Campaign Update: What I’m Learning Across Owen Sound

Over the past several weeks, I have canvassed in each of Owen Sound’s seven proposed wards. This has included residents who live close to downtown and those in the farther reaches of the city.

One of my most useful recent discoveries came from areas far from downtown. Residents there often mention few or no immediate issues and are intrigued by the possibility of an annual neighbourhood gathering where they could meet the people living around them.

Many City-supported events are held near downtown and the waterfront. Residents throughout Owen Sound contribute through their property taxes and deserve practical opportunities to enjoy community events close to home.

This has helped improve the Local Representative plan. Each ward would have about 10 local areas of roughly 150 households, for approximately 70 local areas across Owen Sound. Someone who lives in each area would be paid a living wage to serve as its Local Representative.

The representative would provide a two-way connection between residents and their ward councillor. They could share information about City projects, services and council discussions with their neighbours. They could also listen to local concerns and bring them to the ward councillor.

Once a year, the representative would personally invite every household to a voluntary neighbourhood social nearby. Residents could simply come to meet their neighbours, with the option of bringing their own snack or non-alcoholic beverage.

The estimated citywide cost of offering 70 socials and inviting all 11,000 Owen Sound households would be about $23,000 to $25,000 annually, or roughly $2.25 per household.

Building cooperation

I recently had a constructive conversation with Deputy Mayor Scott Greig. We found common ground on transparency, fiscal responsibility, local representation and compassion.

Our discussion included creating easier pathways for affordable rural housing through cooperation at the Grey County level. This could give more people realistic opportunities to access simple, secure and affordable places to live.

Thomas Arakal and I also met with council candidate David William Schinbein. David spoke about his municipal experience in Hanover and Grey County, his service as a councillor in Esquimalt, BC, and his work in security.

David supports the shared principles of transparency, participation and compassion. He is also happy to cooperate constructively so the next council can get things done for residents.

Each participating candidate remains independent and brings their own experience and priorities. Our shared commitment is to communicate respectfully, find practical areas of agreement and cooperate where that can produce better results.

Turning conversations into detailed plans

Drawing on earlier conversations with Jim Hutton, David William Schinbein, Thomas Arakal and residents, I developed a dedicated Open Government and Fiscal Transparency plan.

The plan would give residents clear, searchable information about municipal budgets, revenue, staffing, contracts, actual spending and service results. Council decisions could be followed from the initial proposal through implementation, with explanations provided for delays or major changes.

The same approach would be applied to City events. Each event’s full cost, grants, sponsorships, revenue and final contribution from the City would be published so residents could make informed comparisons.

Closed-meeting records would also be released after the legal reason for confidentiality has ended. A public document forum would allow residents to ask questions, discuss proposals and follow City responses.

The Participation and Local Capacity plan expands participation beyond local representation and neighbourhood projects into a practical strategy for growing Owen Sound’s economy.

Goods and services currently purchased outside Grey-Bruce could be assessed for competitive local production, processing, repair or maintenance. Training could then be connected with real local demand.

Shared tools, workshops, the Grey Bruce Makerspace, schools, farms, co-operatives and existing businesses could help residents develop useful skills and turn promising ideas into viable enterprises.

The goal is to create more locally rooted businesses, suppliers and jobs while keeping more existing spending circulating within the region. Annual reporting would show whether local skills, employment and productive capacity are growing.

Reaching more residents

Canvassing across every proposed ward has helped me better understand the range of issues and opportunities residents are identifying. It has already led to improvements in my platform and a clearer campaign flyer.

The next phase will combine broad flyer delivery with more in-depth evening conversations.

During the day, I will be moving quickly through neighbourhoods and delivering flyers to household mailboxes. A few days to a week later, I will return to some of those streets for slower evening canvassing and conversations at the door.

Flyer delivery will help the campaign reach households throughout the city. The follow-up conversations will provide a broad sample of what residents in different parts of Owen Sound are experiencing and what they would like the next council to address.

Speaking with residents takes time, especially when someone has an important story, concern or idea to share. This approach creates room for those conversations while helping the campaign reach every part of Owen Sound.

If you see me delivering flyers or walking through your area, please feel welcome to say hello. You can also read the new plans and send me your thoughts about how we can make Owen Sound more transparent, participatory and compassionate.