Owen Sound

File:Owen Sound, Grey County, Ontario, 1880.jpg

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. The name of the area in Ojibwe language is Gchi-wiigwedong.Rhodes, Richard A., Pg. 534. "Eastern Ojibwa-Chippewa-Ottawa Dictionary". Berlin: Mouton, 1985.

A settlement called "Sydenham" was established in 1840 or 1841 by Charles Rankin in an area that had been inhabited by First Nations people. John Telfer settled here at that time and others followed. By 1846, the population was 150 and a sawmill and gristmill were operating. The name Sydenham continued even as the community became the seat for Grey County in 1852.{{cite web |title=The Founding of Owen Sound |url=http://www.ontarioplaques.com/Plaques/Plaque_Grey10.html |website=Ontario's Historical Plaques |access-date=November 27, 2018 |archive-date=November 28, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181128034849/http://www.ontarioplaques.com/Plaques/Plaque_Grey10.html |url-status=live }}

An Ontario historical plaque explains that a First Nations Band, led by Chief Newash had a reserve in the area totalling about {{convert|11,000|acres|km2 ha}}. In 1842, they established the village of Newash which initially contained fourteen log houses, a school and a barn; the population was served by Wesleyan Methodist missionaries. In 1857, the government took over the reserve area and moved most of the Chippewa inhabitants of Newash to the Cape Croker Hunting Ground 60B reserve north of Owen Sound.

Over the years, Owen Sound was a major port best known for its taverns and brothels. The community acquired names as the Chicago of the North, Corkscrew City, and Little Liverpool because of its rowdy reputation.{{cite web |title=History |url=https://www.owensound.ca/en/living/history.aspx |publisher=City of Owen Sound |access-date=November 27, 2018 |archive-date=July 29, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180729230354/https://www.owensound.ca/en/living/history.aspx |url-status=live }}{{cite book |last=White |first=Paul |title=Owen Sound: The Port City |year=2000 |publisher=National Heritage |location=Toronto |isbn=1896219233 |page=83}}{{cite news |last=Boltman |first=Aly |date=June 29, 2009 |title=The mistress of Branningham Grove |newspaper=Owen Sound Sun Times |url=http://www.owensoundsuntimes.com/2009/07/29/the-mistress-of-branningham-grove |url-status=dead |access-date=May 24, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140826120051/http://www.owensoundsuntimes.com/2009/07/29/the-mistress-of-branningham-grove |archive-date=August 26, 2014}} Supporting this reputation was a tavern named "Bucket of Blood", located on the corner of an intersection known as "Damnation Corners", because of taverns on all four corners,{{cite web |title=Damnation Corners |url=https://www.owensound.ca/Modules/Facilities/Detail.aspx?CategoryIds=&FacilityTypeIds=&Keywords=&Page=2&CloseMap=false&Scroll=true&id=fcc8c22f-a2d7-4c7e-89ca-1d05f3ea5e04 |website=owensound.ca |date=February 12, 2018 |publisher=City of Owen Sound |access-date=July 29, 2018 |archive-date=July 29, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180729200611/https://www.owensound.ca/Modules/Facilities/Detail.aspx?CategoryIds=&FacilityTypeIds=&Keywords=&Page=2&CloseMap=false&Scroll=true&id=fcc8c22f-a2d7-4c7e-89ca-1d05f3ea5e04 |url-status=live }} but this location was also only a block away from an intersection with four churches called "Salvation Corners".{{cite web |url=http://stgeorgesos.ca/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/ACO-Preservation-Works-St.-Georges-Anglican-Church.pdf |title=Architectural Evaluation done for the Preservation Works! Program of the Architectural Conservancy of Ontario |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171107055426/http://stgeorgesos.ca/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/ACO-Preservation-Works-St.-Georges-Anglican-Church.pdf |access-date=October 21, 2021 |archive-date=November 7, 2017}}

Sydenham was renamed Owen Sound in 1851; by then, it was served by a direct road to Toronto Township (today Mississauga), the Toronto-Sydenham Road; which still exists as Highway 10 and the southern portion of Hurontario Street.{{cite web |url=https://www.visitgrey.ca/unique-grey/historical-sites |title=Historical Sights |publisher=Grey County, Ontario |access-date=November 23, 2018 |archive-date=November 24, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181124003954/https://www.visitgrey.ca/unique-grey/historical-sites |url-status=dead }} The community became an incorporated town in 1857, with a population of nearly 2000.{{cite web |url=http://www.owensound.ca/live/about-owen-sound |title=About Owen Sound |access-date=February 26, 2014 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130303134001/http://www.owensound.ca/live/about-owen-sound |archive-date=March 3, 2013}} In 1873, the Toronto, Grey and Bruce Railway from Weston arrived and allowed for shipping goods to and from the community.

Louis' Steakhouse, a popular upscale restaurant just outside town, was opened by the Gavaris family in the 1980s in a historic building which changed hands several times before being demolished in 2016.{{Cite web |url=http://923thedock.com/branningham-grove-coming/ |title=Branningham Grove is coming down |date=October 4, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161004155311/http://923thedock.com/branningham-grove-coming/ |access-date=October 21, 2021 |archive-date=October 4, 2016}} It was originally a home (built in 1881), but became a brothel from 1907 to 1915,{{Cite web |url=http://923thedock.com/owen-sound-resident-once-again-tries-to-save-historic-branningham-grove/ |title=» Owen Sound resident once again tries to save historic Branningham Grove |date=April 1, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150401235513/http://923thedock.com/owen-sound-resident-once-again-tries-to-save-historic-branningham-grove/ |access-date=October 21, 2021 |archive-date=April 1, 2015}} where the madam would stand in 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.{{cite book |last=White |first=Paul |title=Owen Sound: The Port City |year=2000 |publisher=Dundurn |isbn=1896219233 |pages=87 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=AP3QKfiKwugC&q=owen+sound+prohibition&pg=PA87 |access-date=October 5, 2020 |archive-date=February 14, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240214082731/https://books.google.com/books?id=AP3QKfiKwugC&q=owen+sound+prohibition&pg=PA87 |url-status=live }}

File:BillyBishopMuseum.JPG

One of the city's most famous sons was World War I flying ace and Victoria Cross winner, William Avery "Billy" Bishop, born in Owen Sound, and Canada's leading pilot in the war. He flew with the Royal Flying Corps and Royal Air Force. In 1917 and 1918, Bishop was credited with downing 72 enemy aircraft. He was awarded the Victoria Cross, the Distinguished Service Order and the Military Cross. After the war, he was promoted to Air Marshall and worked as director of recruiting for the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF). Bishop is also one of the few to have tangled with Manfred von Richthofen (the Red Baron) and survived, forcing the German pilot to retreat in a damaged aircraft. Bishop later recalled that it was a "close shave, but a wonderful, soul-stirring flight."{{Cite web |url=http://www.thedailyobserver.ca/2011/11/03/billy-bishop-vs-the-red-baron-a-close-shave-but-a-wonderful-soul-stirring-flight |title=Billy Bishop vs the Red Baron: 'a close shave, ... | Pembroke Daily Observer |date=April 20, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170420145004/http://www.thedailyobserver.ca/2011/11/03/billy-bishop-vs-the-red-baron-a-close-shave-but-a-wonderful-soul-stirring-flight |access-date=October 21, 2021 |archive-date=April 20, 2017}} Bishop's boyhood home, one of the National Historic Sites of Canada, is a museum with artifacts from his life.

The former 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 National Hockey League (NHL) Hall of Fame goaltender Harry Lumley and the artist Tom Thomson (buried in the nearby village of Leith). Surgeon 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. Thomas William 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.{{cite web |title=Owen Sound wins her category in 2005 Communities in Bloom |url=http://www.communitiesinbloom.ca/Default.aspx?ID=40 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070622190125/http://www.communitiesinbloom.ca/Default.aspx?ID=40 |archive-date=June 22, 2007 |access-date=October 5, 2012}} Owen Sound has been recently recognized as a good retirement community due to its cultural, sports and natural amenities.{{cite book |last=Bland |first=Warren R. |title=Retire in Style 60 Outstanding Places Across the USA and Canada |year=2005 |publisher=Next Decade |location=Chester, New Jersey |isbn=1932919198 |pages=[https://archive.org/details/isbn_9781932919196/page/57 57–62] |url-access=registration |url=https://archive.org/details/isbn_9781932919196/page/57}}

Owen Sound experiences a humid continental climate (Köppen climate classification Dfb){{cite web |url=http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/ba/North-America_Koppen_Map.png |format=PNG |title=Köppen Climate Classification Map of North America (University of Melbourne) |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130910225851/http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/ba/North-America_Koppen_Map.png |archive-date=September 10, 2013}} 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 precipitation of {{cvt|1100|mm}}. Summer thunderstorms are a common occurrence.

The highest temperature ever recorded in Owen Sound was {{cvt|40.0|C|1}} on July 3, 1911. The coldest temperature ever recorded was {{cvt|-36.7|C|1}} on February 6, 1895.

{{Weather box

|location = Owen Sound, 1981−2010 normals, extremes 1878−present

|metric first = Y

|single line = Y

|Jan record high C = 15.6

|Feb record high C = 18.5

|Mar record high C = 26.1

|Apr record high C = 30.5

|May record high C = 36.1

|Jun record high C = 35.0

|Jul record high C = 40.0

|Aug record high C = 37.2

|Sep record high C = 35.6

|Oct record high C = 30.6

|Nov record high C = 22.8

|Dec record high C = 18.5

|year record high C = 40.0

|Jan high C = -1.9

|Feb high C = -1.0

|Mar high C = 3.2

|Apr high C = 10.3

|May high C = 16.6

|Jun high C = 21.7

|Jul high C = 24.8

|Aug high C = 24.2

|Sep high C = 20.2

|Oct high C = 13.4

|Nov high C = 6.9

|Dec high C = 1.1

|year high C = 11.6

|Jan mean C = −5.4

|Feb mean C = −4.8

|Mar mean C = −1.0

|Apr mean C = 5.8

|May mean C = 11.5

|Jun mean C = 16.6

|Jul mean C = 20.1

|Aug mean C = 19.6

|Sep mean C = 15.8

|Oct mean C = 9.6

|Nov mean C = 3.8

|Dec mean C = −1.8

|year mean C = 7.5

|Jan low C = -9.0

|Feb low C = -8.7

|Mar low C = -5.2

|Apr low C = 1.2

|May low C = 6.4

|Jun low C = 11.5

|Jul low C = 15.3

|Aug low C = 15.0

|Sep low C = 11.4

|Oct low C = 5.7

|Nov low C = 0.7

|Dec low C = -4.8

|year low C = 3.3

|Jan record low C = -34.4

|Feb record low C = -36.7

|Mar record low C = -31.1

|Apr record low C = -18.3

|May record low C = -7.8

|Jun record low C = -1.7

|Jul record low C = 1.1

|Aug record low C = 2.2

|Sep record low C = -3.3

|Oct record low C = -10.6

|Nov record low C = -23.3

|Dec record low C = -30.0

|year record low C = -36.7

|precipitation colour = green

|Jan precipitation mm = 128.8

|Feb precipitation mm = 86.3

|Mar precipitation mm = 77.8

|Apr precipitation mm = 71.0

|May precipitation mm = 84.0

|Jun precipitation mm = 73.5

|Jul precipitation mm = 70.4

|Aug precipitation mm = 78.7

|Sep precipitation mm = 106.1

|Oct precipitation mm = 98.0

|Nov precipitation mm = 110.0

|Dec precipitation mm = 129.9

|year precipitation mm = 1114.4

|rain colour = green

|Jan rain mm = 27.9

|Feb rain mm = 21.5

|Mar rain mm = 42.4

|Apr rain mm = 63.8

|May rain mm = 84.0

|Jun rain mm = 73.5

|Jul rain mm = 70.4

|Aug rain mm = 78.7

|Sep rain mm = 106.1

|Oct rain mm = 96.4

|Nov rain mm = 82.8

|Dec rain mm = 36.7

|year rain mm = 783.9

|snow colour = green

|Jan snow cm = 101.0

|Feb snow cm = 64.8

|Mar snow cm = 35.4

|Apr snow cm = 7.3

|May snow cm = 0.1

|Jun snow cm = 0.0

|Jul snow cm = 0.0

|Aug snow cm = 0.0

|Sep snow cm = 0.0

|Oct snow cm = 1.6

|Nov snow cm = 27.2

|Dec snow cm = 93.2

|year snow cm = 330.4

|unit precipitation days = 0.2 mm

|Jan precipitation days = 20.7

|Feb precipitation days = 15.0

|Mar precipitation days = 12.9

|Apr precipitation days = 13.4

|May precipitation days = 12.8

|Jun precipitation days = 11.1

|Jul precipitation days = 10.4

|Aug precipitation days = 11.6

|Sep precipitation days = 13.9

|Oct precipitation days = 17.7

|Nov precipitation days = 17.7

|Dec precipitation days = 19.7

|year precipitation days = 176.8

|unit rain days = 0.2 mm

|Jan rain days = 4.4

|Feb rain days = 3.5

|Mar rain days = 6.4

|Apr rain days = 12.3

|May rain days = 12.8

|Jun rain days = 11.1

|Jul rain days = 10.4

|Aug rain days = 11.6

|Sep rain days = 13.9

|Oct rain days = 17.5

|Nov rain days = 13.7

|Dec rain days = 7.1

|year rain days = 124.7

|unit snow days = 0.2 cm

|Jan snow days = 17.4

|Feb snow days = 12.3

|Mar snow days = 7.8

|Apr snow days = 2.0

|May snow days = 0.04

|Jun snow days = 0.0

|Jul snow days = 0.0

|Aug snow days = 0.0

|Sep snow days = 0.0

|Oct snow days = 0.5

|Nov snow days = 5.5

|Dec snow days = 14.0

|year snow days = 59.5

|source 1 = Environment Canada{{cite web |publisher=Environment Canada |url=http://climate.weather.gc.ca/climate_normals/results_1981_2010_e.html?stnID=4486&lang=e&dCode=1&province=ONT&provBut=Go&month1=0&month2=12 |title=Owen Sound, Ontario |work=Canadian Climate Normals 1981–2010 |date=October 31, 2011 |access-date=April 12, 2014 |archive-date=March 4, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304084103/http://climate.weather.gc.ca/climate_normals/results_1981_2010_e.html?stnID=4486&lang=e&dCode=1&province=ONT&provBut=Go&month1=0&month2=12 |url-status=live }}{{cite web |publisher=Environment Canada |url=http://climate.weather.gc.ca/historical_data/search_historic_data_stations_e.html?searchType=stnName&timeframe=1&txtStationName=owen+sound&searchMethod=contains&StartYear=1840&EndYear=2016&optLimit=specDate&Year=1878&Month=12&Day=1&selRowPerPage=25 |title=Owen Sound |work=Canadian Climate Data |date=October 31, 2011 |access-date=August 7, 2016 |archive-date=August 19, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160819213130/http://climate.weather.gc.ca/historical_data/search_historic_data_stations_e.html?searchType=stnName&timeframe=1&txtStationName=owen+sound&searchMethod=contains&StartYear=1840&EndYear=2016&optLimit=specDate&Year=1878&Month=12&Day=1&selRowPerPage=25 |url-status=live }}{{cite web |publisher=Environment Canada |url=http://climate.weather.gc.ca/climate_data/daily_data_e.html?hlyRange=%7C&dlyRange=1878-07-01%7C1962-02-28&mlyRange=1879-01-01%7C1962-12-01&StationID=4485&Prov=ON&urlExtension=_e.html&searchType=stnName&optLimit=specDate&StartYear=1840&EndYear=2016&selRowPerPage=25&Line=0&searchMethod=contains&txtStationName=owen+sound&timeframe=2&Year=1895&Month=2 |title=Daily Data Report for February 1895 |work=Canadian Climate Data |date=October 31, 2011 |access-date=August 7, 2016 |archive-date=March 5, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200305183414/https://climate.weather.gc.ca/climate_data/daily_data_e.html?hlyRange= |url-status=live }}{{cite web |publisher=Environment Canada |url=http://climate.weather.gc.ca/climate_data/daily_data_e.html?hlyRange=%7C&dlyRange=1878-07-01%7C1962-02-28&mlyRange=1879-01-01%7C1962-12-01&StationID=4485&Prov=ON&urlExtension=_e.html&searchType=stnName&optLimit=specDate&StartYear=1840&EndYear=2016&selRowPerPage=25&Line=0&searchMethod=contains&txtStationName=owen+sound&timeframe=2&Year=1911&Month=7 |title=Daily Data Report for July 1911 |work=Canadian Climate Data |date=October 31, 2011 |access-date=August 7, 2016 |archive-date=March 5, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200305183418/https://climate.weather.gc.ca/climate_data/daily_data_e.html?hlyRange= |url-status=live }}

|date=August 2010

}}

The Sydenham River is a waterway that connects to Owen Sound Bay and was formed from a pre-glacial river cutting into the limestone of the Niagara Escarpment.{{cite web | url=https://facilities.owensound.ca/home/detail?CategoryIds=&FacilityTypeIds=&Keywords=&Page=9&CloseMap=false&Scroll=true&id=d23188a9-4a91-441c-8c26-d8c0d369e3ae | title=The Sydenham River | date=February 12, 2018 | access-date=September 9, 2023 | archive-date=October 26, 2023 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231026104514/https://facilities.owensound.ca/home/detail?CategoryIds=&FacilityTypeIds=&Keywords=&Page=9&CloseMap=false&Scroll=true&id=d23188a9-4a91-441c-8c26-d8c0d369e3ae | url-status=live }}

File:Owen Sound Festival of Lights2007 5510sc.jpg

File:Street scene at night in Owen Sound (I0005684).tif

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:

File:TomThomsonGallery.JPG

• Grey Roots Museum and Archives – showcasing the history of the city of Owen Sound and Grey County
• The Roxy Theatre - the region's premier destination for live entertainment.
• Owen Sound Artists' Co-op{{cite web |title=Owen Sound Artists' Co-op |url=http://www.artistscoop.ca/ |website=artistscoop.ca/ |access-date=December 6, 2017 |archive-date=December 7, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171207091400/http://artistscoop.ca/ |url-status=live }} - established in 1994 and located in the historic McKay building downtown Owen Sound, features the work of 45 local artists, along with monthly guest artists and Legacy Gallery exhibitors.
• Tom Thomson Memorial Art Gallery{{cite web |title=Tom Thompson Art Gallery |url=http://www.tomthomson.org/ |access-date=October 5, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140406122730/http://tomthomson.org/ |archive-date=April 6, 2014 |url-status=dead}} – featuring a large collection of memorabilia and works from Tom Thomson, one of Canada's most famous artists who grew up in the Owen Sound area.
• Community Waterfront Heritage Centre – showcasing the city's rich history in rail and water transportation and its role in the growth of Ontario.
• Billy Bishop Home and Museum – located in Bishop's former home, is dedicated to the life and times of Billy Bishop and Canada's history in aviation.
• Black History Cairn – located in historic Harrison Park, celebrating Owen Sound's status as a northern terminus of the Underground Railroad.
• Owen Sound Farmer's Market – occupying the same location since 1868, the Market is open every Saturday morning throughout the year and hosts a wide variety of growers and artisans.
• Owen Sound's Beth Ezekiel Synagogue,{{cite web |title=Welcome to Beth Ezekiel Synagogue |url=http://www.bethezekiel.org/ |publisher=Beth Ezekiel Synagogue |access-date=May 24, 2013 |archive-date=May 21, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130521190805/http://bethezekiel.org/ |url-status=live }} a designated building under Ontario's Heritage Act{{cite web |title=Ontario's Places of Worship |url=http://www.heritagetrust.on.ca/Ontario-s-Places-of-Worship/Inventory/Search-results-details.aspx?ItemID=186 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141213213737/http://www.heritagetrust.on.ca/Ontario-s-Places-of-Worship/Inventory/Search-results-details.aspx?ItemID=186 |archive-date=December 13, 2014 |publisher=Ontario Heritage Trust}} as one of the few remaining examples of a small town Ontario synagogue. It is the last active small town synagogue in Canada.
• Georgian Bay Symphony – is a regional community orchestra consisting of 55 volunteer musicians and five professional core string players. The Symphony performs 5 Main Concerts a year at the OSCVI as well as performing at various civic events.
• The Owen Sound City Band{{cite web |title=Owen Sound City Band Homepage |url=http://www.owensoundcityband.org/ |publisher=Owen Sound City Band |access-date=August 13, 2010 |archive-date=June 26, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100626014318/http://www.owensoundcityband.org/ |url-status=live }} founded in 1923 is a volunteer organization made up of amateur musicians of all ages and abilities. The Band performs for Canada Day held every year at Kelso Beach, for the opening of the Festival of Northern Lights{{cite web |title=Festival of Northern Lights |url=http://festivallights.ca/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20011124130956/http://festivallights.ca/ |archive-date=November 24, 2001 |publisher=City of Owen Sound}} and other official events. The Band plays regularly over the summer at Harrison Park and Kelso Beach.
• The Summerfolk Music and Crafts Festival{{Cite web |url=http://summerfolk.org/ |title=SUMMERFOLK |website=Summerfolk.org |access-date=October 21, 2021 |archive-date=October 21, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211021030113/https://summerfolk.org/ |url-status=live }} is a three-day music and crafts event founded in 1976 and held annually on the third weekend in August at Kelso Beach Park.

{{Historical populations

|title = Historical populations

|type = Canada

|align = right

|width =

|state =

|shading =

|percentages =

|footnote =

|1871|3369

|1881|4426

|1891|7497

|1901|8776

|1911|12559

|1921|12190

|1931|12839

|1941|13810

|1951|16423

|1961|17421

|1971|18469

|1981|19883

|1991|21674

|1996|21,390

|2001|21,431

|2006|21,753

|2011|21,688

|2016|21,341

|2021|21,612}}

In the 2021 Census of Population conducted by Statistics Canada, Owen Sound had a population of {{val|21612|fmt=commas}} living in {{val|9895|fmt=commas}} of its {{val|10406|fmt=commas}} total private dwellings, a change of {{percentage|{{#expr:21612-21341}}|21341|1}} from its 2016 population of {{val|21341|fmt=commas}}. With a land area of {{cvt|24.21|km2|sqmi }}, it had a population density of {{Pop density|21612|24.21|km2|sqmi|prec=1}} in 2021.{{cite web |url=https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/t1/tbl1/en/tv.action?pid=9810000203&geocode=A000235 |title=Population and dwelling counts: Canada, provinces and territories, census divisions and census subdivisions (municipalities), Ontario |publisher=Statistics Canada |date=February 9, 2022 |access-date=March 27, 2022 |archive-date=May 12, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220512141434/https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/t1/tbl1/en/tv.action?pid=9810000203&geocode=A000235 |url-status=live }}

{{Canada census

|location= Owen Sound, ON

|2021_population=21,612 | 2021_pop_delta=+1.3 | 2021_land_area=24.21 | 2021_pop_density=892.6

|2021_median_age=48 | 2021_median_age_m=44.4 | 2021_median_age_f=50.8

|2021_total_pvt_dwell=9,895 |2021_mean_hh_income= |2021_geocode=2021A00053542059 | 2021_access_date=2022-04-27

|2016_population= 21,341|2016_pop_delta= -1.6|2016_land_area= 24.27|2016_pop_density=879.2

|2016_median_age= |2016_median_age_m= |2016_median_age_f=

|2016_total_pvt_dwell=10,098|2016_mean_hh_income= |2016_access_date=2017-02-21

|2011_population= 21,688|2011_pop_delta= -0.3|2011_land_area= 24.22|2011_pop_density=895.5

|2011_median_age= |2011_median_age_m= |2011_median_age_f=

|2011_total_pvt_dwell= |2011_mean_hh_income= |2011_access_date=2012-04-09

|2006_population= 21,753| 2006_pop_delta= 1.4| 2006_land_area= 24.22 | 2006_pop_density= 898.1

|2006_median_age= 43.4 | 2006_median_age_m= 41.4| 2006_median_age_f= 45.4

|2006_total_pvt_dwell= 9,736| 2006_mean_hh_income= 40,919| 2006_access_date= 2012-04-09}}

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.{{cite web |title=Great Lakes International Marine Training and Research Centre |url=http://www.georgianc.on.ca/marine/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130613162459/http://www.georgianc.on.ca/marine/ |archive-date=June 13, 2013 |access-date=May 24, 2013 |publisher=Georgian College}} 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.

Public school education is managed by the Bluewater District School Board (BDSB), and Catholic schools are managed by the Bruce-Grey Catholic District School Board (BGCDSB). There are three high schools in town; St. Dominique Savio (a French Catholic school), St. Mary's (BGCDSB), Owen Sound District Secondary School (OSDSS). The latter formed after the amalgamation of West Hill Secondary School and Owen Sound Collegiate and Vocational Institute.{{Cite web |url=https://centraleastontario.cioc.ca/record/GBA1680 |title=Ecole St-Dominique Savio |date=June 9, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130609203142/https://centraleastontario.cioc.ca/record/GBA1680 |access-date=October 21, 2021 |archive-date=June 9, 2013}}

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.

File:Chi-Cheemaun in OS 5635m.jpg

File:Canadian Pacific Railway Station-Owen Sound-Ontario-HPC4586.jpg

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, the inner harbour is where car ferry {{MS|Chi-Cheemaun}}, which operates 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. CPR Owen Sound station was built in 1946 and is now a restaurant and brewery. The CNR Owen Sound Station is now home to Owen Sound Marine and Rail Museum. Aircraft flying to Owen Sound may land at the Major-General Richard Rohmer Meaford International Airport (CYOS).

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. Transport Canada has divested the harbour.Walker, T. R., Bernier, M., Blotnicky, B., Golden, P. G., Hoffman, E., Janes, J., ... & Vermeulen, S. (2015). Polson Iron Works relocated from Toronto in 1886 but returned to Toronto in 1897. Harbour divestiture in Canada: Implications of changing governance. Marine Policy, 62, 1-8.

Owen Sound was home to a handful of shipbuilders since the 1840s with two notable companies:{{cite web | url=https://www.history-articles.com/shipbuilding-history.html | title=Shipbuilding History of Owen Sound }}

• Polson Iron Works from 1888 to 1897
• Russel Brothers from 1937 (moved from Fort Frances) to 1994{{cite web | url=https://russelbrothers.com/russelhistory.html | title=RUSSEL BROTHERS LTD. Steelcraft winch boat and warping tug builders from Owen Sound, Ontario }} and located on current vacant lots at 2050 and 2198 3rd Avenue East with the launch slip the only reminder of the shipyards.{{Cite web| title=Development Parcel, 2198 and 2050 3rd Avenue East (formerly 2022 3rd Avenue East), Owen Sound, Ontario | url=https://www.owensound.ca/media/bhgnsa5b/due-diligence-phase-i-environmental-site-assessment-update.pdf | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240427203043/https://www.owensound.ca/media/bhgnsa5b/due-diligence-phase-i-environmental-site-assessment-update.pdf | archive-date=2024-04-27}}

File:Owen Sound Hospital 2007 5672sc.jpg

Owen Sound is the seat of Bright Shores Health System and has the largest hospital in the Grey County and Bruce County region.{{Cite web |title=About Brightshores |url=https://www.gbhs.on.ca/about-us/ |access-date=November 13, 2023 |website=Brightshores Health System |language=en-US |archive-date=November 13, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231113213009/https://www.gbhs.on.ca/about-us/ |url-status=live }}

Owen Sound is governed by the Owen Sound City Council, consisting of a mayor, deputy mayor, and seven councilors, all of whom are elected at-large. As of October 2022, the current mayor of Owen Sound is Ian Boddy. {{cite web |url=https://www.owensound.ca/en/city-hall/mayor-and-council.aspx?_mid_=9184 |title=Mayor and Council - Owen Sound |website=City of Owen Sound |access-date=January 29, 2023 |archive-date=March 15, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230315002626/https://www.owensound.ca/en/city-hall/mayor-and-council.aspx?_mid_=9184 |url-status=live }}

File:Inglis falls, Owen Sound, Ontario.jpg

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.

The Owen Sound area has several waterfalls, some outside the city limits.{{cite web |title=Lupercalia |date=January 22, 2015 |url=https://www.visitgrey.ca/travel-tools/travel-stories/grey-county-waterfall-tour |publisher=Grey County Tourism |access-date=July 29, 2018 |archive-date=July 29, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180729200943/https://www.visitgrey.ca/travel-tools/travel-stories/grey-county-waterfall-tour |url-status=live }} They range from large, such as the {{cvt|18|m }} high Inglis Falls created by the Sydenham River meeting the edge of the Niagara Escarpment to small, such as Weaver's Creek Falls; some are along hiking trails that range in difficulty from moderate to strenuous. Some of the hikes connect to the Bruce Trail. The Grey County tourist information office can provide maps for hikers. The two major parks in Owen Sound are Kelso Beach on Georgian Bay and Harrison Park.{{cite web |title=Lupercalia |url=https://www.owensoundtourism.ca/en/explore/Parks-Trails-and-Scenic-Lookouts.aspx |publisher=Owen Sound Tourism |access-date=July 29, 2018 |archive-date=July 29, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180729171415/https://www.owensoundtourism.ca/en/explore/Parks-Trails-and-Scenic-Lookouts.aspx |url-status=live }}

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.

Owen Sound is the smallest city in Ontario to host an Ontario Hockey League (OHL) Major Junior Hockey team, namely, the Owen Sound Attack, who play at the Harry Lumley Bayshore Community Centre arena. Originally the Owen Sound Attack were known as the Owen Sound Platers, having been moved from Guelph, Ontario where they played as the Guelph Platers. The Attack were purchased by a group of six local investors. The team played as the Owen Sound Platers from 1989-2000 and renamed the Owen Sound Attack in 2000, prior to the start of the 2000-2001 season.{{Cite web |date=November 11, 2023 |title=Owen Sound Attack: About Us |url=https://chl.ca/ohl-attack/aboutus/ |access-date=November 13, 2023 |website=Owen Sound Attack |language=en-CA |archive-date=February 14, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240214082735/https://chl.ca/ohl-attack/aboutus/ |url-status=live }}

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

• Owen Sound Attack – Ontario Hockey League
• Owen Sound North Stars – Major Series Lacrosse
• Owen Sound North Stars – OLA Senior B Lacrosse League

• Owen Sound Mercurys – OHA Senior A Hockey League
• Owen Sound Crescents – OHA Senior A Hockey League
• Owen Sound Canadians – Northern Senior B Hockey League
• Owen Sound Trappers – OHA Intermediate A Hockey League
• Owen Sound Platers – Ontario Hockey League (became Attack)
• Owen Sound Crescents – Major Series Lacrosse
• Owen Sound Greys – Mid-Western Junior Hockey League

{{Main|Media in Owen Sound}}

{{unreferenced section|date=March 2018}}

{{Overly detailed|date=July 2022}}

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 to purchase the property by signing a 5-year renewable lease with the Province of Ontario 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.

The jail was slated to close in 1996 and again in 2001 (the provincial jail system was overcrowded so prisoners were transferred to the smaller jails) and finally was closed down at the end of 2011, with the last three prisoners leaving by van on December 4, 2011 (3 pm). The jail was finally transferred firstly to the County of Grey (as the landlord) then to the City of Owen Sound, per the March 1960 agreement, in November 2014, after it was de-commissioned.

File:Thomas Holmes plaque.jpg V.C.]]

• Shelagh Armstrong – artist
• Norman Bethune – physician, medical innovator
• Billy Bishop – Canadian First World War fighter ace and winner of the Victoria Cross
• Barry Brown, Canadian country music singer-songwriter, former member of Family Brown and Prescott-Brown
• Margaret Miller Brown – classical pianist and music educator
• Robert Pim Butchart – horticulturist
• Gundega Cenne – artist
• Hap Day – NHL player and member of the Hockey Hall of Fame
• Janis Mackey Frayer – journalist
• Cheryl Hickey – television personality
• Heather Hiscox - television personality
• Thomas William Holmes – Canadian soldier and Victoria Cross recipient
• Alvin "Buck" Jones – professional hockey player
• Elizabeth Laird – physicist
• Harry Lumley – NHL goaltender and member of the Hockey Hall of Fame
• Agnes Macphail – Canadian politician and writer
• Jock McKeen – physician, author and lecturer
• Emma Priscilla Scott – educator and author
• Curtis Sanford – NHL player and former Owen Sound Plater
• Eddie Sargent – Canadian politician
• Tom Thomson – artist
• Jessie Trout - missionary, author, and United Christian Missionary Society leader
• Joan Thelma Watson – principal French horn of the Canadian Opera Orchestra and a founding member of the True North Brass quintet
• Lloyd Wootton – five-time Mann Cup winning lacrosse goaltender

File:OwenSoundCityHall.JPG

Along with Meaford, Owen Sound was one of the filming locations for the 1985 Disney movie One Magic Christmas.{{cite web |url=http://www.themeafordindependent.ca/news/community-news/4364-one-magic-weekend-in-meaford |title=One Magic Weekend in Meaford |first=Stephen |last=Vance |work=themeafordindependent.ca |date=December 8, 2015 |access-date=December 29, 2015 |archive-date=December 28, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151228112832/http://www.themeafordindependent.ca/news/community-news/4364-one-magic-weekend-in-meaford |url-status=dead }} Owen Sound's city hall served as the town hall in the film.

Owen Sound's sister cities are:{{cite news |last1=Langlois |first1=Daniel |date=April 27, 2016 |title=New chapter in old relationship |publisher=Owen Sound Sun times |url=http://www.owensoundsuntimes.com/2016/04/27/new-chapter-in-old-relationship |url-status=dead |access-date=July 29, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180228041519/http://www.owensoundsuntimes.com/2016/04/27/new-chapter-in-old-relationship |archive-date=February 28, 2018}}

• Miamisburg, Ohio, United States
• Ocho Rios, Jamaica
• Dayi County, China

{{Reflist}}

{{Wikivoyage|Owen Sound}}

{{Commons category|Owen Sound, Ontario}}

{{NIE Poster|Owen Sound}}

• {{official|http://www.owensound.ca}}

{{Geographic location

| Northwest =

| North = Owen Sound (Georgian Bay)

| Northeast =

| West = Georgian Bluffs

| Centre = Owen Sound

| East = Meaford

| Southwest =

| South = Georgian Bluffs, Meaford

| Southeast =

}}

{{Authority control}}

Category:Cities in Ontario

Category:Lower-tier municipalities in Ontario

Category:Populated places on Lake Huron in Canada

Category:Sounds of Canada