One-Sentence Summary

Council heard deputation comments regarding an employment hub proposal at Glassworks Village, considered a development charge exemption request for apartments on 15th Avenue East, and reviewed bylaw amendments covering encroachment refurbishments alongside new agreements with Icebox Saint Thomas Limited.

Whole Meeting Summary

The Glassworks Development Co-operative Board presented a proposal to integrate an employment training hub with affordable housing at the Glassworks Village site while addressing local land surplus and workforce retention challenges through projected investment without grants or subsidies. The Public Forum included Valerie Vanderwaal discussing Indigenous cooperative housing models like Glassworks Development Co-op and Andres Vorgan proposing meal distribution shifts, alongside Doug Miller emphasizing the co-operative’s site struggles, concluding with Councillors addressing infrastructure concerns regarding closed walking paths caused by Barry’s Construction development. The Senior Planner’s report addresses ZBA No. 58 for Anpet Realty’s application to develop an eight-story, 128-unit residential complex at 1201 15th Avenue East within the high-density R5-A zone of Block Six with recommendations amending zoning bylaws to permit a community lifestyle facility alongside specific provisions for reduced parking spaces near transit stops and accessory structures on fully serviced lands while aligning with provincial policy statements regarding housing mix in settlement areas. Council considered a request for an exemption from development charges for the new apartment development at 1201 15th Avenue East, noting it falls outside the current framework exempting purpose-built rentals while aligning with provincial affordable rental legislation. Council processed consent agenda items including leasing municipal parking spaces on 11th Street West for redevelopment, assigning security service contracts, retaining functional sidewalk plow backup units rather than auctioning them to ensure winter readiness, and reviewing Poverty Task Force minutes regarding resources for marginalized communities and health equity in palliative care access. The Council adopted a motion confirming that all Committee of the Whole proceedings encompassing public meetings, deputations, presentations, forum requests, correspondence reports, staff consent items, minutes, postponed business, and adjournment motions are valid actions taken during this session. The Council adopted multiple bylaws covering encroachment refurbishments through land transfers for nonprofit housing while establishing new agreements with Icebox Saint Thomas Limited and the County of Grey under item 21 BY-LAWS.

Most Newsworthy Items

  • Glassworks Co-op Presents Surplus Employment Data and Hazard-limited Site Analysis: Christopher Stevens, President of the Glassworks Development Co-operative Board, presented a deputation regarding rezoning applications for the Glassworks Village site in Owen Sound, supported by twelve letters from community organizations including Bright Shores Health Systems and USW. Independent professional studies indicate that excluding this specific location, the city possesses more than 2.5 times the capacity to support over 4,000 jobs, highlighting a significant surplus of employment land while simultaneously facing an insufficient supply of attainable workforce housing. The proposal seeks approval in principle for a project integrating large-scale affordable homeownership with an employment and training hub that will create approximately sixty long-term jobs and hundreds of construction roles. Speakers emphasized that the site is uniquely positioned to deliver this combination because hazard properties render other portions less competitive for traditional uses, yet financing mechanisms aim to transform workers from renters into owners without relying on grants or subsidies. The deputation requests Council direction to staff to continue technical studies, arguing that aligning land use with housing and investment needs will strengthen the tax base and assist local businesses in recruiting employees.
  • Staff Report That Granting a Full Development Charge Exemption to Anpet Realty’s: The report addresses Anpet Realty’s request to exempt their new purpose-built rental development at 1201 15th Avenue East from full development charges, seeking relief outside current frameworks. Staff explain that while the city previously exempted all-purpose built rentals, recent council decisions aligned bylaws with provincial affordable housing legislation; granting this specific exemption could approach eight million dollars and violate Municipal Act principles against financial assistance to private enterprise. Although deferred payment options exist for purpose-built rentals until first occupancy, staff recommend broadly applicable policies over site-specific exemptions because the project still incurs growth costs related to infrastructure like road improvements on Sixteenth Avenue.
  • The council approved a series of bylaws ranging from encroachment refurbishments: The council approved a series of bylaws ranging from encroachment refurbishments to land transfers for nonprofit housing, alongside new agreements with Icebox Saint Thomas Limited and the County of Grey.
  • Council Votes on Transitioning Fire Grants and Securing Heads-and-beds Funding: The council addressed a motion supporting resolutions from Platte, Wyoming and other Ontario municipalities to transition competitive fire service grants into permanent stable funding, though staff noted current provincial programs are distributed competitively without significant ongoing direct streams for local services beyond nominal replacements like washing machines. A second resolution was moved regarding heads and beds in lieu of taxes, highlighting the relevance of this issue due to city-owned facilities such as Bayshore Health System which rely on municipal support despite not falling directly under the current formula where funding has remained flatlined for forty years. Councillors declared pecuniary interests related to working for the Government of Ontario but proceeded to vote in favor of both motions, expressing concern that government expansion often leads to reduced service levels or financial compensation elsewhere.

Meeting Recap

7.a Deputation from Kristopher Stevens Glassworks Development Co-operative Board President Re Glassworks

Christopher Stevens and Glassworks Development Co-operative Board presented a proposal for an employment and training hub integrated with attainable workforce housing at the Glassworks Village site. Independent studies indicate Owen Sound possesses a surplus of 2.5 times its required capacity in traditional employment land, while facing a critical shortage of affordable housing that hinders worker retention. The project aims to secure $80-100 million in investment without relying on grants or subsidies, potentially generating equity for homeowners and strengthening the local tax base. Council members questioned whether an approval-in-principle was being sought instead of following standard planning timelines, noting previous expenditures on acquiring other employment lands elsewhere.

8 PUBLIC FORUM

Valerie Vanderwaal highlighted how Indigenous cooperative housing models like Glassworks Development Co-op enable low-income earners to achieve stable homeownership off-reserve rather than enduring deplorable reserve conditions or excessive rent. She argued that expanding these opportunities creates a positive ripple effect for the broader community by fostering economic resilience and reducing homelessness pressures in downtown cores where visible addiction often concentrates residents near essential services like health centers and transit hubs. Speaker 01 proposed shifting meal distribution to east-side wooded areas where homeless individuals currently shelter, suggesting this would reduce pressure on families while connecting with longer-term voluntary pathways into affordable rural housing that combines secure living with food production and recovery support. Doug Miller emphasized the Glassworks Co-op’s decade-long struggle for a site offering both employment lands and housing potential near town, noting their community ownership of land allows them to bring property values down despite previous systemic rejections. Councillors addressed infrastructure concerns regarding closed walking paths between Fifth Avenue East and Fourth Avenue East caused by Barry’s Construction development, confirming that the Stony Orchard Trail portion on private property will be relocated as servicing occurs with minimal disruption to users while liability insurance is arranged for developer risks.

10.a Report CS-26-060 from the Senior Planner Re Recommendation Report - ZBA

The report from Senior Planner addresses ZBA No. 58 for Anpet Realty’s application to develop an eight-story, 128-unit residential complex at 1201 15th Avenue East within the high-density R5-A zone of Block Six. Staff recommend amending zoning bylaws to permit a community lifestyle facility serving both residents and the broader area, alongside specific provisions for reduced parking spaces near transit stops and accessory structures on fully serviced lands. The proposal aligns with provincial policy statements regarding housing mix in settlement areas while ensuring appropriate shadow impacts and separation from lower-density uses through strategic setbacks.

10.b Report CR-26-064 from the Director of Corporate Services Re Development Charge

Council considered a request for an exemption from development charges for the new apartment development at 1201 15th Avenue East, which falls outside the current framework that exempts purpose-built rentals but aligns with provincial affordable rental legislation.

11 CONSENT AGENDA

Council processed consent agenda items including leasing municipal parking spaces on 11th Street West for redevelopment and assigning contracts for security services. Staff addressed concerns regarding sidewalk plow procurement by confirming plans to retain functional backup units rather than auctioning them, ensuring winter readiness despite equipment fatigue. The Poverty Task Force minutes were reviewed to highlight resources for marginalized communities and election candidates, specifically addressing health equity in palliative care access.

17 MOTION TO ADOPT PROCEEDINGS IN COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE

Motion adopted to confirm committee of the whole actions including public meetings, deputations, presentations, forum matters, correspondence reports, staff consent agenda items, minutes, postponed business, and adjournment motions.

21 BY-LAWS

The council approved a series of bylaws ranging from encroachment refurbishments to land transfers for nonprofit housing, alongside new agreements with Icebox Saint Thomas Limited and the County of Grey.

Links

Read full transcript: https://helpos.ca/transcripts/owen-sound/council-meeting-regular/2026-07-13

Agenda page: https://helpos.ca/agendas/owen-sound/council-meeting-regular/2026-07-13

Official meeting page: https://pub-owensound.escribemeetings.com/MeetingsCalendarView.aspx/Meeting?Id=03069c57-ea27-47f5-a638-7fdfe8e89a32

Original video: https://video.isilive.ca/owensound/New Encoder_CM_2026-07-13-05-30.mp4