What Draws People to Harmony Centre in Owen Sound?
Harmony Centre board member Lorraine Campbell shares a fresh look at what's happening in the multifaceted community space in downtown Owen Sound.
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by Lorraine Campbell
Over the past months, I’ve had the opportunity to meet with many of the people who make use of Harmony Centre — both long-term residents who operate their businesses here and weekly users who gather in our shared spaces.
While I’ve written about the individuals who bring life to the building, I realized I had not yet written about Harmony Centre itself.
So, what is it about Harmony Centre that draws people in?
Harmony Centre is a multifaceted community space offering remarkable flexibility for a wide range of needs. Some groups use a single room on a regular basis, while others — such as the Georgian Bay Folk Society (the umbrella organization behind Summerfolk) — make use of multiple spaces for offices, public meetings, volunteer gatherings, and board meetings.
Harmony Centre includes more than a dozen office spaces and meeting rooms of varying sizes, along with three large event spaces — Greaves Auditorium, The Commons, and the Lower Hall — as well as a commercial kitchen, meeting rooms, and a kitchenette.
With seating for up to 500, Greaves Auditorium is a premier performance venue. It features excellent acoustics, a stage with full lighting, a grand piano, a professional sound system, two separate entrances, and an accessible washroom.
In addition to hosting one-time presentations and concerts, the Auditorium is home to regular groups including Grey Bruce Performing Arts, Rock the Sound Choir, Georgian Bay Concert Choir, The Queen’s Bush Bluegrass, and Harmony Drummers.
The Commons is a bright 1,300-square-foot space with stage area, and kitchenette access. A large white wall allows for film projection and presentations. This adaptable space hosts town halls, rehearsals, workshops, and community gatherings, as well as regular users such as Tai Chi, Karate, Hollow Reid Yoga, and Fiddlefern Contra Dance.
The Lower Hall is a fully accessible open space with its own entrance and washrooms. With dimmable lighting, projection wall, and proximity to the commercial kitchen, it is ideal for weddings, receptions, celebrations, and community events. Regular users include Tai Chi, Roxy Young Company, Sound Steppers and Solidarity Sundays.
Our Health Department–approved commercial kitchen is available for hourly rental and includes stainless steel counters, three deep sinks, two large refrigerators, two electric stoves, coffee makers, and a commercial dish sanitizer. Dishes, cutlery, and linens are also available. OSHaRE began here in 2012, and today Food Not Bombs prepares and distributes meals from the kitchen each Sunday morning.
Equipped with a projector screen, flip chart, large meeting table, chairs, and a wall-mounted monitor for hybrid meetings, the Boardroom is ideal for seminars and committee meetings. Regular users include Probus, Slow Celtic Session, and Queen’s Bush Bluegrass.
Studio 1 and Studio 12 are on the north side of the building with bay windows and beautiful natural light. Both rooms have keyboards in them and can be configured for a wide variety of uses. Regular users include Community Meditation, Women’s AA Serenity Group, Music Jamming, and Grey Bruce Performing Arts.
Harmony Centre was developed as a space to share, create, educate, and perform. It is an accessible space intended to enrich our community by providing workspaces, performance venues, and opportunities for connection both within the user groups and the community at large.
Harmony Centre is relevant to the community – we don’t house the homeless, but Safe ‘n’ Sound is here. We don’t put on music festivals, but Summerfolk is here. We’re not a granting organization, but The Eva Leflar Foundation is here.
By supporting organizations that deliver direct services to our community our presence helps to build and strengthen a healthy community.
Harmony Centre is dynamic and welcoming, offering spaces large and small to rent once or on a schedule by the hour, day, or on a longer term.
For more information, contact us at (519) 376-8880 or at https://harmonycentre.ca
Profiles is a series of articles written by Harmony Centre Board member Lorraine Campbell and volunteer Tammy Allen. Taking turns as authors, they spotlight the people and community groups who bring this remarkable place to life.
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