March 14 Meeting Highlights

Grey County Council met on March 14, 2024, in the Council Chamber and virtually on Zoom. The meeting was immediately followed by a session of Committee of the Whole. Recordings of the meetings can be found on Grey County’s YouTube Channel.

County Council

• Council accepted the minutes of the February 22 County Council and Committee of the Whole meetings. Council  Committee
• Council received a verbal update from Medical Officer of Health Dr. Ian Arra on local public health matters. Grey Bruce Public Health has reached out to neighbouring health units to explore options for merging. These mergers would be voluntary. The Board approved the 2024 budget which included a 1% increase from municipalities, matching the increase from the province. Dr. Arra also spoke of rising cases of measles in Canada. There are no active cases in Grey Bruce. Council voted to receive the November 24 Board of Health meeting minutes.  Minutes

Committee of the Whole

• Council heard a delegation from Islay Graham and Jiya Kukreja of St. Mary’s High School in Owen Sound. Islay and Jiya presented The Pencil Project, a book they have written documenting the experiences of first-generation immigrants in Grey and Bruce Counties. The pair have been recognized for the project and will be participating in an international business competition for students in California in April.
• The Supportive Outreach Services (SOS) program has a new meeting place in Owen Sound. The clinic has moved from the Owen Sound Farmers’ Market to the new OSHaRE location. This is a better location for the clinic year-round with convenient access to a large kitchen and services. The Owen Sound Family Health Team also donated an exam bed to SOS to assist with patient assessments.  Presentation
• Grey County paramedics exceeded response targets for all call types in 2023. Council received the annual report which also showed performance matching or exceeding the service’s five-year average. Grey County paramedics responded to a record 15,046 calls for response in 2023.  Report   Media Release
• Grey County paramedics have been reaccredited following a positive service review by the province. The paramedic review must be completed every three years.  Report
• Grey County will move forward with ambulance purchases for 2023, 2024 and 2025 years. Delivery times for orders are approximately 24 months. This has caused the 2023 order to be delayed and prices increase. Grey County has seen ambulance costs rise by 67% in the past five years. There is only one approved vendor of ambulances in Ontario. A total of 11 ambulances will be ordered.  Report
• ATVs and side-by-sides have caused damage in Grey County’s Glenelg Klondyke forest property. Motorized vehicles are not permitted in this Grey County forest. In 2023 Council asked staff to investigate ways to prevent this unauthorized use. Staff presented findings to Council which show the best action to take at this time is a focus on improved signs, trail user education and tactics to minimize future trespassing. Council supported the recommendation. Report
• Council discussed a long-standing lease agreement in place with Midwest Co-Operative Services Inc. in Dundalk abutting the CP Rail Trail. Grey County intends to declare the lands surplus and will present Midwest Co-Op with options to purchase the lands later this year at a fair market value, or to enter into a new lease agreement later this year that would include a purchase option. Grey County would retain the 20-metre CPR Rail Trail corridor.  Report
• Council received training on Land Acknowledgements in a closed session at the meeting. 

The Clerk’s Department maintains the official record for Grey County. This publication is intended to provide meeting highlights only. For official records, please refer to the meeting minutes, or contact the Clerk’s Department at 1-800-567-4739.