*        Every owner or occupant of a vacant or occupied building immediately adjoining any street in the City of Owen Sound is required to remove snow and ice from the roof of the building to prevent it from falling onto any street or a sufficient barrier must be placed near the edge of the roof adjoining the street to prevent snow or ice falling into the street.

*        Every owner or occupant of the ground floor of a building (including hallways, laneways or alleyways adjoining the sidewalks on the streets) is responsible for snow and ice to be removed from the sidewalk.

*        Snow and ice must be removed from the sidewalk in front of your business within four (4) hours after every snow fall that occurs during daylight hours and before nine (9) o’clock in the morning following a snowfall

*        When the owner or occupant fails to remove snow and ice from the sidewalk as required under the provisions of By-Law 2008-046 the Operations Department of the City may remove the snow and ice and charge for the removal in the same manner as Municipal Taxes.  There may also be a fine.

Let’s be considerate of those shoppers we welcome into our stores and businesses by making it as convenient and safe as possible for them.  They’ll thank you for it.

Riding bikes on sidewalks can be very dangerous. First of all, there is a greater chance of serious collisions with pedestrians as they move in and out of buildings, along sidewalks, and as they exit and enter curb-side parked vehicle. Secondly, the possibility serious collisions with motor vehicles also increases as sidewalk cyclists cross driveways and through intersections.  In fact research shows that sidewalk cycling is twice as dangerous as cycling on the street, and cycling against the traffic on the sidewalk is over four times as dangerous as cycling on the street.

Just don’t do it!

Sidewalks are for pedestrians.  Please ride responsibly.

Infractions can be reported to the City of Owen Sound By-Law Division at 519-376-1440.

Downtown Owen Sound Gift Certificates are great for downtown merchants, businesses and professionals too. Redeemable only in Downtown Owen Sound, they give shoppers another good reason to keep coming back.

Available in $5 and $20 denominations, Downtown Owen Sound Gift Certificates are available at the DIA office and should be honoured by all merchants, businesses, and professionals in the Owen Sound Downtown Improvement Area*.

Redeeming Downtown Owen Sound Gift Certificates is simple. If your business operates within the DIA boundaries* just deposit any Downtown Owen Sound Gift Certificates received along with your regular deposit. No special processing is required.

Click here for more info or call Tabetha or Irwin at the DIA Office at 519-376-9225

Gift Certificates can be purchased Monday to Friday between 9am—4:30pm at the DIA Office—854 2nd Avenue East in beautiful Downtown Owen Sound.

* Owen Sound Downtown Improvement Area boundaries are 11th Street East to the north, 7th Street East to the south, the Sydenham River to the west, and 4th Avenue East to the east.

All Downtown Businesses, non-profit community groups, and non-DIA commercial organizations interested in participating must complete the HYS Registration Request Form which is now available online at www.downtownowensound.ca, or at the DIA office (854 2nd Avenue East).

Look for the HYS store window poster in the June DIA Newsletter and for more info online at www.downtownowensound.ca (as it becomes available).

Click here to download
2010 Hottest Yard Sale Registration Form

NOTE:  Downloadable Registration Form must be printed, signed and faxed (or hand-delivered) to the OSDIA Office
(fax 519-376-3908 | address 854 2nd Avenue East)

Click here for more information about the 22nd Annual Hottest Yard Sale Under the Sun

Event Sponsors

The Owen Sound Downtown Improvement Area (OSDIA) facilitated this bulk purchase to minimize wholesale costs and to save our members money.

The OSDIA will not be selling these logoed bags directly to the public, but will make them available in multiples of 25, to our merchant members (“at our bulk cost”), with a suggested retail price of $4.99 each.

These heavy-duty nylon packable bags measure 15” x 16” and easily fold to a pocket size 3” x 4”.

A great branding tool for our downtown community, reusable Experience Downtown Owen Sound bags are great for merchant gifting and/or resale.

Contact Carolyn or Irwin at the OSDIA Office for more details (519-376-9225).

Quantities are limited and to avoid disappointment, we encourage you to call today.

All OSDIA member stores carrying these bags will be listed here at www.downtownowensound.ca.
As new merchants join the program, we will up date the listing.

You can also click on map image to download PDF copy right now.

Whether it’s Valentine’s Day, Father’s Day, or back-to-schooltime, a good window display should include a theme. Moreover, you want to highlight your store’s image. Are you trendy? Cutting edge? High end? Do you offer great bargains? While you can’t judge a book by its cover, you can tell a lot about a store by its window displays. Many retailers overlook the potential of their display windows to grab the attention of potential customers. Think of them as three-dimensional billboards.

From a creative aspect, there is a lot that can be done to make your store windows dazzle. However, there are also practical concerns to address. Before you begin, first consider these ten tips:

1. Don’t overdo it. Less can be more, or at least more easily discernable to the eye. A cluttered window loses appeal and featured items can get lost.
2. Make merchandise the focal point. Not unlike a television commercial in which everyone remembers the commercial but forgets the product, you do not want your window dressing to overshadow your products.
3. Accentuate products with good lighting. Whether the window is recessed or under a spotlight, the goal is to highlight the products within the overall display. If the window design simply features your brand/image, rather than specific products, then balance the lighting throughout.
4. Stack products or use a pyramid. Place items in the window at varying heights and depths to catch shoppers’ attention and make the overall display inviting to the eye.
5. Have fun with mannequins. If you are using mannequins, create interesting poses, and make sure that each one is well lit and easily visible to customers passing by.
6. Be creative. Let your imagination run free – as long as you don’t lose sight of the objective – and draw customers into the store with innovative, attractive, and compelling displays.
7. Remember your theme. Keep your window theme in mind and decorate according to that theme.
8. Draw in drivers. If your potential customers drive rather than walk, make your display larger and use more color to draw the attention of a passing motorist.
9. Use backdrops. Backdrops are useful tools to create positive and forceful displays, and to separate the window from the store.
10. Stock up on featured products. Don’t draw customers in to buy merchandise that you don’t have enough of.

Professional Help vs. Do It Yourself

Yes, you can spend money to have someone come in and do your windows for you. There are highly skilled and professional windowdressers out there who can do amazing things. Of course, before you hire an outside person, be sure to see a portfolio of their work and ask for references. However, unless you own or manage a major department store with numerous windows, you should be able to handle the job yourself. If you have an exceptionally creative member on staff, you might consider making this person the de facto window designer.

Once you start working on the actual displays, go outside often to get an idea of how the display looks from the outside. Does it grab your attention? Is your theme clear? Keep tinkering until you have the look that you want, and remember to change your window displays often to keep them fresh.”

(from All Business Online)

• Decorating Sense
• Che Bello Desing
• Essortment
• How to Decorate Store-Front Windows

Do you have a good source of info to add to our list of helpful links?  If so, let us know at feedback@downtownowensound.ca.