- by Anne Finlay-Stewart, Editor

I have a home.

I am grateful that I have had a home – a comfortable, safe, appropriate home that I could afford – every one of my 70 years.

The first year we lived in this region, circumstances meant we had to move seven times in a year before we bought our first home here. That was hard work and stressful, but just a tiny taste of the precarious living that more and more people experience as housing is increasingly commodified as an investment for those with capital to spare.

When the Glassworks Co-operative was first proposed, people were looking at land on the old Pittsburgh Glass property – hence the name. It caught my imagination right away. Although I did not need a home, I knew this was the kind of living that so many people were craving.

The Glassworks values of sustainability, energy efficiency, sharing common spaces, gardens, generations living together and collaborative decision-making – all of these felt like the elements of a healthy new neighbourhood for my community.

I was happy to put my money where my imagination was and invest in the Glassworks Co-operative. It was, and is, an investment in the future I want for my community – stable, sustainable and supportive neighbourhoods for people at all stages of life.

When Glassworks purchased our beautiful 46 acre property in Owen Sound's north-east in 2021, the owner generously offered to hold the mortgage. They are ready to move on at the end of the mortgage term in early 2024, and we have the opportunity to purchase the property outright and make it truly community owned.

The appraised value of the property has already increased significantly since the purchase, and this is our way to put this important resource into community hands to give ourselves the breathing room to make wise decisions for its future.

We need to know soon if there is community interest in this kind of housing. Check out the website, become a member or update your membership and let me know if you want to talk to someone about investing in this property with us.  annekfs@gmail.com