Some demolition work was completed to remove a section of the fire-damaged grandstand at Victoria Park in Owen Sound.
Owen Sound Agricultural Society Past President Hillary Breadner says workers from Roy-Mar Demolition were on site Tuesday to remove about one-third of the grandstand structure. Some clean-up work was still ongoing Wednesday afternoon.
“We removed three bays of the grandstand that were most affected by the fire,” Breadner says. “We will be refurbishing the rest of the grandstand.”
The agricultural society’s grandstand at Owen Sound’s Victoria Park — right next to the Julie McArthur Regional Recreation Centre — was heavily damaged in a May 2024 fire, suspected at the time to have been caused by squatters. The blaze left the structure with visible charring on some of the remaining wood seating, and gaps in areas which were reduced to ashes.
Breadner says after demolition, removal and clean-up of the damaged grandstand section’s been completed, some refurbishment work will be undertaken on what remains. She says the footings need to be inspected and possibly reinforced to ensure the structure is safe for use and up to code, and then railings need to be installed.
“It will be a little smaller than it used to be,” Breadner says. “But, it makes sense for us to fix what’s left standing.”
The hope is to have the grandstand in shape, and approved for use in time for the 2026 Owen Sound Fall Fair. But Breadner acknowledges it’s a tight timeline to make that happen, with the annual event scheduled to begin in just a couple of weeks. The 2026 Owen Sound Fall Fair will be held Sept. 10-12.
“It’s a big ask. We’re going to see what we can do,” Breadner says. “But we also have additional grandstands coming in that we’ve rented for the fall fair. There should be a lot of seating.”
“We are working tirelessly to try and create a great show and event that people are going to enjoy,” Breadner adds.