Burlington anti-quarry campaign joins Ontario-wide push to halt gravel mining

The campaign to stop a Burlington quarry has joined a wider movement hoping to put a temporary pause on new aggregate extraction sites across Ontario.

As the spring provincial election draws near, politicians are being pressured to re-examine the rules for an industry they say advances climate change, displaces wildlife and uses precious groundwater resources.

The Reform Gravel Mining Coalition is a provincewide alliance of individuals from areas containing quarries and several advocacy groups, including Conserving our Rural Ecosystems (CORE), the Burlington group fighting against the expansion of the Nelson Aggregates quarry at Mount Nemo. 

Carlisle resident Graham Flint, who spent a decade successfully fighting a proposed St. Mary's cement quarry in Flamborough, which sits between Hamilton and Burlington, is the coalition's co-chair. He said his group realizes banning quarries is unrealistic, but believes it's too easy for companies to start new sites. 

"We want to put a stop to unnecessary aggregate extraction and we think this is an industry that's gotten out of control," said Flint. 

He pointed to Ontario's provincial policy statement, which guides planning decisions. It says "as much of the mineral aggregate resources as is realistically possible shall be made available as close to markets as possible. Demonstration of need for mineral aggregate resources, including any type of supply/demand analysis, shall not be required."

"That's crazy in this day and age," said Flint, adding that considering the climate emergency, we should be more focused on development and protecting the natural landscape.

His group would like to see the issue studied by a committee that would include independent experts, industry representatives and Indigenous communities, who could then make recommendations on how much gravel is truly needed.

"The majority of gravel produced in Ontario produces highways and urban sprawl," said Flint, noting Ontario has numerous dormant pits with aggregate remaining in them that could be extracted, instead of starting new sites. "As we build denser and smarter communities, we're going to use less gravel, not more."

The coalition spent Friday making about 100 calls to provincial politicians, including Burlington MPP Jane McKenna, Oakville North-Burlington MPP Effie Triantafilopoulos, Premier Doug Ford and several members of his cabinet. 

Meanwhile, those following the issue in Burlington are awaiting a report on the Nelson proposal from the Joint Agency Review Team (JART), a group of planners and support staff from Halton Region, the City of Burlington, the Niagara Escarpment Commission and Conservation Halton.

That group's assessment will be used to help its member bodies make their decisions on whether to approve the application. CORE members believe it could come out sometime this spring. CBC reached out to the JART, through Halton Region, but did not hear back before this article's publication.

The Ontario aggregate industry is not aligned with calls for a moratorium.

Sharon Armstrong, vice-president of communications for the Ontario Stone, Sand and Gravel Association, said the push to ban quarries is "absolutely" coming from a place of NIMBYism — the result of people enjoying the benefits but not wanting extraction in their neighbourhoods.