According to a media release issued by the County of Bruce on February 22nd (2023), on January 13, 2023, Justice Lemon of the Ontario Superior Court of Justice issued a Court Order regarding the Krug Estate Trust. This Order follows His Honour’s earlier decisions regarding this same matter.
His earlier decision resulted in BMO Trust Co. being appointed as interim trustee with an order to maintain and sell the property on the open market. He also reiterated that the property not be sold to the County of Bruce or any buyer not at arm’s-length from the County or the nuclear industry. In addition, he ordered that the proceeds from the sale of the former rectory be used to reimburse the trust.
“The County continues to work through the practical items to carry out the terms of Justice Lemon’s Order dated January 13, 2023, which was released from the court on February 1, 2023,” said Bruce County Warden Chris Peabody.
The media release also stated that Bruce County received an Ontario Superior Court of Justice Application from Blaney McMurtry LLP, the solicitor representing Laura Robinson and the Southampton Cultural Heritage Conservancy on March 21, 2019. The Application at that time included an injunction restraining Bruce County from continuing any demolition or removal activities at 254 High Street in Southampton, cancelling any demolition permits, and declaring that the County breached the restricted purpose of the charitable trust created by the Estate Gift from Bruce A. Krug.
The last will and testament of Bruce A. Krug bequeathed $500,000 and a portion of the residual of his estate for “the archives building for the storage and display of the archives of the county, in memory of Bruce and Howard Krug.”
