If Stratford didn't exist, I think this city would take the title as the best city under 50,000 in Ontario.

Here is vibrant Owen Sound, Ontario, one of my favorite cities in Ontario. It is the hub of the Bruce Peninsula and Grey and Bruce Counties and the only CITY in that area of Southern Ontario, being the county seat of Grey County. Owen Sound is located at the junction of Highways 6, 10, 21, and 26 in Midwestern Ontario, located 185 km northwest of Toronto, 120 km west of Barrie, and 130 north of Guelph, so Owen Sound is very isolated as well. Owen Sound's population is just over 21,000 and increases substantially during the summer/spring time and is a very popular destination in Ontario for cottage goers. Owen Sound a few years ago won a national competition being the prettiest city its size (20,001-50,000) in Canada and was very recently named a CULTURAL CAPITAL of Canada, two characteristics its sister city, Stratford possesses as well. Owen Sound is right on the rugged terrain of the Niagara Escarpment and its downtown is at the bottom of a HUGE HILL. Downtown Owen Sound was rebuilt with a whole new streetscape, new lighting, and beautification 5 years ago as part of a BIG DIG project to improve downtown Owen Sound. Owen Sound is also the smallest market in Canada/Ontario with a CHL/OHL hockey team, the Owen Sound Attack, and the team is actually supported quite well. The city is home to the Billy Bishop (a Canadian war veteran pilot born here) Museum, and the Tom Thomson Art Gallery, and a huge harbour/marina, where the famous Chi-Cheemaun ship is docked each winter from Tobermory/South Baymouth. I took these ASTOUNDING 105 pictures early in July.

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The Sun-Times, Owen Sound's local daily newspaper
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Post Office
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Owen Sound's Radio Center
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The famous Roxy Theatre Playhouse, Owen Sound's performing arts theatrical venue, like the Stratford Festival Theatre
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Owen Sound's tallest building...
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Oooh, a little tacky with the aluminum siding...
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The Owen Sound Farmers' Market
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A flowered bridge
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Owen Sound's Library
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There's something you don't see often, three Ontario plaques next to each other!
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Here's info on Owen Sound's most famous son, undoubtedly, Billy Bishop
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The Tom Thomson Art Gallery
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Always lending a helping hand, the Owen Sound Fire Department
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A walking path along the Sydenham river, one of a gazillion nature trails this city has!
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Jervis Park, one of many parks this city possesses, didn't have time for pics of Harrison Park, but on the next tour I do of OS, I will get Harrison Park
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Nice Coca-Cola LOGO!
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Owen Sound City Hall
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This Clarica "TOWER" looks a lot handsomer than the one in Waterloo!
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Owen Sound's Beautiful and MASSIVE HARBOUR
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Owen Sound Rail and Marine Museum
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Owen Sound's Marina and Condominium area and Kelso Beach
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Absolutely breathtaking!
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Old Courthouse Arts Building
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The Harry Lumley Bayshore Centre, home of the Owen Sound Attack of the OHL, right on Owen Sound, what a location!
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New courthouse constructed very recently
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Grey County Offices
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Hope you enjoyed my tour of this incredible city!

Not bad at all, although it's not as nice as Stratford.

Good job as always. Now if any building in Owen Sound burns down, the owner can just tell his insurance adjuster to get in touch with you for a picture of the building before it burned. ;)

Whoa you took a lot of pictures. Very nice! I like the street lights at Owen Sound and looks like a very clean city.

I'll be in OS in about 1week. Driving to Hanover from Vancouver tomorrow morning! :)

Oh have a good road trip ocean!

Yeah, have a great trip dude.

Wow, over 100 pics, nice job Jay. I was there a long time ago but all I remember is the huge hill going into downtown.

Awesome, oceanmdx, have a great trip, Hanover is quite the town as well and in the same county as OS! Thanks, everyone, for the great comments on the pics! Yeah, softee, I agree, Owen Sound isn't as beautiful or nice as Stratford, which is why I can't give it the title of best city of 20,001-50,000 in Ontario or even Canada.

I went to owen sound last saturday man. :)

If Southern Ontario is an elephant, with Windsor being the trunk, what part is Owen Sound ?

The ass, I guess :P

That court house is nice. i like how they have businesses in their downtown. That's something you don't see very often these days. :|

Owen Sound being the ASS of the elephant. To me, it looks more like the ear in the process of flapping itself, lol! Yup, Owen Sound has a lot of businesses downtown, most of their banks, drug stores, a huge hardware stores, book stores, clothing stores, a theatre, restaurants, home decor stores, you name it! In fact, downtown Owen Sound has the largest amount of commercial space per capita of any place in Grey or Bruce counties.

BTW, Downtown Owen Sound underwent a major revitalization 5 years ago, and put the names of the streets on the sidewalk and made them nicely designed and such, and beautified store fronts and lights and other things.

oceanmdx, when you get back, tell us how the trip to Hanover/Owen Sound went, PLEASE! :)

meh...

Looks nise, thanks for sharing. :)

owen sound looks like a nice city. i've always wondered what that area looked like; on a map, the place looks intriguing and mysterious.

^ it might be because it is more isolated than all the other cities in Southern Ontario.