Grey County Year-End Highlights 2024

Grey County Council is responsible for setting service levels and making strategic decisions that support the wellbeing of Grey County residents, businesses, and visitors.

• Overseeing a total operating and capital budget of more than $268 million.
• Council created a new Budget and Finance Committee which provides direction on all financial matters to staff and works towards multi-year budgeting.
• Council continued work on improved relationships with Indigenous Peoples / First Nations, supporting events, the Grey Roots Indigenous Advisory Circle and  education on land acknowledgements.
• Council declared conditional support for the TC Energy pumped storage project in the Municipality of Meaford, pending necessary environmental studies and support from the Saugeen Ojibway Nation.
• Council advocated for resolution of local healthcare issues such as service level reductions at the Durham Hospital and access to family physicians.
• Grey County participated in the annual ROMA and Association of Municipalities of Ontario (AMO) 2024 Conferences in Toronto and Ottawa.
• 2024 Grey County Warden Brian Milne received the Bruce Power Community Leadership Award.
• Grey County adopted a new Strategic Plan, "Working Together for Success," which focuses on effective management, future readiness, workforce development, and housing access to best serve its residents among other priorities.
• Grey County actively advocated for residents and communities via Western Ontario Wardens Caucus and Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Cities Initiative.

Community Services provide housing support, homelessness prevention, early learning and child care, and Ontario Works.

• Purchased the Diamond Motel Inn in Owen Sound, expanding access to the emergency housing & shelter program to provide 10,000 nights of accommodation annually.
• Maintained 991 units of rent-geared-to-income housing and supported 500+ units of non-profit housing.
• Celebrating a one-year partnership with CMHA at 396 14th Street, our supportive housing building. 
• Received over 500 fridges and 60 tenant owned appliances as part of an energy program.
• Supported year two of overnight warming shelter pilot project in downtown Owen Sound through Safe ‘N Sound.
• Helped over 500 Households obtain or maintain housing by distributing $500,000 through the Sustainable Housing Benefit Program.
• Supporting licensed child care centres and home-based child care providers across the county. 
• Ontario Works staff provided stability supports to an average of 1,400 households in 2024, assisting clients with financial needs and life stability needs. Focused in-house programs connecting clients to psychometric testing, digital supports, and unmet needs will continue into 2025.
• Outfitted 63 units with heat pumps as part of an energy program reducing energy use and costs for those residents.

Corporate Services often fly under the radar, but these departments are hard at work keeping things at the County running smoothly and efficiently.

• Implemented Dayforce, a new Human Resources Information System to help streamline HR processes, give staff online access to their information and improve data management.
• Implemented Questica a budget development and publishing tool which will support the development of multi-year budgets and more sophisticated financial analysis.
• Provincial Offences continues to hold regular court operations twice a week in Owen Sound on Mondays and Wednesdays, and in Walkerton on Tuesdays with ticket volumes returning to pre-covid levels. County advocacy regarding the need for more Justices of the Peace and sitting days for the court was successful with 2 new JPs appointed and more court days added.
• Led the first Rural Communications Summit, a day of learning and networking for local public sector communicators.
• Initiated analysis of county-wide, centralized planning services staffing model.
• Provided oversight to the redevelopment of Rockwood Terrace and development of a new paramedic base in Durham.

Grey County's economic development, tourism, and cultural services support local business owners, help grow the local economy, and tell the stories of our past.

• Grey Roots Museum & Archives celebrated its 20th anniversary with events throughout the year including a family-friendly PA Day, exhibits, and a special Grey Roots Gala in November.
• Council approved a generous 10-year sponsorship agreement with Wheildon Investments Inc., committing $50,000 over the next five years toward the Grey Roots theatre.
• Unveiled the completion of the Sydenham Campus with the grand opening of an 8,000-sq.-ft. makerspace designed to support entrepreneurship and industry.
• A large regional job fair brought together local employers and job seekers.
• Grey County received an Award of Excellence for its Economic Development, Tourism and Culture (EDTC) Master Plan, ‘The Grey’t Reset’, at the annual Economic Developers Council of Ontario (EDCO) Conference in Toronto.
• Grey County was recognized as one of the world's Smart21 communities by the Intelligent Community Forum for the third time since 2017.
• Grey and Bruce Counties collaborated to create the "Cruise and Connect" professional networking event aboard the M.S. Chi-Cheemaun.
• Grey and Bruce Counties hosted the annual tourism brochure swap where tourism businesses from both counties exchanged promotional materials, and learned about Ojibway culture.
• The Business Enterprise Centre offered two grant programs supporting local small businesses and student entrepreneurs in addition to providing dozens of free consultations.
• Grey Bruce Local Immigration Partnership (GBLIP) gave its year four update to Grey County Council. Highlights included the 2024 Immigrant Survey, and the equity diversity and inclusion trainer project.
• The Gather Campaign, led by Culinary Ambassador Chef Roger Mooking, was launched, showcasing Grey County's culinary and agricultural strengths.
• The Sydenham Makers Market and Open House showcased local artisans including a special youth showcase.

Grey County operates three long-term care homes across the County; Grey Gables in Markdale, Lee Manor in Owen Sound, and Rockwood Terrace in Durham providing high quality care for 316 residents.

• Grey County long-term care services achieved accreditation with exemplary standing under the Qmentum accreditation program. This reflects a strong commitment to high-quality, resident-centered care.
• A contract was awarded for the redevelopment of Rockwood Terrace, marking the largest capital project in Grey County’s history with a 2027 completion date.
• The Registered Nurses Association of Ontario (RNAO)’s Clinical Pathways program, a three-year initiative to enhance resident care, was implemented.
• Rockwood Terrace celebrated its 40th anniversary.

Grey County Paramedic Services (PS) provides emergency ambulance service and community paramedicine programs to the residents and visitors of Grey County. In 2024 they responded to 15,740 calls for service and served hundreds of community paramedicine patients.

• Construction is underway in Durham on the new Paramedic Services Base. The project aims to improve service delivery.
• Council received a report on Paramedic Services response times and projected call volumes and directed staff to move forward with plans to ensure response times can be maintained, which included securing land for a future base in Feversham.
• Reporting showed paramedics exceeded 2023 response time targets for all call types.
• The Supportive Outreach Services (SOS) program moved from the Owen Sound Farmers’ Market to the new OSHaRE location in Owen Sound, offering clients more convenient access to services in a more comfortable setting.
• Grey County paramedics were reaccredited following a positive service review by the Province of Ontario.
• A total of 11 ambulances were approved for ordered for the 2023, 2024, and 2025 years.
• Paramedic Teresa Tibbo received the Medical Directors Award for her contributions to prehospital care and community health, with emphasis on her work in mental health and addictions support.
• Grey County enhanced paramedic services by adding a 12-hour shift at bases in Hanover and Owen Sound to address increasing emergency call volumes and maintain and improve response times.
• Paramedics were trained and equipped to administer Suboxone as an effective treatment for opioid overdoses.
• Grey County has partnered with Brightshores Health System to support direct patient transport to specialized addiction services at the new Wellness & Recovery Centre in Owen Sound.
• The SOS project received an award for improving health outcomes among marginalized populations. It exemplifies compassionate healthcare delivery in rural areas.

The Planning Department processes and approves planning applications to support the sustainable growth of our communities.

• Council approved updates to Grey County’s planning processes which adapt to provincial policy changes and will help speed up decisions and support development.
• A new ecological offsetting policy was created to preserve natural heritage during development or give developers flexibility to provide alternative environmental compensation if preservation isn’t possible.
• Work is underway to create a Regional Housing Strategy that will consider population growth, employment growth, and workforce impacts on local housing.

Transportation Services keeps 877 kilometers of county roads and 192 bridges and structures safe year-round – including during our significant snowstorms.

• Traffic and parking regulations were adjusted where needed to enhance road safety through speed limit reductions and new no parking zones.
• A new roundabout was opened at the intersection of Grey Roads 3 and 4 east of Hanover to improve traffic flow and reduce the volume of serious collisions.
• The Urban Road Exchange Task Force was established to explore long-term enhancements and efficiencies in the Grey County road network.
• Other major road construction projects in the 2024 season included:
  • Reconstruction of 8.3 km of Grey Road 40 between Grey Road 7 and Grey Road 13 including culvert replacement, guide rail replacement, and asphalt pavement widening.
  • Reconstructing Grey Road 9 from Southgate Sideroad 7 to Southgate Sideroad 13, and Grey Road 14 from .9 km north of Southgate Road 24 to Grey Road 4.
  • Reconstruction of Grey Road 13 between Sideroad 7B and Sideroad 13B, including culvert replacement, guide rail replacement, and asphalt pavement widening.
  • Paving and reconstructing a portion of Grey Road 16 and lowering the road just east of Concession 5 Derby to improve visibility.
  • Replacement of bridge 9-349, located on Grey Road 9, 1.5 km west of Grey Road 23.

Grey County has declared a climate emergency and adopted Going Green in Grey: Climate Change Action Plan 2022-2050.

• The Tri-County Green Development Standards project was initiated with Dufferin and Wellington Counties to encourage efficient construction and reduce the environmental impact of buildings.
• Collaborated with Grey Agricultural Services and Wellington County on the Experimental Acres program, providing six farms with mitigation funding to test innovative practices aimed at improving soil health and increasing carbon capture.
• An energy conservation and demand management plan was created to help Grey County measure current energy performance and plan ways to meet objectives of Going Green in Grey.
• The Town of The Blue Mountains, in collaboration with Grey County, offered a Youth Climate Action Fund with microgrants ranging from $1,500 to $6,000 for youth-led climate initiatives after the Town received $50,000 from the Bloomberg Centre for Public Innovations.
• Grey County received coaching from ICLEI Canada to support the development of a Grey County Climate Adaptation Plan.
• Co-hosted the third annual Youth Climate Action Conference in Owen Sound which welcomed 130+ elementary students and 30 educators from Grey and Bruce Counties.
• Work continued to green the county administration building property by planting more trees and pollinator habitat.