- Anne Finlay-Stewart, Editor

Two  storefronts are taking downtown Owen Sound in a somewhat new direction. 

In the 800 block, a storefront mission called theXchange is opening; a pilot project of New Ventures, a ministry of the Christian & Missionary Alliance in Canada. It will offer free debt and marriage coaching, the Alpha course and "where applicable", Celebrate Recovery and English as a Second Language. The website says teams of debt coaches and marriage coaches are presently being recruited and trained and "new believers will be integrated into disciple-making communities of faith."

Crown4Crown, a youth drop-in centre at 783-785 2nd Avenue East, promises youth employment assistance, homework help and workshops on cooking, money management and goal setting along with billiards, arcade and video games and arts and crafts.

They are presently hiring staff - personal support workers, child and youth workers and the like, to "offer support to youths with developmental, hehavioural and/or social challenges".  According to their website, the "Crowns" of the name are Crown Wards, including the founder. Their approach is to use professional staff who are past Crown Wards who have "chosen a better path" and are able to empathize from their own experience.