comfortable waiting area
separated from the offices by
a large glass door which re-
quires a key fob to open.
The office area contains 22
office suites, “Hot Desks”, a
dedicated medical exam
room, a 12 person board-
room, a 24 person class-
room, a print/copy centre,
kitchenette, mail boxes,
washrooms, accessibility lift
and rear entrance with ac-
cess to the parking lot. All
entrances are protected by
video surveillance, which also
allows for a “video doorbell”
for clients who enter the
building from the parking lot.
Each office is outfitted with a
desk, ergonomic work chair,
2 guest chairs and file stor-
age. The boardroom is
equipped with a 70-inch
“smart” television, comforta-
ble, ergonomic seating for 12
Professionalism, flexibility and
convenience were the driving
forces when David Stobbe
began renovating the second
floor of his family’s downtown
business. David recalls the year
1977 when he helped to de-
molish the structure which had
previously occupied the space,
and helped during the new
construction. These memories
came to the surface as he and
his mother, Joan, the current
building owner, cut the cake at
the May 12, 2015 grand open-
ing of SuiteSpots.
At first, David was expecting a
certain transience to his cli-
ents. With tenancy options for
the day, week, or month,
SuiteSpots
is the per-
fect office
solution for
today’s on-
the-go free-
lancer or
work-from-
home entre-
preneur. To
David’s sur-
prise and
delight he is finding tenants
are interested in longer stays
after experiencing SuiteSpots
for themselves. And why
not? SuiteSpots is a vision of
modern professionalism and
luxury convenience from the
first impression to the finest
details. The flexible tenancy
plans and rates allow anyone
to have access to a fully fur-
nished and fully serviced
office for any amount of
time, for any type of busi-
ness.
As you open the street level
door to a clean and stylish
stairwell, you are greeted by
a digital directory which
advertises the suite numbers
of the businesses within.
Continue up the stairs to the
lobby and you know you’ve
stepped into a truly modern
office space. The lobby con-
tains a reception desk and
Finding Your Sweet Spot At SuiteSpots Written by Trevor Parsons
Business Name
Volume 2016, Issue 1 January 2016 Newsletter
Downtown Owen Sound News Downtown Owen Sound News
854 2nd Avenue East
Owen Sound, ON
N4K 2H3
p. 519.376.9225
f. 519.376.3908
downtownowensound.ca
Inside this issue:
Spotlight: Finding Your
Sweet Spot at SuiteSpots 1
Artist’s Co-op New Location
2
New Business
Downtown 2
Lupercalia Festival Returns 3
Upcoming Downtown
Events 3
The OSDIA Board
of Management 4
OWENOWEN SOUNDSOUND DIA QDIA QUARTERLYUARTERLY
Thank you to Jen Renouf of Foto Art for
the photo used in this month’s banner.
Downtown Kiwanis Santa Clause Parade 2015
David Stobbe and his mother,
Joan, cut the cake
at SuiteSpots’
grand
opening.
SuiteSpots reception/
lobby and waiting area.
Page 2
Downtown Owen Sound News
professional com-
munity.
Another option
offered by Stobbe
at SuiteSpots is the
“Virtual Office.”
For a monthly fee
a virtual office
package includes a
physical mailing
address, mail han-
dling, courier management and
access to scheduled boardroom
use at a discounted rate. This
allows web-based entrepre-
neurs to create a professional
business image without incur-
ring the costs of a physical
workplace.
With all of the convenient
amenities and flexible tenancy
options, SuiteSpots is a unique
office solution, but what really
sets them apart is the full time
concierge/receptionist service.
From 8:30am to 5:00pm, Mon-
day to Friday, Trish or Penny
are available to assist with all
manner of business services.
They manage incoming and
outgoing mail, welcome clients
and guests, coordinate catering,
copywriting, and bookkeeping
services, troubleshoot technical
issues within the building and
always keep the coffee flowing.
Ultimately, they act as an exten-
sion of your business team, all
included in your rent.
David Stobbe is as open, friend-
ly, and approachable as the of-
fice space he has created, and
he invites any small business
owner, freelancer, or entrepre-
neur to come by and see how
SuiteSpots can benefit any busi-
people, teleconference and
video conference capabilities,
and, of course, whiteboard and
easel. The classroom is
equipped with a projector,
whiteboard, easel, and seating
with workspace for 24 people.
There is high speed internet,
both wired and wireless,
throughout the building, com-
plete with network firewall,
virus filter, anti-spam and web
filter. The office suites, hot
desks, boardroom and class-
room are all available to rent
for terms varying in length
from a half-day to over a year,
with no lease required.
Hot desks are workspaces in a
common area designed for
professionals who would nor-
mally work from home, their
car, or a coffee shop, and are
intended to promote a profes-
sional business community, or
“coworking.” Coworking is
when freelancers and profes-
sionals from different fields
share the same work place
enabling them to
share resources,
ideas, feedback, and
sometimes, even
clients. By 2020 it
is expected that up
to 40% of the
North American
workforce will be
freelancers, temp
workers, independ-
ent contractors
and solo entrepreneurs. The
hot desks are a great way for
these types of professionals to
be rid of the isolation of work-
ing from home and the distrac-
tions of working in a public
place, while being part of a
ness. To arrange a tour, con-
tact David by phone: (226)
664-1700, or by email: Da-
[email protected]. Take a
virtual tour at
www.SuiteSpots.com.
SuiteSpots is your all-
inclusive, one-stop-shop for
any business in need of office
space, temporarily or long-
term. Find your “sweet spot”
at SuiteSpots, downtown
Owen Sound at 1051 2nd
Avenue East, across the
street from Metro.
SuiteSpots
1051 2nd Avenue East
Owen Sound ON N4K 2H7
Tel: (226) 664-1700
www.suitespots.com
SuiteSpots continued
NEW TO DOWNTOWN
Thriftology
271 9th Street East
Interesting and Exciting
Business News?
Share your story, history, event
or thoughts with us, and we can
share it with the membership on
our Facebook page.
Be sure to “LIKE”
the OSDIA!
The OSDIA would like to
congratulate the Artist’s Co-
op on their successful move
to their new location in the
old McKay building at 942 2nd
Avenue East. Best wishes for
your continued success!
A standard office suite includes a modern desk,
ergonomic work chair, and guest chairs (laptop
not included).
The boardroom, with
“smart” TV and comfort-
able seating for 12.
DOWNTOWN EVENTS
Every Friday!
The Bleeding Carrot Open Mic: 4-6 pm
Live Music @ Jazzmyns 8 pm
Live Jazz @ Avalon Jazz Lounge 9 pm
Live Music @ The Dark Side 10 pm
Open Every Saturday Year Round
Owen Sound Farmers’ Market
8:00 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.
Every Sunday
Avalon Jazz Lounge
Sunday Brunch + Live Jazz
* * * * * * *
January 21, 2016
Explore Your True Self 6:30-9pm
Sant Mat Meditation Centre
January 22, 2016
Alyssa Schroder Art Opening 7-9pm
The Milk Maid
January 23, 2016
The Mudmen 7pm
Roxy Theatre
January 25, 2016
Coco Love Alcorn & C.R. Avery 8pm
Heartwood Concert Hall
February 4-6, 10-13, 2016
To Kill a Mockingbird 7:30pm
Roxy Theatre
Friday February 5, 2016
Frisky First Friday
Late Night Shopping Downtown
February 12-13, 2016
Lupercalia Winter Multi-Arts Festival
Music, Workshops & More
* * * * * * *
Visit often and make
Downtown Owen Sound
a part of your family plans!
downtownowensound.ca/events
Page 3
January 2016
Lupercalia Festival Returns - By Trevor Parsons
The Lupercalia Winter Multi-
Arts Festival is returning to
downtown Owen Sound!
Organizer Josh Richardson, of
Mudtown Redords, has
scheduled the festival for Feb-
ruary 12 and 13 at multiple
venues in the downtown. The
festival is set to include musi-
cal performances, workshops,
panel discussions, spoken
word performances, and a
special treat, the Luper-
Culinary Lounge for VIP ticket
holders, giving festival-goers
lots to look forward to in the
dead of winter.
Musical performances will
take place at the Heartwood
Concert Hall, located at 939
2nd Ave. East, and will include
the likes of Skye Wallace and
The Sadies on Friday night,
with Cupcake Ductape,
Hervana, Friendly Rich and
the Lollipop People, as well
as The Souljazz Orchestra
performing on Saturday.
Friday night’s headliners, The
Sadies, are a Juno Award-
winning roots-rock band
who have performed with
Canadian music legends Neil
Young, Randy Bachman, and
Buffy Sainte-Marie. Saturday
night’s headliners, The
Souljazz Orchestra’s sound
has been described as “an
explosive clash of Soul, Jazz,
Afro, Latin and Caribbean
styles, unleashed by blaring
majestic horns, dusty vintage
keyboards, and an arsenal of
earthquaking percussion.”
With the high caliber of
musical talent and sounds
this diverse, there’s sure to
be something to please eve-
ryone.
Stuart Berman, author, pro-
ducer, and music journalist,
will speak at an event called
“Rock & Writing” at the
Owen Sound & North Grey
Union Public Library on Sat-
urday evening. Berman has
been writing about pop cul-
ture in Toronto since 1994
and is the author of two
books about popular Cana-
dian bands, “This Book is
Broken: A Broken Social
Scene Story,” and “Too
Much Trouble: A Very Oral
History of Danko Jones.” He
is also a producer for CBC
Radio’s daily show “Q” and a
regular contributor to Pitch-
fork Media and Toronto Life
Magazine. Attendees will
surely gain some insight into
what it means to write
about music for a living. This
will be a free event for chil-
dren, however everyone
else will have to pay a small
fee.
Also at the library, there will
be a panel discussion entitled
“Art as a Cultural Connect-
or” on Saturday evening.
The three panelists have
varying backgrounds involving
different aspects of music and
culture. All bring a unique per-
spective to the discussion.
Richard Marsella is the Execu-
tive Director of the Regent
Park School of Music, which is
a non-profit community music
school in Toronto with a goal
“to give as many kids as possi-
ble a music education by re-
moving the financial obstacle.”
Charles Glasspool is a musi-
cian and music educator who
won a 2014 Prime Minister’s
Award for Teaching Excellence
Certificate of Achievement.
Blaine Courtney is the Chair-
man of the Owen Sound
Emancipation Festival and a
recipient of the 2014 New-
comer Champion Award.
There will be a spoken word
performance at the Ginger
Press Bookshop, located at
848 2nd Ave. East, on Friday
night. Playwright, poet, and
spoken word artist Cathy
Petch will perform, along with
Owen Sound Poets Laureate
Larry Jensen and Rob Rolfe.
The Luper-Culinary Lounge,
located at The Milk Maid at
947 2nd Ave. East, will be
open to VIP ticket holders
both evenings from 6:30pm to
8:30pm. It will feature local
gourmet food and refresh-
ments, a special treat for your
taste buds.
Advance tickets are on sale
now and will be available until
February 11th. A weekend
pass is $90 and a VIP weekend
pass is $120. Single day passes
are also available, $50 for gen-
eral admission or $65 for VIP
passes. Visit
www.mudtownrecords.com to
purchase tickets or to view the
full line-up. For more infor-
mation call 519-416-8696.
Mudtown Records
329 7th Street East
Owen Sound ON N4K 1J1
Tel: (519) 416-8696
www.mudtownrecords.com
Board of Management
Board Chair - David Parsons
(proprietor of Parsons Foto Source)
email: [email protected]
Kathy Hannen, Treasurer
(prop. of Grey Bruce Business Services)
email: [email protected]
Dianne Mattice, Director
(prop. of The Rocking Horse)
email: [email protected]
Francesca Dobbyn, Director
(Executive Director, United Way))
email: [email protected]
Rodney Rodger, Director
(Kornblum’s Men’s Wear)
Councillor Peter Lemon
(City Council Rep)
email: [email protected]
Councillor Brian O’Leary
(City Council Rep)
email: [email protected]
Lisa Cruickshank
email: [email protected]
Inspector Vince Wurfel
(O.S. Police Service Liaison)
email: [email protected]
Steve Furness
(City of Owen Sound Rep)
email: [email protected]
Deb Blackshaw, OSDIA Coordinator
email: [email protected]
About the OSDIA: The Owen Sound Downtown Improvement Area was created in 1973 under the Ontario Municipal Act and is provincially mandated to
“oversee the improvement, beautification and maintenance of municipally-owned land, buildings and structures in the area beyond that provided at the expense of
the municipality generally; and to promote the area as a business or shopping area.” In support of this mandate, our mission is to provide effective leadership in the
ongoing development of the membership area as a vibrant and sustainable business, cultural, and residential community. We believe that we can achieve this goal
by supporting initiatives aimed at improving, beautifying, and promoting the membership area on behalf of all of our members. The municipally legislated bounda-
ries for the Owen Sound Downtown Improvement Area are 11th Street East (to the north), 7th Street East (to the south), the Sydenham River (to the west), and
4th Street Avenue (to the east). Your comments are always welcome at [email protected].
854 Second Avenue East, Owen Sound, ON N4K 2H3 | p. 519.376.9225 f. 519.376.3908 | downtownowensound.ca
2016 Calendar As a member of the Owen Sound DIA you are always welcome to make a Deputation or
simply attend a Committee or Board meeting. The calendar below outlines Committee
Meeting and Board Meeting dates. For more information please contact the OSDIA office.
Please note that Marketing and Board Meetings begin at 5:30 p.m.