Tuesday, June 11th to accommodate the installation of the Hottest Street Sale Banners in the River District. Read more on the City’s website.

• Save the date – The Bagida’waad Alliance is organizing a shoreline cleanup at Harrison Park on Saturday, June 22, and they’re looking for volunteers to join them. It’s happening from 1 pm to 3 pm, and you’re advised to dress for the weather. The group will meet at the fountain near the restaurant. Get in touch with them directly with any questions.

The news doesn’t stop here! Full subscribers – keep reading to see what’s happening in and around Owen Sound.

~ Miranda

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