The situation surrounding a Collingwood home bequeathed to the town and two local charities remains unsettled and council is asking for more pressure on the courts to deliver a resolution.
Collingwood resident Gloria Culbert died in June, 2019, and left a home at 167 Third Street in her will to the town, Home Horizon, and Habitat for Humanity South Georgian Bay. The home is and was used to provide shelter to people who would otherwise be homeless.
The home is in disrepair and there are concerns over a lack of supervision of the home and the tenants currently living there.
Future responsibility for the home, repairs, and the tenants is not clear and the matter is currently before the courts.
On Aug. 18, after a closed session meeting, council voted unanimously in favour of an order to staff and the town’s solicitor to “pressure the court to expedite the matter.”
Council also reiterated its direction that staff continue to pressure the office of the public guardian and trustee for assistance in the matter.
The Culbert house is located on the corner of Third and Beech Streets. It was the site of the fatal shooting of Matthew Rice by police on Sept. 9, 2020. The province’s Special Investigations Unit reported Rice was pointing a shotgun at police and posed a risk to civilians in the area when he was shot eight times by police.
