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Owen Sound High School Students Partner with YMCA to Welcome Regional Newcomers

Students at Owen Sound District Secondary School (OSDSS) are taking proactive steps to help newcomers feel at home across Grey-Bruce. Operating through a semester-long partnership with YMCA Immigrant Services, the local Leadership class recently developed a series of comprehensive welcome initiatives designed to support refugees, international students, and economic migrants settling in the area.

After directly consulting with students in an English-for-newcomers program, the Grade 11 and 12 class successfully assembled 33 welcome packages. The kits contain essential household items, Owen Sound Transit tickets, and detailed information about critical local services. The community-driven initiative also garnered significant support from local organizations, with the Owen Sound Attack donating game vouchers and the United Way providing the backpacks.

Beyond the physical packages, the OSDSS students also produced an interactive digital map highlighting multilingual medical services and created video tours of iconic local destinations like Harrison Park and Inglis Falls. The YMCA formally received the packages this week, praising the students for their overwhelming generosity and noting the long-lasting impact the project will have on new families arriving in the community.

33% Increase in Lyme Disease Prompts Urgent Warning from Grey Bruce Public Health

As warm weather draws residents back to local trails and parks, Grey Bruce Public Health is issuing a severe warning following a documented 33 per cent provincial increase in Lyme disease cases last year. Officials are reminding the public that a significant portion of the Grey-Bruce region is now considered an established risk area for blacklegged ticks, the primary transmitters of the disease.

Public Health Manager Gillian Jordan emphasized that the warming climate has fundamentally altered local tick habits, extending their active periods from early spring well into the late fall while expanding their geographic habitat across Ontario. Residents are strongly advised to use insect repellents containing DEET or Icaridin, wear closed-toe shoes, and maintain strict adherence to cleared paths when hiking through heavily wooded areas.

Health officials stress that the most effective defense against tick-borne illnesses is immediate prevention and rapid removal. Residents are urged to conduct thorough tick checks on themselves, their children, and their pets immediately after spending time outdoors, as ticks typically must remain attached for at least 24 hours to successfully transmit the bacteria responsible for Lyme disease.

Suspicious Early Morning Fire Destroys Multiple Vehicles at Walkerton Business

South Bruce Ontario Provincial Police and local fire services are conducting an active joint investigation following a devastating commercial fire in Walkerton. Emergency crews were initially dispatched to a commercial property on Young Street in the Municipality of Brockton at approximately 5:00 a.m. on Tuesday following reports of a severe localized blaze.

Upon arrival, first responders discovered multiple commercial vehicles fully engulfed in flames. While firefighters successfully contained the fire and prevented structural damage to the adjacent commercial buildings, the vehicles involved were completely destroyed. The intense early-morning blaze required a significant coordinated response to fully extinguish.

Authorities have officially deemed the circumstances surrounding the incident as suspicious. The South Bruce OPP Crime Unit is actively canvassing the Young Street industrial corridor for security footage and is appealing to any local residents or commuters who may have observed unusual activity in the area early Tuesday morning to come forward immediately.

Owen Sound Council Explores Future Remediation Options for Shuttered Centennial Tower

The City of Owen Sound is formally reviewing its options regarding the future of the Centennial Tower, the iconic local landmark that has remained closed to the public due to compounding structural and safety concerns. City staff are preparing to present an updated structural assessment to council, outlining the necessary capital investments required to either remediate the aging observation deck or explore alternative municipal uses for the site.

The tower, which has historically offered sweeping panoramic views of the River District and the Owen Sound harbour, has faced significant environmental weathering and concrete degradation over the past decade. The prolonged closure has sparked ongoing debate within the community regarding the preservation of municipal heritage sites versus the steep financial burden of specialized concrete restorations.

As the city continues to navigate tight capital budgets and competing infrastructure priorities—including the ongoing east-side road resurfacing and the Harrison Park trail failures—council will need to determine if the Centennial Tower warrants a dedicated funding envelope or if the structure will remain permanently decommissioned.

Motorcyclist Airlifted to Hospital Following Serious Bayfield Highway 21 Collision

Huron County Ontario Provincial Police are actively investigating a severe motor vehicle collision on Highway 21 near Bayfield that resulted in a motorcyclist being airlifted to a regional trauma center. The high-impact crash occurred early Tuesday morning, forcing a prolonged closure of the critical coastal highway while emergency services secured the scene and collision reconstruction teams conducted their preliminary analysis.

First responders arrived to find a severe collision involving a passenger vehicle and a motorcycle. The rider sustained serious, life-threatening injuries and required immediate extraction and air-ambulance transport for advanced medical intervention. Traffic across the coastal corridor was heavily detoured for several hours throughout the morning commute.

The OPP is currently appealing to the public for assistance in their ongoing investigation. Officers are requesting that anyone who may have been traveling along Highway 21 near Bayfield on Tuesday morning and possesses dashcam footage of the incident or the moments leading up to it contact the Huron County detachment immediately.

Recent Passings in Grey-Bruce