Upcoming meeting preview for Committee - Community Services on June 24, 2026 5:30 PM.

This preview is based on the published agenda package and supporting reports.

One-Sentence Summary

The June 24, 2026 Committee - Community Services agenda includes Heritage Tax Refunds And Park Renaming.

Whole Agenda Summary

This upcoming agenda is expected to focus on 8.b.1 Report CS-26-059 from the Senior Planner Re: Heritage Property Tax Relief Programme - 2025 Tax Refund Applications; 8.b Report CM-26-023 from the Senior Advisor, External Relations and Investment Attraction Re: Agreement to Pilot aCommunity Impact Lab Planning and Heritage 8.b.1; 8.a.1 Report CM-26-023 from the Senior Advisor, External Relations and Investment Attraction Re: Agreement to Pilot aCommunity Impact Lab; 8.c.2 Report CS-26-058 from the Director of Community Services Re: Park Naming - 823 5th Avenue East - Report 2.

Most Newsworthy Agenda Items

  • Heritage Property Tax Relief Programme - 2025 Tax Refund Applications: The Community Services Committee proposes approving refunds totaling approximately thirty-six thousand dollars for seventeen heritage applicants under Owen Sound’s programme, launched in 2009 to protect historic sites like the Mudtown Station and Tone Studio via tax rebates up to twenty percent. For the Mudtown property specifically, guidelines allow directing funds to a tenant rather than the City if lease terms cover conservation costs; this reflects broader efforts that also include locations such as the Oretsky Fur Store while maintaining clear maintenance responsibilities for all owners. Staff recommend the County of Grey draft a by-law in 2026 to match these rebates once notified regarding municipal tax contributions, ensuring preservation duties remain defined across upper-tier and local jurisdictions. Simultaneously, upcoming agenda items examine Winnipeg properties potentially qualifying for heritage status or easement review, including recent nominations from 2012 through 2024 for sites like the Former People’s Department Store and Wilkinson House. The June 24 report outlines specific addresses but confirms no final decisions have been reached regarding which listings will advance in the upcoming session. These processes aim to sustain designated structures without assuming outcomes yet, balancing financial support from rebates against ongoing conservation obligations for affected communities through potential inter-municipal cooperation starting next year.
  • Agreement to Pilot aCommunity Impact Lab Planning and Heritage 8.b.1: The City of Owen Sound partners with Georgian College and Grey County to pilot the Community Impact Lab™ at Sydenham Campus starting September 1, 2026, utilising existing resources without new funding requirements beyond a $5,000 contribution. The initiative establishes an in-residence Social Innovator for community co-design on topics like housing or healthcare, aiming to build social infrastructure aligned with Vision 2050 priorities and the quadruple helix of innovation model.
  • Agreement to Pilot aCommunity Impact Lab: The City of Owen Sound partners with Georgian College and Grey County to pilot the Community Impact Lab™ at Sydenham Campus starting September 1, 2026, utilising existing resources without new funding requirements beyond a $5,000 cash commitment. The initiative establishes an 18-month agreement for social infrastructure development aligned with Vision 2050 priorities, featuring a Social Innovator in Residence to facilitate programmes like the Community Impact Scan Club and MicroCert training open to all residents. Staff propose Council select an initial focus topic among housing/food security or health care access while engaging priority groups including youth and Indigenous communities through co-design consultation hours.
  • Park Naming - 823 5th Avenue East - Report 2: Owen Sound is soliciting public input via its OurCity platform regarding naming a new park at 823 Fifth Avenue East, which previously required renaming Ryerson Park under Policy CS-087. Between April and May 2026, the city received exactly 70 responses to submissions suggesting various locations such as Eighth Street or Boyd Street Parks, alongside proposals for honorific names like Ningaawendam Miikana (“Friendship Land”). During a late May 2025 engagement meeting with Saugeen Ojibway Nation representatives, community partner SON proposed the Anishinaabe name “Niisinaabe-ki” (meaning “Person lowered to earth”), linking it to landscape movement and creation stories; this proposal seeks separate consideration rather than standard ranked voting. The City Council will subsequently decide whether to adopt the Indigenous name alone or include it among other candidates for a ten-day public notice period before by-law adoption, with allocated funds covering new signage and engagement logistics. Concurrently, local construction activity intensified in May 2026 as Troy Life Fire & Safety secured foundation permits at East Bayshore while BGDCSB and UHaul advanced building permit applications following conditional site plan approvals. This month saw the issuance of thirty-six new permits generating $1.4 million in fees against a project value exceeding sixty-nine million dollars, marking a significant increase where fifty-eight single-family homes were permitted since 2021 compared to minimal numbers for other categories prior to mid-2025.
  • Memorandum Development Update: On May 20, 2026, City Director Pamela Coulter issued a decision regarding an amendment to a site plan at 1730 27th Avenue East. The proposal sought to expand one-storey storage space by adding 226.53 square metres through a concrete block retaining wall and bicycle parking area. It also requested reconfiguring off-street parking, which would have reduced two accessible stalls while adding four parallel spaces near the avenue. While City staff recommended approval with conditions under specific planning laws, Director Coulter did not grant full permission immediately; instead, she refused current plans on the basis that a subsequent submission is required to address directions outlined in Schedule ‘D’ of her report. This means further details must be presented before final modifications can proceed as originally requested.
  • Presentation from Cassondra Dillman, Intermediate Planner at Grey County Age-Friendly Action Plan: Grey County faces a demographic shift where residents over 65 are projected to exceed one-third by 2035, creating urgent needs for housing and transport. The proposed Age-Friendly Action Plan addresses rural isolation through coordinated planning while acknowledging current challenges: staffing gaps, limited resources, and the absence of a dedicated community coordinator complicating progress tracking. Past successes include resurfacing trails, installing cycling infrastructure, investing millions in housing, expanding home visitation services, supporting student placements at long-term care facilities, and creating an age-friendly logo for 10 municipalities. Looking ahead, implementation continues with refinements to improve delivery efficiency by consolidating or retiring certain action items and shifting leadership roles where appropriate. A critical upcoming focus is strengthening partnerships to better trace outcomes amidst the realities that exposed a digital divide and increased social isolation risks during recent global events. The strategy aims for continuous improvement while managing expectations regarding available data for performance indicators.
  • Facility Bookings and Community Programmes None.: Owen Sound is advancing a park renaming process under Policy CS-087 to honour Indigenous histories, specifically considering an Anishinaabe name for “Niisinaabe-ki.” Council faces two options: including this term in standard ranked voting or seeking policy deviation alone due to its connection to creation stories and reconciliation efforts. Public notice remains pending before final by-law adoption. Simultaneously, municipal development activity is surging as construction value nearly quadruples from last year with 36 permits issued for residential, commercial, plumbing, demolition, and more. Specific projects include Troy Life Fire & Safety securing a foundation permit for an East Bayshore Road expansion, BGDCSB obtaining Conditional Site Plan Approval while filing building permits, UHaul submitting applications, and a zoning bylaw amendment review enabling an eight-storey apartment project within the existing East Court Residences framework. Regulatory staff recently completed large-structure safety training, with inspections conducted at sites like Hansa foundations and SkyDev locations totaling $1,428,697 in collected fees during this active May 2026 period.
  • Kelso Beach at Nawash Park - Playground and Splash Pad Concept Design: A revitalization project at Kelso Beach within Nawash Park aims to replace an aging playground and splash pad with inclusive design that addresses critical gaps identified by over 200 residents. The proposed $638,800 initiative relies on shifting capital from a deferred shade sail project elsewhere in the city system alongside direct funding of roughly $179k per year for five years plus a final balance provided through donations to good cheer. A pending grant application seeks up to $60k specifically for accessibility enhancements if approved later this summer, targeting needs voiced by families and older adults including severe lack of shade and insufficient seating. The planned improvements include planting trees to provide natural cooling under trails near washrooms and play areas, installing new benches, reconfiguring pathways to connect amenities, and upgrading drainage systems to eliminate chemical treatments while extending the life of wood chip surfaces through subdrainage construction. Currently, Jambette has been selected as the preferred supplier based on accessibility features. Detailed designs are expected mid-July 2026 before tendering begins in July that same year with physical work commencing September 2026 and concluding May 2027 ensuring community voices directly guide improvements for visitors of all ages without claiming final decisions have been made yet regarding pending grants or specific construction details.

What To Watch

  • Which agenda items move forward to formal recommendations.

  • Whether staff proposals trigger additional public consultation or revisions.

  • Follow-up actions, timelines, and any deferred items.

Read full agenda archive page: https://helpos.ca/agendas/owen-sound/committee-community-services/2026-06-24

Transcript will be published here: https://helpos.ca/transcripts/owen-sound/committee-community-services/2026-06-24

Original Agenda Package Links

Supporting Attachments

Official meeting page: https://pub-owensound.escribemeetings.com/MeetingsCalendarView.aspx/Meeting?Id=99304b37-2144-4994-a219-e9a9b7e1a518