Mayor Ian Boddy and City Manager, Wayne Ritchie are pleased to announce the appointment of Doug Barfoot as Fire Chief for the City of Owen Sound effective September 1, 2015.
Prior to his retirement in January 2015, Doug was previously employed for 31 years with Owen Sound Fire & Emergency Services. He was promoted progressively during his tenure, from the position of Firefighter to Driver Mechanic, Dive Master, Acting Captain, to Captain.
"I am excited and honored to be stepping into the role of Chief," Barfoot said. "I look forward to...
Congratulations to the Owen Sound Police Services for their quick work in apprehending the arson suspects. Officers came in on days off, from sick leave and holidays for 18-hour shifts to get the job done!
Having practiced criminal law for several years, I have full confidence in our justice system and our Crown Attorney's office in Grey County to deal with these matters.
We are all angry, but this is not the time to think of revenge.
Mayor Boddy gave this explanation to a local resident when asked about the old Courthouse sale.
Hi Karen
There were differing offers received for the Court House that the prior or present council considered. Heritage preservation and a satisfactory plan for the property were key factors. City staff met and corresponded with Southbridge over several months. After presentations and negotiations in confidence, an acceptable written offer was expected for this property from Southbridge.
The TOM staff had previously decided that they were not interested in this property. When they did express interest, they were told by me that the offer was coming and they were asked to wait for the outcome of that offer and not go public. They chose instead to go public days later and announced a public meeting.
The sale price is based on an estimated fair market value of property less the costs they will invest to remove the jail and walls.
by Anne Finlay-Stewart, Hub Editor
The deal is sealed, the $10 cheque is cashed, and the old 1853 Courthouse and jail are the property of a private corporation for the first time in 162 years.
The Courthouse was sold once before to a developer in 1985 while the jail was still in use. That deal fell through, and the city made some repairs and leased the building to the Grey Bruce Arts Council, which in turn rented out office space and studios.
Flash forward thirty years. Priorities for the city have changed, and staff and council decisions reflect a different vision.
The timing of the May sale to Southbridge Care Homes is not insignificant. Our sources say that there was a previous offer from Southbridge, during the term of the former city council. It may have been one of the two mentioned by former city manager in a July 2014 radio interview. Presumably it was for more than $10, but that remains in the minutes of an in camera meeting as do the reasons it was not successful.
-by Anne Finlay-Stewart
The old Courthouse, jail and 1.3 acres of land on 3rd Avenue East has been officially sold to the Southbridge Care Homes division of Southbridge Capital for $10, tax included. The sale, announced in mid-May, closed July 30. A staff report on the sale is headed to city council Monday.
The 1853 building has served many purposes over its 162 year life – Courthouse for the County of Grey, the site of the inaugural Owen Sound council meeting, police headquarters, home of the Grey Bruce Arts Council, a performance space, offices and studios. Most recently, the Tom Thomson Art Gallery held a public meeting at which the Courthouse was named as the preferred site of an expanded gallery, made necessary in part by the need to move storage of the collection out of the basement to meet insurance requirements. In their detailed business plan, the Gallery listed the benefits to the city of that site choice beyond the adaptive re-use of the building, including "re-vitalizing a near-core neighbourhood that needs transformation". The City would be left with assets, the plan said - "two saleable properties: the Rice House and the current Art Gallery, together worth considerably more than the asking price for the Courthouse."
In his report on the Courthouse sale prepared for Council, Manager of Economic Development Steve Furness said that while there was no direct financial gain in the sale,
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