Owen Sound, Ontario

OWEN SOUND

Ontario owen sound, ontario

Owen Sound, Ontario Balance through diversity

wen Sound, Ontario was originally founded in the mid-1800s as a logistics hub, with a safe, long harbour on the southern edge of Georgian Bay that facilitated the movement of goods and people across the Great Lakes. At one time, it was a roaring, rowdy seaport known as “Corkscrew City” – which may have resulted in the area going ‘dry’ just after the turn of the century. OIt remained that way until 1972. Today, a balance of commerce, tourism, and community passion make Owen Sound the thriving regional centre of Grey and Bruce Counties, living up to the tag- line: “Where you want to live.” “A common perception is that we’re far away. People hear ‘Geor- gian Bay’ and they think we’re six, seven, eight hours north. That’s not the case,” says Economic Development Manager, Steve Furness. “We’re in southern Georgian Bay, just a two-hour drive from the GTA (Greater Toronto Area), two hours from Barrie, less than that from Kitchener and Guelph.” owen sound, ontario

In fact, Owen Sound’s relatively short distance There are 15,600 jobs in the community with a from major centers is a definite plus when it considerable number of people coming into the comes to relocation. Given the skyrocketing city to work. The broadly defined healthcare sec- The world’s largest house prices elsewhere, people look at the cost tor – private and public – is the largest employer differential and think, “Wow, look at what I can (approx. 3,700). A thriving community anchor, the operating nuclear facility buy a couple hours away.” Grey Bruce Regional Hospital is a large, modern With a population of 22,000, Owen Sound is facility doing over 10,000 day surgeries per year, the largest urban community in Grey and Bruce with 44 medical specialists on staff. located on the shores of Counties. These two regions combined repre- Manufacturing is responsible for more than sent a primary commercial market of 158,000. 2,000 jobs. RBW Transcontinental Printing, one Owen Sound is the seat of the County of Grey gov- of the biggest commercial printers in North Lake Huron ernment, and the location of many regional, pro- America, has over 600 local employees. RBW is vincial and federal government offices. There are a state-of-the-art facility. Tenneco Automotive nine elementary schools, two secondary schools, and Hobart Food Equipment Group are also and six private schools, in addition to a Georgian manufacturing facilities that have located in College campus. the City. Bruce Power, the largest nuclear gen-

Formed in 2001, Bruce Power is an electricity company located on the Power has transformed its workforce through new hiring and training, ex- Jobs. Innovative. shores of Lake Huron in southwestern Ontario. We are Canada’s only tending the life of operating units through innovative, planned maintenance 22,000 high-paying direct and Bruce Power’s reactors produce Cobalt-60, private sector nuclear generator and the world’s largest operating nuclear programs. indirect jobs per year. $4 billion in which sterilizes 40% of the world’s overall annual economic benefit. single-use medical devices. facility. We are powered by our people. Our 4,200 employees are the foun- In 2015, Bruce Power secured a long-term agreement with the province - Canadian Manufacturers and Exporters - cleannuclearpowersafehospitals.com dation of our accomplishments and are proud of the role they play in safely of Ontario for a life extension program that began January 1, 2016 and will delivering clean, reliable, low-cost nuclear power to families and businesses continue over the next two decades, extending the life of our site to 2064. across the province. Bruce Power has worked hard to build strong roots in This $13 billion private investment program will guarantee one in three Clean. Low cost. Ontario and is committed to protecting the environment and supporting the homes, hospitals, schools and businesses receive carbon-free nuclear Nuclear energy produces zero carbon Ontario nuclear is 30% cheaper than communities in which we live. electricity for generations. emissions, keeping our air clean the average cost of electricity. for a healthier future. - Ontario Energy Board The company inject billions of dollars into Ontario’s economy annually, In addition to keeping the lights on, Bruce Power positively impacts - Intergovermental Panel on Climate Change while producing safe energy that produces zero carbon emissions. millions of people through the world’s health care systems. Bruce Power currently provides over 30 percent of Ontario’s electricity at Bruce Power also has a long-term agreement with Nordion, another 30 percent below the average residential cost of power. In fact, Bruce Power Canadian-based company, to supply Cobalt-60 that is used to sterilize more is the source of about half of Ontario’s nuclear generation and is the lowest than 40 per cent of the world’s single-use medical equipment. In addition cost source of nuclear energy in the province. to this, in 2016, Bruce Power and Nordion strengthen their partnership and Bruce Power has transformed its site by returning four units to service entered into a new agreement to supply medical-grade Cobalt-60 that will www.facebook.com/BrucePowerNGS www.youtube.com/user/BrucePower4You through billions in private investment in our publicly-owned assets. Bruce beneﬁ t cancer patients in Canada and around the world.

@Bruce_Power @brucepowerngs owen sound, ontario

nated downtown core. – restaurants, theater, art gallery, library, special Owen Sound is growing in popularity as a events – is transforming the area. The City has four-season tourist destination (over 400 hotel/ two draft plans of subdivision applications with motel rooms), and employment numbers in that over 300 units proposed in each. sector are on the rise. In other downtown news, City Hall is being In terms of investment, there is a new 100- redeveloped, and the historic 150-year-old for- room hotel and conference center coming; a mer jail building has been purchased by the Tom 160-bed nursing home facility being built; and Thomson Art Gallery for its new location. “Not two 33-unit condo projects on the go, down- only are we getting an expanded art gallery,” says town. One is a conversion, one is a brand new Furness, “we’re saving and repurposing a fascinat- six-story building. Several residential develop- ing heritage building. It’s very exciting.” ments are also underway. A key trend is people In the tech sector, many residents and compa- wanting to live downtown. The activity there nies work remotely from the city with business

erating facility in the world, is less than an hour away and significantly influences the regional economy. Bruce Power is currently undertaking significant re-investment that will positively impact the community for years to come. Many Bruce Power employees choose to live in Owen Sound and take advantage of the AT A GLANCE community amenities. Retail provides another 2,000 jobs; OWEN SOUND, ONTARIO Wal-Mart, Home Depot, Winners, WHAT: Regional center of Grey & Bruce Michaels, Princess Auto – these big- Counties; population 22,000 box stores are definite draws to the WHERE: Located on the southern shores community. Plus, there are many of Georgian Bay, Ontario

restaurants, boutiques and artistic WEBSITE: www.owensound.ca endeavors gravitating to the rejuve- owen sound, ontario

for choice of activities. In minutes you can be out in the bush, on a sandy beach, or skiing in the Blue Mountains. Whether you fish, sail, hike, garden, are an artist or sport enthusiast, it’s all accessible, regardless of age. A new wastewater treatment plant, just being completed, is the largest capital project the city has ever undertaken. Work began in 2011 with a total budget of $48 million. Of that, the Government of Canada provided $15 million through the Green Infrastructure Fund, the Province of Ontario contributed $15 million, and the city’s investment is $15 million plus $3 million not eligible for grants. Upgrades to the existing treatment process are mandated by federal regulations for wastewater quality, and include secondary treatment using biologically aerated filtration technology partners around the world. AKA Consulting op- ultra high-speed bandwidth to every communi- erates in a downtown heritage building, doing ty and household in southwestern Ontario. Re- Out-of-towners often ask offshore oil and gas documentation. Although cently receiving federal and provincial funding, “What do you do up there?” But Owen Sound is not near the oil rigs, one of the the initiative will help business and industry, partners wanted to be in the community, and and advance education by bringing high-speed after living in Owen Sound for a advanced technology makes that possible. “In to students living in all of Grey Bruce. year or two, they are spoiled for some instances, we’re ahead of the tech curve,” Community investment in green space – walk- choice of activities. In minutes says Furness. “Particularly at the agri-food ways, trails and built facilities – is ongoing. The you can be out in the bush, on level, which is a big contributor to our economy. new Julie McArthur Regional Recreation Centre, a sandy beach, or skiing in the Whether you’re a food processor or producer, developed in partnership with the YMCA, fea- it’s remarkable how much technology is being tures a 25-meter-long pool, gym, and double Blue Mountains. Whether you applied in that sector.” ice pad. Real estate agents tout this as a ‘fab fish, sail, hike, garden, are an A significant initiative being led by Grey Coun- facility’ to newcomers. Out-of-towners often ask artist or sport enthusiast, it’s all ty is the Southwestern Integrated Fibre Tech- “What do you do up there?” But after living in accessible, regardless of age. nology (SWIFT) project – tasked with bringing Owen Sound for a year or two, they are spoiled owen sound, ontario

Preferred vendors n Bruce Power www.brucepower.com

Bruce Power is Canada’s first private nuclear generator, provid- ing 30 percent of Ontario’s power. Bruce Power Limited Partnership is composed of several corporations: TransCanada Corporation, BPC Generation Infrastructure Trust, the Power Workers Union, and the So- ciety of Energy Professionals. It is the licensed operator of the Bruce Nuclear Generating Station, located on the shores of Lake Huron, northwest of Toronto, between the towns of Kincardine and Saugeen Shores. It is the largest operating nuclear plant in the world by output. Bruce power owns eight nuclear reactors, which supply 6,300 megawatts of electricity to Ontario’s power grid. Bruce Power became the world’s largest (BAF). Provision has been made to incorpo- as it is in other communities. That’s a positive. operating nuclear facility in 2012, when Units 1 and 2 returned to rate ultraviolet disinfection into the treatment And local residents want to know that Geor- operation after a multibillion-dol- system at a later date. Methane gas from the gian Bay – the source of our drinking water – is lar refurbishment project. This achievement returned the site to digester will be used as an energy source for protected.” full operating capacity for the first heating the building. Because of Owen Sound’s Newcomers are often surprised to see a 5-sto- time in 17 years. The plant pro- proximity to Georgian Bay, it’s crucial that the rey hospital; the breadth of retail; the vitality of vides over 4,000 full-time, direct jobs to highly skilled employees system function well – for the health of the Bay the downtown; the Tom Thomson Art Gallery, a and thousands more indirectly, and, by extension, the Great Lakes. Senior Junior ‘A’ Attack Hockey team, the range injecting billions of dollars into Ontario’s economy annually, while Seeing the emphasis on this type of infra- of heritage assets; and, of course, the amazing producing safe energy that produc- structure development speaks volumes about Niagara Escarpment landscape. It’s this balance es zero carbon emissions. municipal stability. Furness notes, “Industry of history, natural geography, and modern vision n Miller Waste Systems looking to relocate likes the fact that our water that makes Owen Sound a truly remarkable www.millergroup.ca and sewage treatment capacity is not limited, place to live, to play, to work, and to invest. www.owensound.ca

Business View Magazine Business View Caribbean www.businessviewmagazine.com www.businessviewcaribbean.com