The document provides information on economic development initiatives in Owen Sound, Ontario. It discusses the city's new economic development strategy which has three themes: promoting local pride, supporting existing businesses, and attracting new investment. It highlights recent events including a job fair that connected employers and job seekers, and city council visiting a local packaging business. Real estate properties owned by the city are also being marketed for new development opportunities. The tourism department updates include a successful winter dining promotion, a new online events calendar, and new visitor guides being distributed.

1. MAY 2014MAY 2014COMMUNITY REPORT
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT & TOURISM DEPARTMENT
www.owensound.ca • www.owensoundtourism.ca
www.owensoundbusiness.ca
CONNECT WITH US... #OWENSOUND
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT & TOURISM DEPARTMENT
www.owensound.ca • www.owensoundtourism.ca
www.owensoundbusiness.ca
CONNECT WITH US... #OWENSOUND
ECONOMIC
DEVELOPMENT
& TOURISM
The City’s new economic development strategy has
three themes: pride of place; business retention and
expansion; and investment attraction.
Pride of place is about puffing out our chest and
telling the world we are a great place to live. It’s
about celebrating our successes and our outstanding
quality of life and attracting people, tourists and
entrepreneurs. Business retention is supporting
and helping your existing business grow and thrive, as most new jobs will come from
business expansions. And attracting new investment is critical to ensuring a progressive
economy. The investment can be public or private, but ideally it is in health care, retail
and manufacturing – our largest sectors -- and aligns with our competitive strengths.
Attracting new investment is best done by understanding our unique strengths and
focusing on those opportunities. For example, harbour dredging would open up
investment opportunities in manufacturing and agriculture.
You can play your part by telling people why Owen Sound is where you want to live --
why your company does business here and why new investment should locate here. This
community deserves to thrive and is thriving, thanks to the local businesses and citizens
who work together to make this a great place to live.
SUMMER COMPANY
Do you know a student between 15 and 29 years of age who is a self starter, creative,
industrious, hard working and interested in “doing their own thing?”
They may be eligible to run their own business this summer and receive up
to $3000 in cash awards. Contact us today at businesshelp@owensound.ca, call
519-371-3232 or apply on line at Ontario.ca/SummerCompany. Deadline: May 23.
In celebration of International Women’s
Day , The Business Enterprise Centre,
Owen Sound and Area partnered with
The Women’s Centre and hosted over
150 participants at an inspirational
luncheon and learning experience.
Joan Riggs, co-founder of Catalyst
Research, illustrated the community
connections between our business and
personal lives. Goals and achievements
cross boundaries and interlink our
personal and business development
moving forward. Business owners make
a significant difference to communities.
Businesses employ people, mentor,
sponsor and donate because they
want to be part of a thriving and
compassionate community. The
“Difference You Make” offered the
opportunity to see the connection to the
bigger community in a different way and
reinforce the important contribution
made in business.
Jane Phillips, Manager of the
Business Enterprise Centre noted that
in the past 15 years, there has been
a 50 percent increase in the number
of self-employed women in Canada.
One million Canadian women owned a
small business in 2010, according to a
report released by the CIBC, “Women
Entrepreneurs: Leading the Charge.” The
number of women-owned businesses is
growing 60 percent faster than those
run by men. Another day of learning
and moving the community forward.
Thank you to all those involved in our
International Women’s Day event.
Contact THE BUSINESS ENTERPRISE CENTRE, Owen Sound & Area
for any assistance and with any questions about your business.
519-371-3232 • 173 8th Street East, Owen Sound
www.owensoundbusiness.ca • businesshelp@owensound.ca
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY:
Yes We Have One, Yes It’s Working...
And You Can Play Your Part
Anja Pink’s business, Leaping Beaver Beverages
Summer Company 2013
THE DIFFERENCE YOU MAKE NEW YOUTH
P R O G R A M
starter
company
MAY 2014COMMUNITY REPORT
YMCA EMPLOYMENT SERVICES AND
CITY HOST SEASONAL JOB FAIR
More than 600 people attended a recent job fair for seasonal and summer employees. It
was organized by Amy Norris of YMCA Employment Services, with the City providing the
facility and modest advertising. Twelve employers attended, offering mostly seasonal
work. The event helped link employers with young people looking for summer or full-
time work. There are plans to make this an annual event with more space and more
employers. The Economic Development team was pleased to partner with the YMCA
Employment office to make this happen.
City Council visits Bellwyck Packaging
MODEL SUITES AT
The latest and greatest condo
project happening in downtown
Owen Sound has model suites
available now. Contact Bill McFarlane
and Ernie Coates, brokers with
RE/MAX Realty, for more information
519-370-2100.
CITY PROPERTIES
FOR SALE
Bill McFarlane and Ernie Coates of
RE/MAX will be marketing a number
of City-owned properties for sale,
including the former court building
and jail, select industrial lands and
the former Scopis lot. The City no
longer has a corporate need for these
properties. Selling them will allow
for new development opportunities
and make better use of these lands
and buildings.
Joan Riggs speaks to over 155 participants at
the March IWD event.

2. MAY 2014COMMUNITY REPORTMAY 2014COMMUNITY REPORT
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT & TOURISM DEPARTMENT
www.owensound.ca • www.owensoundtourism.ca
www.owensoundbusiness.ca
CONNECT WITH US... #OWENSOUND
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT & TOURISM DEPARTMENT
www.owensound.ca • www.owensoundtourism.ca
www.owensoundbusiness.ca
CONNECT WITH US... #OWENSOUND
CONNECT WITH US...
We now have over 1,600 fans on Facebook, and have reached
1,382 followers on Twitter. Connect with us - share your
experience and photos using #OWENSOUND.
/OwenSoundTourismandEvents
@OSTourism #OWENSOUND
/OwenSoundTourism
1155 First Ave W, Owen Sound • 519-371-9833
www.owensoundtourism.ca • vacation@owensound.ca
1,637
Owen Sound Tourism partnered with
eight local restaurants to host another
successful Winterlicious event, increasing
patronage at independently owned dining
establishments during one of the slowest
times of the year.
Participating restaurants included
the Sweetwater Restaurant at Cobble
Beach Resort, Nathaniel’s, Shorty’s Grill,
Rocky Racoon (now the Kathmandu Cafe);
Norma Jean’s Bistro, Tuscany’s, Jazzmyn’s
and Legacy Ridge.
The campaign featured fixed-price
dinner specials from February 21 to March
16 plus a draw to win one of three gift
baskets brimming with locally produced
food, wine and beer. Prize sponsors
included the Owen Sound Farmer’s
Market and many of its vendors, Kilannan
Beer, Coffin Ridge Wine, Georgian Hills
Wine, Hoity Toity Cellars, the 100-Mile
Market, Meredith’s Ginger Syrup, the
Pickle Guy and more!
More than 800 people ordered
Winterlicious meals and entered our
draws over the 3-week campaign.
The event was promoted on the
radio, in the newspaper and through
social media and online advertising.
Posters and table toppers were also
distributed throughout the City. Close to
4,900 people visited the Winterlicious
website pages during the campaign.
TOURISM
WINTERLICIOUS
WHETS APPETITE FOR LOCAL FOOD
Owen Sound has a robust new events
calendar at www.owensound.ca/events
which is proving very popular! The
calendar can be viewed in several formats
and accessed by anyone with a computer
or mobile device.
At a glance, you can see what’s on
this week, this month, or virtually any
time several years into the future. You can
searchoutspecialeventsandfestivals,and
also view ongoing exhibits at our galleries
and museums. The calendar is searchable
by date and also subject. Interested in
music, arts & culture or culinary events?
You can view just those. Want to know
what sports tournaments are planned for
the year? Those are also searchable, along
with family and youth-oriented events,
outdoor events, shopping, festivals,
holiday events and more.
With the new calendar, a tourist or
local resident enjoying a meal downtown
can connect to our free WiFi on their
phone and find out what’s happening on
the spot. Our focus is on events in the
immediate area, and we will soon be
adding business-related events as well.
The events calendar has received more
than 4,000 page views since it launched
Jan. 21st.
The Tourism office also issues a weekly
events bulletin, “Around the Sound,”
which includes daily events, news, and
ongoing exhibits. You can subscribe to it
from our home page at www.owensound.
ca/play.
The City’s tourism staff and events
coordinator recently met with about 30
local festival and event organizers to roll
outthenewcalendarandrelatedofferings.
Event planners now have the option of
listing and viewing tentatively scheduled
events as well as confirmed ones, to help
avoid overlapping events. We’ve received
close to 200 online event submissions
since January, and have posted well over
400 listings in all. Thanks to everyone
taking the trouble to ensure their event
gets noticed! All listings are free of charge
and many are further promoted through
our Facebook and Twitter postings.
CITY LAUNCHES
NEW EVENTS CALENDAR
NEW Visitor
Guide and City
Map Available
Our 2014 Visitor Guide
is receiving very positive
reviews. The 30-page
book is packed with
information about downtown Owen
Sound and area attractions, special
events, kids activities, waterfalls,
boating, swimming and fishing, our
historic walking tour and self-guided
fall salmon tour, Harrison Park and all
accommodations in the region. It’s a
handy guide for local residents hosting
out-of-town visitors, and businesses
wanting to welcome tourists.
This year we have enlarged
our City Map and Attractions guide,
making it easier to read. The brochure
includes special points of interest,
annual events and fun facts about
Owen Sound. Pick up free copies of
the Visitor Guide and City Map at
the Visitor Information Centre or call
519-371-9833 for bulk orders for your
business.
The Visitor Centre has a new
summer assistant, Jacynthe
Lortie, also known as Jazzy,
and will be welcoming back
summer assistant Laura
Robinson in June. Jazzy is
an aspiring teacher who
is fluently bilingual and
hopes to teach music and
French internationally when
she graduates. She enjoys
working with the public,
being in the know about
local events and playing bass
guitar with her band. She
also writes novels.
Laura is a returning staff
member looking forward to
a summer full of adventures
and meeting families from
all over the world. She has
been involved with the City
of Owen Sound for almost
10 years (at the Visitor
Centre, the Billy Bishop and
Marine and Rail museums,
the library and Tom
Thomson Art Gallery). Laura
plans to become a teacher
as well, and just completed
her undergraduate studies
at Laurentian University.
Meet Laura and Jazzy
at the Visitor Centre and at
numerous special events
over the summer, promoting
Owen Sound in person and
through our social media
platforms.
TOURISM STAFF READY FOR SUMMER!
Jazzy Lortie
Around the Sound weekly e-bulletin