City of Owen Sound Interpretive Plaque Program

The City of Owen Sound began its Interpretive Plaque Program in 1998 with the installation of five plaques along the inner harbour. In August of 2004, the City unveiled the 31st plaque in the program, and there are plans for more to come.

In the 2002 City of Owen Sound Strategic Plan, "Cultural Strategical Initiatives" section, the first initiative reads:

"The City should give greater emphasis to preserving and celebrating its unique history through architectural preservation and historical interpretation."

Suggested actions to meet this initiative include, but are not limited to:

1. Develop a systematic and comprehensive "storytelling" experience as part of the City's interpretive programs (e.g. plaques, heritage preservation, etc.).
2. Celebrate Marine heritage (e.g. plaques, Marine Rail Museum, etc.)
3. Encourage the development of the Black Heritage Theme in Owen Sound and area (e.g. terminus of underground railway).
4. Support and promote local military/aviation history.

The Interpretive Plaque Program helps to implement many of these actions in order to meet the goals set out in the Strategic Plan. The plaques, placed along the harbour and other urban walkways throughout the City, are designed to celebrate the rich heritage of the City. The interesting and attractive plaques create awareness and foster excitement about the history of Owen Sound for residents and visitors alike. The plaques are separated into the categories of: Local Heroes, Historical Owen Sound, and Black History of Owen Sound.

Tour Our Interpretive Plaques

• Index of plaques - Full lists of our plaques by type
• Map of plaque locations
• Tour all locations - Take a step by step tour through all of the sites at your own pace. No plug-ins required.

Credits

Direction and supervision for the plaque program comes from the Community Services Department in conjunction with the Municipal Heritage Advisory Committee (MHAC) (formerly the Local Architectural Conservation Advisory Committee (LACAC)). Local historian Andrew Armitage has played a key role by researching and writing the text for almost all of the plaques. Design work for the plaques is completed by Austin Graphics of 2nd Avenue East in Owen Sound. Production of the signs themselves has been undertaken by a number of local companies including Concept Signs, Rutherford Signs, and most recently, Miller Photoplaques & Nameplates.

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