Confirmed by Owen Sound City Council at their March 8, 2010 meeting, Dianne Mattice (The Rocking Horse), Renee Fair (The Candy Store Emporium), and Rodney Rodger (Greyfair Carpet & Furniture) have joined the DIA Board of Management.

Please join the staff, volunteers and directors of the Owen Sound Downtown Improvement Area in welcoming Dianne, Renee, and Rodney to the team.

The Government of Ontario recently introduced legislation under the Occupational Health and Safety Act (OHSA) in an attempt to address violence and harassment in the workplace.

As of June 15, 2010, businesses in Ontario with more than 5 employees must prepare and post a workplace violence policy. Workplace violence is defined in the OHSA as:

• the exercise of physical force by a person against a worker, in a workplace, that causes or could cause physical injury to the worker;
• an attempt to exercise physical force against a worker in a workplace, that could cause physical injury to a worker;
• statement or behavior that is reasonable for a worker to interpret as a threat to exercise physical force against the worker, in a workplace, that could cause physical injury to the worker.

Employers will also be required to prepare and post a written policy regarding workplace violence and harassment at every location where more than 5 workers are regularly employed. The OHSA defines workplace harassment as engaging in a course of vexatious comment or conduct against a worker in a workplace that is known or ought reasonably to be known to be unwelcome.

Workplace violence and harassment programs will require the following:

• Measures and procedures to control risks identified in a violence risk assessment
• Measures and procedures for summoning immediate assistance when workplace violence occurs or is likely to occur
• Measures and procedures for workers to report incidents of workplace violence to the employer or supervisor; and
• The means by which the employer will investigate and deal with incidents or complaints of workplace violence.

Employer programs must include, at minimum, measures and procedures for workers to report incidents of workplace harassment to the employer or supervisor, and set out the means by which the employer will investigate and deal with incidents and complaints of workplace harassment.

Employers will be required to train workers about their workplace violence and workplace harassment policies.

A worker is permitted to refuse work if workplace violence is likely to endanger himself or herself. The refusing worker must remain in a safe place that is as near as reasonably possible to his or her workstation and available to the employer for the purposes of the investigation.

Further, an employer must take every reasonable precaution for the protection of a worker if the employer becomes aware, or ought reasonably to be aware, that domestic violence that would likely expose a worker to physical injury may occur in the workplace.

Section 52 of the OHSA requires employers to prepare a notice in the event that a worker is disabled from their regular duties, or requires medical attention as a result of workplace violence.

For more information please refer to the Ministry of Labour website: http://www.labour.gov.on.ca/English/.

If you have any questions or general concerns about this issue, please contact Gary Rygus, Director, Government Relations (Ontario) at (416)-922-0553, ext. 225: e-mail: grygus@retailcouncil.org.

Move-in solutions
Whether big or small, your office needs can be quickly accommodated with currently available office space. Add your finishing touches and you are ready for business!

Custom Solutions
With over 40,000 sq. feet of new space available for lease, almost any configuration is possible. Your specific needs can be incorporated into the design of your office space.

The Professional Centre’s current tenants include a wide range of healthcare and business professionals.

Technological Infrastructure

• Best building in Owen Sound for high speed broadband internet access
• Fibre optic connectivity available
• Superior Telephone infrastructure
• Card access control system being implemented for building and parking lot

Amenities

• On-site building manager
• Handicap accessible
• Public transit
• Convenient central location
• Elevators
• On-site parking for staff and clients
• Public washrooms
• Air conditioning
• Daily janitorial services
• Coffee Shop

Current Tenants

• Acclaim Ability Management
• Anley, Marg
• Arsenault, Lisa
• BayDent Dental Centre
• Career Essentials
• Career Horizons
• Cascade Disability
• CIBC Wood Gundy
• Drury, Andrew
• Gaviller & Company
• GB Legal Clinic
• Henderson Paddon
• Home Sleep Care
• Hunsberger, Donald (Dr)
• Keystone Services
• LifeLabs – MDS Labs
• Lumley, Marilyn
• Marsden, Robert (Dr)
• Marsh, Alexander (Dr)
• Moyse, Dale
• Owen Sound Audiology
• Owen Sound Family Health Team
• Owen Sound Sleep Lab
• Owen Sound X-Ray
• Oweson
• Paramed Home Health
• Physiotherapy III
• Taylor, Gordon (Dr)
• Van Steyn, John

If you haven’t had a chance to see the gorgeous new store yet, drop by and say hi the Sue and Yvonne and check out the new displays of trophies and awards, custom frames, and original artwork by Sue Allison.

Click here for more information about Trophies Two & Georgian Gallery

Thanks again.

Best Regards
Irwin Seidman, Manager
Owen Sound Downtown Improvement Area
854 2nd Ave.E., Owen Sound, ON, N4K 2H3
519.376.9225 | irwin@downtownowensound.ca
www.downtownowensound.ca

I suspect that many of the same discussions that have taken place in the office and boardroom of the Owen Sound Downtown Improvement Area have also take place in the offices, boardrooms and on the streets of BIA/DIAs across the province. This adhoc survey attempts to gather some of these “hot topics” items together in a way that makes it easy for us to share our experiences, best practices, challenges and opportunities.

We would be grateful if you could take a few minutes to complete this survey. Your identity will be confidential but the statistics and anecdotes will be shared among the participants at the end of the survey period.

Brief Overview:

• Section 1: Introduction
• Section 2: Contact Info
• Section 3: Staying Financially Healthy
• Section 4: Beautification
• Section 5: Parking
• Section 6: Boundary Expansion
• Section 7: Incorporation
• Section 8: Video Surveillance
• Section 9: Relationships
• Section 10: General Comments

This survey should take only 10-20 minutes to complete and will be available from March 15, 2010 to May 31, 2010.

Please click the image below to start the 2010 DIA/BIA Hot Topics Survey

(This survey has been created using SurveyMonkey)

Your views are important and will no doubt help our friends at the Kiwanis Club of Owen Sound determine the future of this very exciting annual downtown event.

The survey deadline has been extended to March 6, 2010.

Click here for more info and to complete the very short survey.

• Monday, March 1st, 2010
• Rutherford Room
• Harry Lumley Bayshore Community Centre
• 1900 3rd Avenue East, Owen Sound
• 6:00 P.M. Open House
• 7:00 Pm Presentation And Comments

Written and verbal comments will be received by City Council at the Public Open House. Written comments may be submitted to the City Clerk at the address below. Questions regarding the draft budget may be directed to the Director of Financial Services, Wayne Ritchie.

Transit services will be extended for the duration of the Public Open House.

M. I. Koepke, C.M.O.
City Clerk
City of Owen Sound
808 2nd Avenue East
OWEN SOUND ON N4K 2H4
Phone Number: 519-376-4440 ext. 1221
E-mail address: mkoepke@owensound.ca
Dated at the City of Owen Sound this 23rd day of February, 2010.

• OSDIA at a Glance (Board, Committees & Staff)
• Communications
• What is a DIA?
• What is the OSDIA?
• Manager’s Report
• Chair’s Report
• Treasurer’s Report
• Looking Ahead to 2010
• 2009 Audited Financial Statements
• 2010 Operating Budget

Click here to download the full Owen Sound Downtown Improvement Area’s 2009 Annual Report (PDF 3.5mb)

“Good evening. I would like to welcome everyone to the 2010 Annual General Meeting of the Downtown Improvement Area and thank you for joining us this evening.  I am Sue Carleton – Chair of the Downtown Improvement Area Board of Management and co-owner of E! Embroidery on 10th Street East.

I would like to draw everyone’s attention to the 2009 Annual Report which has been prepared by Irwin Seidman our manager, copies are available for everyone and it will also be published on our website.

This report is full of information about our DIA, such as what is a DIA, and what is the Owen Sound DIA, and the many ways to contact us. I encourage everyone to utilize one of these communication options, we value your input and it is the input of our members that helps ensure we continue to operate in the best interests of our membership. This report also includes our Vision and Mission statements, the treasurer’s report managers report, audited financial statements and 2010 proposed budget. I would like to thank Irwin for putting this together; it is very well done and very clearly represents our current DIA, what we do now and what we hope to do in the future.

Tonight, I would like to focus my report on our Vision Statement and what it means to me. The vision of the Owen Sound DIA is to make a “valuable, beneficial, and ongoing contribution to the DIA membership by effectively supporting initiatives that help to improve, beautify and promote the DIA community.”

I feel that this statement very clearly states what our board and committee members do for our downtown. They make a valuable, beneficial, and ongoing contribution to the DIA membership through the time they commit to the DIA. Without the time commitment that is made by all of these people we would not have the active vibrant downtown that we do.

Everyone brings a different idea or viewpoint to every meeting and together we create the events and projects that encourage customers and friends to come downtown so that they can enjoy our beautiful streetscape year round, and to take part in events such as the Taste of the Sound where retail store customers were encouraged to visit all of our downtown eating establishments. The Hottest Yard Sale Under the Sun takes a phenomenal amount of work to bring together, both by our office staff and by the volunteers who keep things running smoothly on the day of the sale.

Our streetscape committee puts considerable thought into what types of plants will look best in our downtown at the most reasonable cost, and the flower plantings are only a small part of what that committee has planned for the downtown. They are currently working on a plan to use the matching funds received from a the RED (Rural Economic Development) government grant to enhance the downtown. This is a three year program so it is a huge commitment of their time and energy. These are the people that make our “vision” a reality.

Our Mission Statement states that we are committed to “providing effective leadership in the ongoing development of the membership area as a vibrant and sustainable business, cultural, and residential community. We will achieve this goal by supporting initiatives aimed at improving, beautifying and promoting the membership area on behalf of all of its members.” The word I will focus on here is “community”.

Our downtown is a place where customers, business owners and the residents who live and or work here, also play here.

It is a place where they meet with friends for shopping or dining out, where they look after their personal or business financial needs at our local banks, insurance offices and investment companies, visit their doctor or dentist, work out at a fitness centre, go for coffee, get ideas for painting, papering or carpeting their home or office and then purchase new furniture to enjoy in that home or office.

These are just a few of the things to be done in our downtown.

Our downtown maintains that feeling of community where you greet friends and neighbours as you walk down the street or along the harbour or river. It is a place to enjoy the changing seasons, stroll around the Festival of Northern Lights displays at Christmas, watch the fishermen try their luck in summer and brave the ice in winter, enjoy the Farmers’ Market on Saturday morning at any time of the year, watch the flower bulbs unfold in the planters along the streets in the spring, and take part in the Hottest Yard Sale or events such as Buskerfest during the summer and check out the window displays during the Halloween decorating contest.

These are the things that make our downtown a community. Downtown is a place we proudly invite others from our extended community to join us to enjoy all that we have to offer. I feel very privileged to be part of this community.

To anyone who is interested in joining one of our committees or the board of management, we would love to have your input, new members come with new ideas and thoughts and those are always needed. Volunteers are also needed to help with delivering newsletters or at events as well, so if anyone has some time to spare to help out in those ways it would be much appreciated as well.

And finally, I would like to take this opportunity to thank all of those who work with me on the board of management, all of the committee members, our office staff and maintenance crew. It is a pleasure to work with everyone. By always keeping in mind that everything we do must be in the best interest of the downtown we make a difference. Thank you.

Again, thank you for joining us and I hope you enjoy the rest of the evening visiting with old friends and making new ones.”