Vision 2050 Report Part 2: The Priorities Residents Say Council Missed Out On
More than 300 residents answered Q10 on adding Council priorities. Using MFIPPA, we obtained and publish the full responses so the public record reflects what community members actually said.
Last week, in Part 1 of our Vision 2050 report, we released the full, verbatim survey responses to the City of Owen Sound’s 2024 community survey and dug into responses on whether Council’s existing priorities should be reframed.
The City had never published those responses in full, summarizing nearly 5,000 comments in just two pages.
We obtained the complete qualitative results this year through an access request under MFIPPA, paying a $517.50 processing fee, and we’re publishing them because residents’ input — gathered at public expense — belongs in the public record.
We’re doing this to ensure transparency and accountability around a strategic planning exercise with a $200,000 budget that has yet to produce a strategic vision.
Making the raw feedback accessible allows readers, researchers, community groups, and decision-makers to analyze what people actually said — not just what made it into a summary.
This week, we turn to the next open-ended survey question: “Is there a priority (or priorities) that should be added to the list of Council Priorities?”
For the purpose of the survey, respondents were provided the following Council priorities:
Safe City
Prosperous City
Green City
A City That Grows
A City That Moves
City Building
and Collaborative City
More than 300 respondents answered this open-ended question, offering candid and often personal ideas about what’s missing from Owen Sound’s long-term plan. Their responses point to where residents believe their elected Council needs clearer focus and faster action.
While many echoed existing priorities, others advocated for bold additions, more specific objectives, or a complete reframing of the city’s direction. Several recurring themes emerged, highlighting where residents feel Owen Sound’s current priorities fall short — and where new or sharpened focus is needed.
Community Calls for Action: Housing, Safety, Jobs Dominate Feedback on Council Priorities
A significant portion of respondents to the Vision 2050 survey believe that Owen Sound’s current Council Priorities do not fully reflect the urgency of pressing local issues—particularly around housing, downtown safety, and employment.
1. Housing and Homelessness
Calls for affordable and accessible housing were by far the most common. Many respondents rejected the notion that housing is solely the County’s responsibility and urged the City to take a more proactive role. Suggestions included:
Mixed-income housing options
Supportive and transitional housing for unhoused residents
Greater collaboration with upper-tier governments
Clearer local accountability
2. Downtown Safety and Drug Use
A large number of respondents expressed serious concerns about safety in the downtown core, often linking it to visible drug use and homelessness. Some described feeling unsafe or avoiding the area entirely. Proposed solutions included:
Increased police and by-law presence
Safe consumption sites and mental health support
Re-locating services currently clustered in the downtown
While the City conducted a closed-door community consultation on this over the summer, no action was taken.
3. Employment and Economic Opportunity
Many participants called for the attraction of better-paying jobs and industrial employers, arguing that the City is too reliant on low-wage service sector positions. Others pointed to the need to fill empty storefronts, lower commercial taxes, and revive the downtown economy.
4. Infrastructure and Cleanliness
Concerns were raised about deteriorating roads, neglected playgrounds, garbage in public spaces, and vacant or derelict buildings. Residents called for basic upkeep, investments in parks and amenities, and enforcement of property standards.
5. Affordability and Fiscal Accountability
Many questioned rising property taxes and utility rates, calling for restraint in municipal spending—especially on cultural infrastructure. Others demanded better value for taxes paid, suggesting the City cut costs at City Hall and avoid what they termed “vanity projects.”
6. Engagement and Transparency
Some respondents felt disconnected from decision-making processes and asked for more meaningful public consultation, civic education, and consistent communication from Council.
7. Services for Youth and Families
Numerous respondents, including younger families, requested improved youth programming, modern recreation facilities, and more family-friendly events and amenities.
8. Climate, Green Infrastructure, and Planning
While not the most frequent theme, some emphasized the need to apply a “climate lens” to all future planning decisions and to preserve natural green spaces as the city grows.
9. Transit and Mobility
Better transit—especially regional connections, evening service, and accessibility—was highlighted as essential for seniors, youth, and those without cars.
10. Cultural Vitality and Public Spaces
Several responses called for greater support for arts, live music, and local festivals as part of a broader strategy to make Owen Sound a vibrant, inclusive city.
Key Takeaways
Residents sketched a practical wish list centred on housing, safety, and work. Many want housing elevated as a stand-alone priority — affordable, supportive, and mixed-income — while downtown safety drew calls for more foot patrols, by-law enforcement and cameras, alongside mental-health and harm-reduction supports.
On the economy, respondents urged the City to attract better-paying industry, fill vacant storefronts, and broaden the tax base. Affordability ran through it all: rein in operating costs, review staffing, and focus spending on basics.
Those basics include fixing roads and sidewalks, improving traffic signals, cleaning and repairing parks and playgrounds, and adding washrooms, bins, and needle disposal.
People also asked for youth spaces and modern recreation, better transit (evenings/regional links), cycling and walkability, refreshed downtown/harbour programming and marketing, and a climate lens with expanded composting.
Views split on cultural spending and responses to drugs/homelessness, but there was a consistent ask for clearer engagement, measurable targets, and regular public reporting.
You’ll find all responses to this question in full in Column B of Owen Sound Current’s copy of the Vision 2050 raw survey results, obtained from the City of Owen Sound via an information and access request under the Municipal Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (MFIPPA).
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