- by Anne Finlay-Stewart, Editor

So why would an educated, energetic, adventurous couple from Brazil want to move to Owen Sound?
The people made the difference.

Marilia and Yuri are brutally honest about their first impression of Owen Sound. They took a drive up from Kitchener one Sunday, noted the empty storefronts and the "sorry, we're closed" signs, and saw nothing to attract them.

But when they saw the AreYouMost campaign online, they thought they would give us another chance. The unique recruitment campaign was designed by BCHughes specifically for Owen Sound, and attracted three times as many applicants as anticipated. Yuri and Marilia credit Brent Fischer, the city's manager of community development and marketing, for helping to bring them back to Owen Sound.

Marilia has two degrees, in interior design and tourism. Yuri was a police officer, has a black belt in Ninjutsu and was a martial arts instructor in Brazil. Marilia has lived in Hawaii (her favourite place in the world) and Yuri showed me an overhead photo of a commuter train station from his days in Sao Paulo. Given that the population of that Brazilian city is larger than that of Canada, there were probably more people than in all of Owen Sound in that picture!

So, these people could clearly live anywhere – in the world. Why Owen Sound?

When they first came to Canada in 2014, it was to Toronto. They did their homework, considered their options, and moved to Kitchener, where Marilia worked at Home Depot and Yuri graduated from the renovation technician course at Conestoga College.

With no debt.

They saved one quarter of every paycheque to buy a house. They'd been renting in Kitchener, and were looking forward to being home owners. Lori Schwengers showed them five houses in Owen Sound. Like many first-time buyers, they swore they were only looking on that trip, but they were soon submitting an offer on a 120 year-old house on 3rd Avenue West. "Future Millionaires Row" laughed Yuri.

There was one room they couldn't get into in their trips to tour the old house. The mystery of what might be in that little room began to give Marilia nightmares. But they finally learned that the house held no secrets but proud ones. Its first owner was Captain Robert Pollock, a journalist who served in the 58th battalion of the Canadian infantry and died overseas, perhaps of injuries sustained in the battle of Vimy Ridge. Marilia carries Captain Pollock's records on her phone.

Although the affordability of housing was certainly a drawing card, their AreYouMost hosts in Owen Sound really showed them what they had missed in that first visit.

Josh Burnett, owner of Owen Sound Fitness and Training, said his own experience living overseas in South Korea and Saudi Arabia, and going to school in the GTA, really made him realize how amazing this area is for fitness activities indoors and out, and the natural surroundings. Josh bought an existing business and has changed and grown it over the past six years. "It was a great experience, getting to meet a young couple looking to move to Owen Sound to begin a business and being able to explain to them the pros and cons of the city."

Yuri and Marilia were really impressed by the culture and quality of life in our community, and they thank Tim Nichols Harrison, CEO of the Owen Sound and North Grey Union Public Library, for showing them around and introducing them everywhere they went. "We love the idea of knowing both the owner and the server when we go in to a restaurant," they said, "And in this community that is easy."

Yuri has started his business – Bear Wood Finish Carpentry (note the wordplay and the homage to the Attack)– and is working across the region, and Marilia is working in town. They believe there is plenty of potential here in Owen Sound, and a real opportunity to grow with the community.

When they first came to Canada, Marilia's father kept her bedroom exactly as she had left it for three years, just in case she wanted to come back.

I think he can go ahead and turn it into a guest room. Marilia has a guest room of her own – in her new home of Owen Sound.