[5][6][7] Owen ran for the Ontario legislature in the 1967 provincial election, but lost to PC candidate Arthur Evans by 2,530 votes in Simcoe Centre.
During his tenure as an MPP, he played a pivotal role in bringing a Honda car plant to Alliston, as well as obtaining site approval for the Royal Victoria Regional Health Centre.
[11][12] The Liberals were defeated in the 1990 provincial election, and Bruce Owen lost his seat to Paul Wessenger of the NDP by almost 3,000 votes.
[15] He was a vocal soloist for several churches in Barrie, and performed a solo in the papal choir when Pope John Paul II visited the city and the nearby Martyrs' Shrine in 1984.
[3][11] Owen presented a plan to city council for a new arts theatre in 2005, noting that the existing Fisher Auditorium is showing signs of age.
[3] Owen died at the Royal Victoria Regional Health Centre in Barrie, Ontario, on February 7, 2022, at the age of 90.