Owen Sound’s economy may be slowing, but it won’t take much to turn it around.
That’s the assessment of Owen Sound Economic Development Manager Steve Furness, who admits the Global economic slowdown has crept in to the Scenic city in recent economic numbers.
Those numbers show unemployment in the area up to 8.8 per cent this year compared with 5.1 per cent a year ago.
Building permits are off 42 per cent from the same time a year ago, and the average home price is down nearly 8 per cent.
But Furness says it doesn’t take much for those construction figures to reverse into the positive territory.
He also says his phone is still ringing with business leaders looking to invest in Owen Sound.
Furness says more people are applying for courses at Georgian College this fall, as they retrain themselves to get back into the labour market.
Others Furness says, are exploring the opportunity of opening their own business — and are calling the Enterprise centre for help.