- by Anne Finlay-Stewart, Editor

In 2003, Gord Sturm asked the City of Owen Sound if he could bring his heavy horses to town to help train them in an urban environment. The Windsong Carriage and Ranch horses and Gord in his top hat and livery have been a familiar sight in Owen Sound ever since.

They have taken the guests of honour to weddings and proms and other romantic occasions, and have delighted special groups like the adult participants of the Day Away program. The horses have pulled important figures in the Kiwanis Santa Claus parade, and countless families and individuals have considered a carriage ride through the Festival of Northern Lights a highlight of their holiday celebrations.

So iconic are these horses that the City has used images of Gord's horses and carriage in their marketing materials.

But Owen Sound's insurance company appears to be less than enthusiastic about the horses.

In 2012, at the request of the City, Gord obtained an Owen Sound business licence for Windsong Carriage and Ranch. The conditions of that licence include holding $2 million in liability insurance, and that the City of Owen Sound is, “upon request and where permitted” to be an “additionally named insured” on that policy. That was included in Gord's insurance policy from 2012 to 2019, when his insurance company that specializes in insuring horse-related businesses - CapriCMW - changed underwriters. At that point his agent informed Gord that the option of holding the City of Owen Sound as an “additionally named insured” was no longer permitted, unless the City was contracting his services.

The City does not hire Windsong. During the Festival of Northern Lights, individuals who want a trip through downtown or Harrison Park sign up for a time slot, and pay Gord directly. This beautiful addition to the Festival doesn't cost the organizers, or the City taxpayers, a dime.

Gord provided proof of his $2 million liability insurance when it was renewed this May, and explained the situation, but the City has determined that they will not renew Windsong's business licence unless the City is named as an additional named insured – which his insurance company will not do. Operating without a licence could result in legal action against Windsong, and a penalty of as much as $5000 per day.

Although horses are permitted to use the highways, county roads and streets without a business licence, Gord is now not allowed to hire his carriage for weddings, proms or funerals, or to families or couples, if the trips are on Owen Sound streets or parks. He can no longer offer Festival of Northern Lights tours downtown or in Harrison Park.

The soft clip-clop of hooves in the city are a reminder of our heritage – a connection with our rural past when horses were our transportation to school, church and neighbours, and we depended on them to produce and deliver our food and get our goods to market. Horses have been in and out of Owen Sound as long as there has been a community here. 

Windsong is not a farm with horses that occasionally go to special events. It is a long-established horse business – training, trail riding, boarding, leasing and horse-drawn carriages for weddings, funerals, parades. Their liability insurance covers them in all circumstances - even when their Percheron stallion was part of a  Mini Cooper commercial shoot in downtown Toronto.  Unlike car, house or farm insurance, companies that provide insurance on horse businesses are highly specialized, and Gord acknowledges he can't just "call around" to other insurers.

Gord has requested that the City give permission to its insurer to speak to his insurer in the hope of resolving this, but with no success. The Owen Sound Hub received this comment from the City Clerk “The City received advice from their insurer on requirements and the City is not prepared to deviate from that advice.” When we further asked specifically “Are your insurers willing to talk to Mr. Sturm’s?”, we received no reply from the Clerk, City Manager or Mayor.