Community Development

Owen Sound is a regional centre serving both Grey and Bruce Counties with a focus on business, health, education, tourism and culture. This role has contributed greatly to a stable commercial and industrial base. The commercial and industrial sector is growing with the development of:

  • New retail expansions
  • Expansions of current commercial and industrial employers
  • Relocation of new industrial manufacturers as a part of the Bruce Power Life-Extension program

The City is continuing to market our industrial lands and available commercial buildings and provides incentives for new businesses through our Community Improvement Plan which can be found on our Planning Policy & Urban Design page. 

Priorities

The City's Strategic Plan identifies priorities for City Staff and Council in the areas of Economic Development. These areas include: 

  • Retain and grow existing local businesses and business opportunities;

  • Develop a coordinated approach to attract new investment and encourage economic development;

  • Leverage our City’s assets in order to enhance tourism opportunities;

  • Encourage residential and mixed-use development; and

  • Attract new and retain existing residents.

Welcome Package for New Residents and Businesses

The City of Owen Sound has created a Welcome Package to assist new residents and businesses owners in familiarizing themselves with the City.

The Welcome Package is full of vital information pertaining to: 

  •  Business Development Resources
  •  Parks, Recreation & the Outdoors
  •  Culture & Events
  •  Waste Collection
  •  Billing & Payment Options

Owen Sound is unique and authentic, blending the perfect mix of urban and natural charm. The online version is available for download or you can drop by City Hall at 808 2nd Avenue East to grab your copy. 

The Welcome Package has been provided to Realtors, Employment Services offices and additional agencies that work with new residents and businesses. If you feel that the City's Welcome Package would benefit your clients or groups that your organization serves, please email economicdevelopment@owensound.ca to request hard copies. 

Moving Forward Video Series

Owen Sound is rich with culture, experiences and success stories. From young entrepreneurs to people who have built their manufacturing business from the ground up - there are stories to share! 

In 2018, the City launched a series of videos that allowed a handful of successful business owners to share their story. Check them out below!

Vacancy Toolkit

An available commercial space in Owen Sound is not empty…it’s full of potential! We hope you feel the same way!

Through our Economic Development & Tourism Advisory Committee, the City has put together a vacancy toolkit that assists commercial property owners in marketing their vacant space.

Those looking for more information are encouraged to contact economicdevelopment@owensound.ca.  

The Vacancy Toolkit includes:

Available Lands and Buildings 

If you visit the Available Lands and Buildings portion of our website, you will be taken to an interactive portal that showcases available land and commercial buildings throughout the City. This site allows the City’s Development Team to provide inquiring entrepreneurs an accurate inventory of available space. This inventory is also included on Grey County’s Economic Development site at www.madeingrey.ca.

Business Enterprise Centre Information

The Grey County Business Enterprise Centre promotes entrepreneurship by offering support and training to local business owners in all phases of entrepreneurship. The Business Enterprise Centre also works with entrepreneurs to find suitable locations for their business which makes it all the more important to have your Property featured on the Available Lands & Buildings site.  

Welcome Package

The City’s Welcome Package provides a wide-lens look at the services the City of Owen Sound offers residents and businesses! If you’re new to Owen Sound or interact with new residents on a regular basis, this is a must have!

Façade and Structural Improvement Program Information

Part of the City’s Community Improvement Plan, this program offers grants to property owners to improve the façade of the building to fit the original design. The program also offers grants to complete structural improvements for the safety or integrity of the structure. In a nutshell, it’s a grant to improve the look of your building!

Major Owen Sound Employers

Transcontinental RBW Graphics

Transcontinental RBW Graphics is the largest commercial printing facility in Canada that specializes in magazines and consumer flyers. Workforce is approximately 600.

Hobart Food Equipment Group Canada Inc

Hobart produces commercial dishwashers for the North American market. Employs approximately 130 employees.

MacLean Engineering & Marketing Co. Ltd

MacLean Engineering is a custom and precision machine shop facility. Produces a Municipal Vehicle (MV) that is a sidewalk snow plow and other attachments. Builds products for the mining industry and heavy lift equipment for the nuclear industry, as well as other specialized products. Employs approximately 120 employees.

BellWyck Packaging Solutions

BellWyck specializes in pharmaceutical packaging, folding cartons and other packaging. Employees approximately 100 employees.

EC King Contracting, Division of Miller Paving

EC King Contracting specializes in construction and waste management.

Troy Life and Fire Safety Ltd 

Head office for Troy Life and Fire Safety that is a sales and service provider for fire alarm, fire detection, fire sprinkler, marine fire and safety, building security, building communications products and services. Approximately 55 employees in Owen Sound.

Grey Bruce Health Services

Serving 165,000 residents of Grey and Bruce Counties, the hospital sees over 9,000 day surgeries, the regional centre for stroke and cancer treatment, some of the lowest wait times in Ontario, and is equipped with state of the art medical equipment including MRI imaging facilities. Grey Bruce Health Services employees 1,600 employees with 1,100 employed directly in Owen Sound.

Grey Bruce Health Unit 

The Public Health agency is located along the harbourfront serving Grey and Bruce Counties. The total workforce is approximately 120 employees working from a modern office overlooking the harbour.

Bruce Grey Child and Family Services

Bruce Grey Child and Family Services is responsible for protecting children from abuse, neglect and other forms of maltreatment.

Grey County Administrative Office 

Grey County's main administrative office is located in Owen Sound overlooking the City. Grey County employees approximately 700 employees.

City of Owen Sound

Employment Opportunities

Other Large Employers

Walmart, Ontario Government Service Centre, Bayshore Broadcasting, Canadian Tire, Georgian College, Home Depot, The Sun Times, Michaels, Value Village, Winners, Princess Auto, Zehrs, and Best Western Inn on The Bay.

Major Regional Employers

Shouldice Designer Stone

Shouldice specializes in stone and veneer products for residential and commercial with sales across North America. Total employment is approximately 100 employees with a range of positions available.

Owen Sound Ledgerock Ltd

Ledgerock is a complete quarrying and fabricating facility that produces some of the world's most spectacular limestone.

Bruce Power

Bruce Power is the largest nuclear facility in the world and is located in Kincardine on Lake Huron. Approximately 200 Bruce Power employees live directly in Owen Sound with many more in the surrounding townships. Bruce Power will be growing over the next few years and has a total direct workforce of 4,600. Bruce Power is approximately 55 minutes from Owen Sound.

Chapman's Ice Cream

Located in Markdale, about 35 minutes south of Owen Sound on Highway 10. Chapman's Ice Cream produces a range of ice cream products and is the largest independent ice cream producer in Canada. Workforce is approximately 500 employees.

Caframo Limited

Caframo designs, develops and manufactures high quality fans, heaters, laboratory stirrers and accessories to a wide range of North American and International markets. Located 30 minutes from Owen Sound.

Blue Mountain Resort

Blue Mountain Resort is a year-round conference and tourism destination that attracts thousands of vacationers annually. A total of 541 full-time employees plus seasonal staff.

Economic Sectors

Small Business/E-Commerce/Entrepreneurs
With municipal technology and internet access, entrepreneurs and small business owners are choosing to live in Owen Sound while working nationally and internationally. Some examples include AKA Consulting and Troy Life and Fire Safety Ltd who choose to base their companies in Owen Sound and take advantage of our modern business climate and outstanding quality of life, while working internationally.

Health Care Sector

The health care sector (composed of both private and public bodies) is the largest employment sector in Owen Sound with over 3,700 jobs. A large portion of these jobs are at the Grey Bruce Regional Health Services (hospital). The Family Health Team and the Grey Bruce Health Unit are other regional health care providers. A number of private businesses offer a range of specialized health services. Georgian College's Owen Sound campus also supports the health care sector with nursing and pre-health programs.

Manufacturing

The manufacturing sector in Owen Sound is strong and vibrant, with employment exceeding 1,800 positions. With manufacturers like TC Transcontinental Printing, Bellwyck Packaging, Hobart, BWXT, MacLean Engineering and businesses that continue to re-locate to Owen Sound due to the Bruce Power Life-Extension Program, the manufacturing sector is growing. The Excellence in Manufacturing Consortium (EMC) head office is located in Owen Sound and is a not-for-profit organization that supports best practices for manufactures across Canada. Owen Sound also has a large commercial port capable of receiving large ships, accommodating heavy lift equipment, and the movement of bulk goods.

Retail

Owen Sound has over 2 million square feet in retail space serving a market of over 150,000. This sector includes large box stores such as Home Depot, WalMart, Sears Canada, Sports Check, Canadian Tire, Winners, Homesense, Michaels, Princess Auto, and PetSmart. Owen Sound remains a growing regional retail centre. The downtown is equally impressive with over 330 businesses in a charming historic environment featuring boutiques and restaurants. 

Community Development Contacts

Whether it is commercial, industrial or residential the City of Owen Sound takes a Development Team approach to growing the City of Owen Sound. 

The Development Team includes members of the Planning, Building, Marketing and Engineering Services from the City of Owen Sound to ensure that your matter is dealt with quickly and efficiently. 

Pam Coulter
City of Owen Sound - Director of Community Services
519-376-4440 ext. 1252
pcoulter@owensound.ca 

 

Sabine Robart 
City of Owen Sound - Manager of Planning & Heritage
519-376-4440 ext 1236
srobart@owensound.ca 


Paul McGrath 
City of Owen Sound - Manager Community & Business Development
519-376-4440 ext 1254
pmcgrath@owensound.ca

Community Demographic Profile

Demographics for the City of Owen Sound are provided by Statistics Canada. For clarification Statistics Canada provides one profile based on Owen Sound municipal boundary and another for a CMA which includes the Municipality of Georgian Bluffs. This explains why some population statistics show different numbers.

The County of Grey also offers more details about the demographic data for Owen Sound and the entire region.

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