Photo by Matt Hermiz June 26, 2025
Extensive repairs required to reopen the Centennial Tower in Owen Sound could be undertaken in 2027.
Council passed a motion during its meeting Monday to add a $265,000 Centennial Tower rehabilitation job to the city’s funded projects in the 2026-30 Capital Plan, specifically in 2027.
The popular tower — which features a spiral staircase and viewing platform — has been closed since August 2024 due to structural concerns.
“I do think this is an asset which was built by residents of the city for people’s enjoyment, long term,” Owen Sound Deputy Mayor Scott Greig says. “There is a responsibility and obligation for whatever council of the time to recognize the work needs to be done.”
The Centennial Tower was constructed in 1967 by students of West Hill Secondary School and OSCVI. It was a centennial project to celebrate Canada’s 100th birthday.
Corrosion, and loss of steel panels that support the upper concrete tower were identified as the most notable concerns by an engineering firm that completed a structural review and recommended the Centennial Tower’s closure in 2024.
“It was also identified that the entrance arches of the inner brick layer, supported by the steel panels, are showing signs of deflection, and some bricks have shifted,” a previous staff report to council explains.