Where will we get our aggregate?

I am writing in response to the Caledon Citizen editorial of April 17, "Natural water flows must be protected, but we need aggregate too."

The editorial took a very even-handed look at the issue and the final question it posed was an important one: ". . . aggregate is needed. And where is that aggregate to be obtained?" As a society we must decide from where we will get aggregate, and we must also decide from where we will not get aggregate.

We must develop better strategies for recycling aggregate products. How much of Ontario's current aggregate production is being exported? We agree that aggregate is a necessity and so we must fulfill Ontario's need before allowing mining companies to export. If we can afford to export, then surely no new pits are needed. If we do find that new aggregate is necessary, then any new pits should be located in areas that are already zoned for industrial use, and are close to established haul routes by way of rail, ship or highway.

We must not get our aggregate from sites that could compromise the last remaining fringe of natural areas and rural land within easy reach of the GTA. As Ontario's urban population increases, these areas become ever more precious as a respite from the pressures of modern life, as an educational resource and as a natural and agricultural heritage. We must not get our aggregate from sites that could compromise ground water, wetlands or coldwater streams and rivers. In areas where the water table resides within fractured limestone bedrock, the ground water patterns are complex and any mining operation is risky.

In Caledon, the proposed Rockfort Quarry site, within Aggregate Resource Area 9- A, fits neatly into the category of areas from where we should not get aggregate. It sits within a beautiful rural area that is rich in history. It borders the Niagara Escarpment, a priceless and fragile natural heritage that has been preserved for generations and has been named a UNESCO World Biosphere Reserve. The area is within easy reach of urban centres and offers many opportunities for education, scientific study and recreation. Rockfort is not on any established major haul routes. The Rockfort site has fractured limestone bedrock, and through it flows some of the purest and most abundant ground water in Ontario. If a large-scale pit is allowed in this area, there is no proven technology to stop ground water from flowing into the pit and becoming contaminated, and causing water loss to surrounding wells, wetlands and streams.

Ontario needs aggregate, and we also need to preserve our water and our natural heritage. The choices we make now will be felt for generations.
Jim Reid,
Caledon