Owen Sound

Owen Sound
City (lower-tier)
City of Owen Sound

Owen Sound Harbour
Nickname(s): The Scenic City
Owen Sound
Coordinates: 44°34′N 80°56′W / 44.567°N 80.933°W / 44.567; -80.933Coordinates: 44°34′N 80°56′W / 44.567°N 80.933°W / 44.567; -80.933
Country  Canada
Province  Ontario
County Grey
Government
 • City Mayor Ian Boddy
 • Governing Body Owen Sound City Council
 • MPs Larry Miller
 • MPPs Bill Walker
Area[1][2]
 • Land 24.22 km2 (9.35 sq mi)
 • Urban 25.98 km2 (10.03 sq mi)
 • Metro 627.80 km2 (242.39 sq mi)
Elevation 307 m (1,007 ft)
Population (2011)[1][2]
 • City (lower-tier) 21,688
 • Density 898.1/km2 (2,326/sq mi)
 • Urban 22,649
 • Urban density 871.8/km2 (2,258/sq mi)
 • Metro 32,259
 • Metro density 51.4/km2 (133/sq mi)
Time zone Eastern (EST) (UTC-5)
Postal Code N4K
Area code(s) 519 & 226
Highways  Highway 21
 Highway 6
 Highway 26
Website www.owensound.ca
Dwellings: 9,532 dwellings
Community of Owen Sound, at the base of the Owen Sound inlet, in 1880.

Owen Sound (Canada 2011 Census population 21,688; CA population 32,092), the county seat of Grey County, is a city in Southern (Southwestern) Ontario, Canada. Owen Sound is located at the mouths of the Pottawatomi and Sydenham Rivers on an inlet of Georgian Bay.

History

The area around the upper Great Lakes has been home to the Ojibwe people since prehistory. In 1815, William Fitzwilliam Owen surveyed the area and named the inlet after his older brother Admiral Edward Owen. A settlement called Sydenham was established in 1841 by Charles Rankin. The settlement was renamed in 1851 and became an incorporated town in 1857.[3]

At one time, Owen Sound's roaring seaport made it a rowdy town variously known as "Corkscrew City",[4][5] "Chicago of the North" and "Little Liverpool". Supporting this reputation was a tavern named "Bucket of Blood", located on the corner of an intersection known as "Damnation Corners", due to the taverns on all four corners. Ironically, its location was one block away from an intersection known as "Salvation Corners", populated by four churches.

Louis' Steakhouse, a popular upscale restaurant just outside town, was opened by the Gavaris family in the 1980s in an historic building which has changed hands several times since. It was originally a home (built in 1881), but became a brothel from 1907-1915,[6] where the madam would stand from its castle-like tower and watch the port for a ship to come in, and she would ready her prostitutes to excite the sailors. This reputation for vice and villainy, and the problems that came with it, caused the city to ban all drinking establishments for several decades. The city was "dry" until 1972.[7]

Billy Bishop Home/Museum

One of the city's most famous sons was World War I flying ace and Victoria Cross winner William Avery "Billy" Bishop, Canada's leading pilot in the war. Bishop is also one of the few to have tangled with the Red Baron and survived, forcing the German pilot to retreat in a damaged aircraft. The Billy Bishop Regional Airport in the nearby Municipality of Meaford was named after him. His modest gravesite can be visited in the city's Greenwood Cemetery by those willing to take the time to locate the stone. His boyhood home is now a museum dedicated to his life and to Canada's aviation history. The town was also the home of NHL Hall-of-Fame goaltender Harry Lumley and the artist Tom Thomson (buried in the nearby village of Leith). Surgeon Dr. Norman Bethune, an avowed communist and pioneer of public medicine who gained notoriety in his innovative medical work with the Chinese army during the Second Sino-Japanese War, is an alumnus of the Owen Sound Collegiate and Vocational Institute. Legendary hockey broadcaster Bill Hewitt was once sports director of the local AM radio station, CFOS. Tommy Holmes, another Victoria Cross winner, was also from Owen Sound, and the city's armoury bears his name.

In 2005 Owen Sound became the National Communities in Bloom champion in the cities of 20,001–50,000 category in Canada for its beauty, natural landscape, and strong sense of community.[8] Owen Sound has been recently recognized as a great place to retire due to its cultural, sports and natural amenities.[9]

Geography & climate

Owen Sound experiences a humid continental climate (Köppen climate classification Dfb)[10] that is moderated by Lake Huron. Winters are cold and very snowy, while summers are warm and humid, but cooled by the lake waters (Georgian Bay and Lake Huron on either side) more than most other areas of southwestern Ontario. Precipitation is moderately high as Owen Sound is in the direct line of the Great Lakes snowbelt, with an annual average of 1100 mm. Summer thunderstorms are a common occurrence.

Climate data for Owen Sound (1981−2010)
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high °C (°F) 15.5
(59.9)		 18.5
(65.3)		 24.5
(76.1)		 30.5
(86.9)		 32.5
(90.5)		 35.0
(95)		 34.0
(93.2)		 34.0
(93.2)		 33.0
(91.4)		 30.0
(86)		 22.0
(71.6)		 18.5
(65.3)		 35.0
(95)
Average high °C (°F) −1.9
(28.6)		 −1.0
(30.2)		 3.2
(37.8)		 10.3
(50.5)		 16.6
(61.9)		 21.7
(71.1)		 24.8
(76.6)		 24.2
(75.6)		 20.2
(68.4)		 13.4
(56.1)		 6.9
(44.4)		 1.1
(34)		 11.6
(52.9)
Daily mean °C (°F) −5.4
(22.3)		 −4.8
(23.4)		 −1
(30)		 5.8
(42.4)		 11.5
(52.7)		 16.6
(61.9)		 20.1
(68.2)		 19.6
(67.3)		 15.8
(60.4)		 9.6
(49.3)		 3.8
(38.8)		 −1.8
(28.8)		 7.5
(45.5)
Average low °C (°F) −9.0
(15.8)		 −8.7
(16.3)		 −5.2
(22.6)		 1.2
(34.2)		 6.4
(43.5)		 11.5
(52.7)		 15.3
(59.5)		 15.0
(59)		 11.4
(52.5)		 5.7
(42.3)		 0.7
(33.3)		 −4.8
(23.4)		 3.3
(37.9)
Record low °C (°F) −30.0
(−22)		 −34.0
(−29.2)		 −29.0
(−20.2)		 −15.0
(5)		 −4.4
(24.1)		 0.0
(32)		 4.4
(39.9)		 3.3
(37.9)		 −1.1
(30)		 −5.6
(21.9)		 −15.5
(4.1)		 −24.0
(−11.2)		 −34.0
(−29.2)
Average precipitation mm (inches) 128.8
(5.071)		 86.3
(3.398)		 77.8
(3.063)		 71.0
(2.795)		 84.0
(3.307)		 73.5
(2.894)		 70.4
(2.772)		 78.7
(3.098)		 106.1
(4.177)		 98.0
(3.858)		 110.0
(4.331)		 129.9
(5.114)		 1,114.4
(43.874)
Average rainfall mm (inches) 27.9
(1.098)		 21.5
(0.846)		 42.4
(1.669)		 63.8
(2.512)		 84.0
(3.307)		 73.5
(2.894)		 70.4
(2.772)		 78.7
(3.098)		 106.1
(4.177)		 96.4
(3.795)		 82.8
(3.26)		 36.7
(1.445)		 783.9
(30.862)
Average snowfall cm (inches) 101.0
(39.76)		 64.8
(25.51)		 35.4
(13.94)		 7.3
(2.87)		 0.1
(0.04)		 0.0
(0)		 0.0
(0)		 0.0
(0)		 0.0
(0)		 1.6
(0.63)		 27.2
(10.71)		 93.2
(36.69)		 330.4
(130.08)
Average precipitation days (≥ 0.2 mm) 20.7 15.0 12.9 13.4 12.8 11.1 10.4 11.6 13.9 17.7 17.7 19.7 176.8
Average rainy days (≥ 0.2 mm) 4.4 3.5 6.4 12.3 12.8 11.1 10.4 11.6 13.9 17.5 13.7 7.1 124.7
Average snowy days (≥ 0.2 cm) 17.4 12.3 7.8 2.0 0.04 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.5 5.5 14.0 59.5
Source: Environment Canada[11]

The city's downtown is located in a deep valley in the Niagara Escarpment.

Culture and events

Festival of Northern Lights.

The City of Owen Sound was a 2004 Cultural Capital of Canada and is home to a number of cultural events and facilities. It is home to the Summerfolk Music and Crafts Festival, held every August, and the Festival of Northern Lights, a large Christmas lights festival with many displays along the Sydenham River, downtown, and in Harrison Park, held from November until January every Winter, as well as A Novel Marathon, a special event fund raiser for the Adult Literacy Program of the Owen Sound and North Grey Union Public Library.

In 2007 Owen Sound celebrated its 150th year since incorporation, with special events throughout the year highlighted by the 10-day Homecoming 2007 celebrations July 27 to August 5.

Theatrically, the city's 400-seat Roxy Theatre, owned and operated by the Owen Sound Little Theatre, is used for the city's professional live theatre performances, as well as some concerts. The Youth Theatre Coalition is also prevalent in the area. It is a youth theatre company run entirely by youth and for youth. The organization presents musical, theatrical, and concert type performances throughout the year.

The city is also home to a good number of museums and cultural attractions, including:

Tom Thomson Art Gallery

Demographics

Historical populations
YearPop.±%
18713,369—    
18814,426+31.4%
18917,497+69.4%
19018,776+17.1%
191112,559+43.1%
192112,190−2.9%
193112,839+5.3%
194113,810+7.6%
195116,423+18.9%
196117,421+6.1%
197118,469+6.0%
198119,883+7.7%
199121,674+9.0%
199621,390−1.3%
200121,431+0.2%
200621,753+1.5%
201121,688−0.3%

Education

Owen Sound is home to a campus of Georgian College. The campus currently offers 14 full-time programs, including its Great Lakes International Marine Training and Research Centre.[23] The centre trains professionals already working in the marine industry and students enrolled in the Marine Navigation Technology program and the Marine Engineering Technology program.

Owen Sound is home to three high schools including the Owen Sound Collegiate and Vocational Institute, one of Canada's oldest schools, founded in 1856.

Owen Sound also provides a variety of French education options in the form of French immersion programs in both the public and Catholic school systems, as well as the only all French school and preschool in Grey and Bruce counties. Opportunities offered to French students include exchange programs and French summer camps.

Transportation

MS Chi-Cheemaun in Owen Sound.

Located at the junctions of Ontario Highways 6, 10, 21 and 26, the city serves as a gateway to the Bruce Peninsula.

Owen Sound Transit provides local bus service and specialized transportation for those unable to use the regular transit buses.

As home port of the Owen Sound Transportation Company Limited, the inner harbour is where the MS Chi-Cheemaun car ferry from Tobermory to South Baymouth is docked during the winter months.

The Canadian Pacific Railway Owen Sound subdivision connected Orangeville and Owen Sound. Service was discontinued and the line was formally abandoned in 1995. The Canadian National Railway subdivision connected Guelph and Owen Sound via Palmerston, this line was discontinued in the 1990s.

Aircraft flying to Owen Sound may land at the Owen Sound Billy Bishop Regional Airport (CYOS).

Industry

The Parrish & Heimbecker Grain Terminal (Great Lakes Elevator Co Ltd) is located in the inner harbour. The original CPR grain elevators were destroyed by fire in 1911.

Health care

Owen Sound Hospital

Owen Sound is the seat of Grey Bruce Health Services and has the largest hospital (Owen Sound Hospital) in the Grey County and Bruce County region.

Recreation

The city is one of two (the other being Barrie) that are home to The Grey and Simcoe Foresters Primary Reserve Infantry regiment, as well as various cadet corps.

Some of the largest rainbow trout in the world have been caught in Owen Sound, and annual fishing derbies draw large participation from all over North America.

Southeast of the city are several popular Ontario ski resorts, including Blue Mountain and Beaver Valley. The city and area also have numerous snowmobile trails.

Sports

Owen Sound is the smallest city in Ontario (and one of the smallest in Canada) to host an Ontario Hockey League (OHL) Major Junior Hockey team, in the Owen Sound Attack who play at the Bayshore Community Centre arena.

The Attack won the J. Ross Robertson Cup as OHL Champions in 2011.

Former teams

Media

Main article: Media in Owen Sound

Jail

The County of Grey opened a complex in 1854, including a courthouse and police services, a land registry office and a county jail. In 1960, the County of Grey moved the courthouse and land registry to another location at the edge of present-day Owen Sound, Ontario. At that time, March 11, 1960, the County of Grey and the City of Owen Sound signed a two-part agreement that was subsequently passed into bylaw. The first part required that the City of Owen Sound immediately purchase the courthouse portion of the complex. Part two of the agreement requires the City of Owen Sound to purchase the jail portion when the County of Grey no longer needs it for its own use. This occurred in 1978, when the province of Ontario transferred the county jails to provincial entities. The County of Grey and the City of Owen Sound escaped the latter part of the 1960 agreement and have profited greatly ever since. The County of Grey receives a monthly payment (approximately $12,000 as of 2011) for which they have no obligation to maintain the property; the City of Owen Sound kept the police services in the old courthouse until 1987/88 and then leased it to an arts council. In doing so, the jail lost all of their former entrances and moved all activities to the side of the jail, immediately beside the adjacent residence.

Notable residents

Thomas William Holmes V.C.

Popular culture

Owen Sound City Hall

Sister cities

The sister city of Owen Sound is Miamisburg, Ohio.[25]

References

  1. 1 2 "Owen Sound (city) community profile". 2006 Census data. Statistics Canada. Retrieved 2011-01-24.
  2. 1 2 "Owen Sound (census agglomeration) community profile". 2006 Census data. Statistics Canada. Retrieved 2011-01-24.
  3. ↑ http://www.owensound.ca/live/about-owen-sound About Own Sound, retrieved 2013 April 3
  4. ↑ White, Paul (2000). Owen Sound: The Port City. Toronto: National Heritage. p. 83. ISBN 1896219233.
  5. ↑ Boltman, Aly (June 29, 2009). "The mistress of Branningham Grove". Owen Sound Sun Times. Retrieved 24 May 2013.
  6. ↑ http://923thedock.com/owen-sound-resident-once-again-tries-to-save-historic-branningham-grove/
  7. ↑ White, Paul (2000). Owen Sound: The Port City. Dundurn. p. 87. ISBN 1896219233.
  8. ↑ "Owen Sound wins her category in 2005 Communities in Bloom". Retrieved 5 October 2012.
  9. ↑ Bland, Warren R. (2005). Retire in Style 60 Outstanding Places Across the USA and Canada. Chester, New Jersey: Next Decade. pp. 57–62. ISBN 1932919198.
  10. ↑ http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/ba/North-America_Koppen_Map.png Köppen Climate Classification Map of North America (University of Melbourne)
  11. ↑ "Owen Sound, Ontario". Canadian Climate Normals 1981–2010. Environment Canada. Retrieved April 12, 2014.
  12. ↑ "Tom Thompson Art Gallery". Retrieved 5 October 2012.
  13. 1 2 "Welcome to Beth Ezekiel Synagogue". Beth Ezekiel Synagogue.
  14. ↑ "Ontario's Places of Worship". Ontario Heritage Trust.
  15. ↑ "Lupercalia". Mudtown Records. Retrieved 30 May 2013.
  16. ↑ "Mudtown Records". Mudtown Records.
  17. ↑ "Get outta town to see..". NOW magazin. Retrieved 30 May 2013.
  18. ↑ "Owen Sound City Band Homepage". Owen Sound City Band.
  19. ↑ "Festival of Northern Lights". City of Owen Sound.
  20. ↑ "2011 Community Profiles". Canada 2011 Census. Statistics Canada. July 5, 2013. Retrieved 2012-04-09.
  21. ↑ "2006 Community Profiles". Canada 2006 Census. Statistics Canada. March 30, 2011. Retrieved 2012-04-09.
  22. ↑ "2001 Community Profiles". Canada 2001 Census. Statistics Canada. February 17, 2012. Retrieved 2012-04-09.
  23. ↑ "Great Lakes International Marine Training and Research Centre". Georgian College. Retrieved 24 May 2013.
  24. ↑ Vance, Stephen (2015-12-08). "One Magic Weekend in Meaford". themeafordindependent.ca. Retrieved 29 December 2015.
  25. ↑ "Owen Sound's sister city". Retrieved 28 May 2013.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Owen Sound, Ontario.
Wikisource has the text of the 1905 New International Encyclopedia article Owen Sound.
 Owen Sound (Georgian Bay)
Georgian Bluffs Meaford
   Owen Sound  
Georgian Bluffs, Meaford
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