As a new hopeful, Francesca Dobbyn current Executive Director of United Way Bruce Grey brings a keen awareness of the issues of rural poverty and the challenging economic conditions of this region. Do you have any strategies prepared to encourage local economic growth? Which issue should this next term’s council give to more focus to: […]

Ruth Lovell-Stanners is the former two-term mayor of Owen Sound. In the 2010 municipal election, she was narrowly defeated by Deborah Haswell, by 41 votes. She was also the Ontario Liberal Party candidate in Bruce-Grey in the 1999 provincial election, but lost to incumbent MPP Bill Murdoch. A graduate of the University of Western Ontario, […]

It appears that doing nothing can be the best way to achieve results.  Owen Sound proved it with the March 2013 MoneySense magazine’s annual list of the 200 best Canadian cities to live.  Using the high risk ‘do nothing’ approach, the city’s gamble paid off improving its ranking by 166% in just one year. To […]

When is a public forum a waste of time?  You’d know the answer If you attended the recent Mayor’s Forum hosted by the Owen Sound Chamber of Commerce.  Their intention was good, but regrettably inadequately planned, managed and moderated. The Chamber believes that hosting the annual forum fulfils its mandate of advocacy and leadership in […]

The Mayor’s Forum, an annual event hosted by the Owen Sound Chamber of Commerce was promoted as an opportunity to hear the Mayors of Owen Sound, Georgian Bluffs, Meaford and Chatsworth talk about “ways to cooperate” and to “create common efficiencies” among their municipalities. It did more to highlight the dysfunctional relationship between Owen Sound […]

Over the last hundred years Owen Sound has experienced many powerful storms fed by its proximity to Lake Huron and location on Georgian Bay. Today new and established businesses are experiencing a different kind of storm that threatens their ability to compete in this community. What’s causing this storm? Local and county government, as well […]

Is it just me or does the city of Owen Sound just not get it.  If you’re business was given nation-wide free publicity promoting your product or service as the best in Canada, would you exploit it or bury it?  You guessed it. Owen Sound has buried it. In August, the Canadian edition of MSN […]