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

Keep a couple in you purse, pocket or glovebox of you car … They are easy to carry and store and are great for both planned and last minute shopping trips.

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

Experience Downtown Owen Sound reusable bags are available at the following participating downtown merchants:

• Candy Store Emporium (The)
  299 10th Street East
• Downtown Bookstore (The)
  843 2nd Avenue East Owen Sound
• Rocking Horse (The)
  843 2nd Avenue East Owen Sound
• more coming soon

If you answered yes to any of the above questions … we need you!

With a strong commitment and a wide range of perspectives, knowledge, skills, and experiences, our Marketing and Streetscape Committees are enthusiastically moving forward with a strong vision for Downtown Owen Sound success. Please consider volunteering and sharing your experience with one of these great Committees.

Committees meet monthly and work “hands-on” with OSDIA staff to manage beautification, maintenance, promotions, and event activities that support the DIA mission of 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 our members.

If you would like more information or are interested in serving on one of these volunteer committees, please contact the Owen Sound Downtown Improvement Area Manager, Irwin Seidman at 519-376-9225.

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.

Under the direction of the volunteer run Owen Sound Art Banner Committee, and with the support of the Owen Sound Downtown Improvement Area, and the City of Owen Sound, a new series of 48 art banners will be raised in the Downtown this spring. Details are still being finalized and we expect to have more information available by late March.

Stay informed … Sign up for Owen Sound Art Banner updates and announcements through their new email subscription service at www.artbanner.ca.

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)