A tree planting ceremony in honour of Sharif Rahman is planned in Owen Sound.
Rahman was assaulted outside his restaurant The Curry House on 2nd Avenue East in downtown Owen Sound on Aug. 17, 2023 and died one week later — on Aug. 24, 2023 — from injuries he suffered. He was 44-years-old, and left behind a wife and a young daughter.
An oak tree will be planted this month outside the Julie McArthur Regional Recreation Centre for Rahman, who owned The Curry House and was also a YMCA board member and had a small business in the rec centre.
A small dedication ceremony will take place on Saturday, October 26, at the Julie McArthur Regional Recreation Centre, beginning at 2 p.m. The community is invited to share in this celebration of Rahman’s legacy.
The City says this commemorative tree was suggested by a public member of the Community Services Committee earlier this year.
They say an oak tree was selected because it is a symbol of longevity, strength, stability, endurance, and justice. A small commemorative plaque will be installed with the tree.
On August 15th, 2024 joint OPP/Owen Sound police press release confirmed arrests were made in connection to the case on July 30th. It was the first major update in the homicide investigation into Rahman’s death since Owen Sound Police said last summer they were searching for three male suspects, and released grainy photos of two of them, as well as an image of a vehicle of interest.
Police have not released the names of the people they arrested in July or have they said how many people were arrested, and have not said there were any charges laid. They said in August, “Due to the complexity of this ongoing investigation and to protect its integrity and potential court proceedings, the OPP and OSPS are unable to comment further at this time.”