North Dumfries decides not to pause new gravel pit applications

The Township of North Dumfries has decided not to put the brakes on gravel production in the aggregate rich community.

On Monday night, councillors voted on an interim control bylaw that would have allowed the township to put a two-year pause on new gravel pit applications.

"We're concerned with all residents," said Coun. Derrick Ostner. "This is a tough fight in your neighbourhood and we have to figure out how to do this, but we are very concerned about the costs associated with it and what it's going to cost everybody else in the township."

A long list of delegates addressed council at the meeting with concerns ranging from traffic, to the environmental impact of the growing number of pits.

"We are watching our township being eaten up and destroyed," said one delegate. "In the past 15 years, it has almost doubled in aggregate. If that continues in the next 10 to 15 years, we will be totally unsustainable."

Council ended up deciding to put a framework in the township's official plan to try to better control gravel pit activity locally.

"Our extraction journey has already begun and it is fast an furious," said another delegate. "We're not in the driver's seat and probably never will be, but we need to call shotgun and be an active partner in the navigation."

There are currently around 50 gravel mines in North Dumfries. The township says in 2021 alone, 5.8 million tonnes of aggregate was mined within its borders.

According to a staff report, the proposed interim bylaw would have been able to “pause to allow for serious review of the current policies and regulations, to assess the immediate concerns within our township, and to determine what measures and amendments could/should be implemented to better protect our sensitive environment and prime farmlands.”

CONCERNS ABOUT LITIGATION

Speaking to CTV News before the vote, Mayor Sue Foxton warned that, while the idea may be popular with some, the township needs a valid reason to put an interim control bylaw in place.

“You cannot put the interim control bylaw in place just because the people want it, just so that they can have a year or two pause because that'll put us into litigation,” Foxton said.

In March of this year, the neighbouring Township of Wilmot settled with a proposed gravel pit to avoid possible legal costs. The decision proved unpopular in the community.

Foxton said she understands why people are upset, but they need to direct that frustration toward the province.

“What bothers me is the voice hasn't been stated to the province," said Foxton. "They come to the municipalities and if you look at the way things are set up, we’re a sounding board, but we have very little teeth."

TWO YEAR PAUSE WOULD BE ‘IMMATERIAL’ TO DEVELOPERS

Those in the aggregate industry say an interim control bylaw would have been more of a minor inconvenience than a major roadblock.

“They're going to take several years going through the approval process with the Ministry of Natural Resources that a two year delay at the municipal level is really immaterial,” said Norman Cheesman, executive director of the Ontario Sand Stone and Gravel Association.