Residents voice concerns from Strada Aggregate in community meeting

March 13, 2025 · 0 Comments

Written By PAULA BROWN

LOCAL JOURNALISM INITIATIVE REPORTER

Melancthon residents have received an update on a proposed application by local aggregate company, Strada Aggregate, to quarry below the water table.

North Dufferin Agricultural and Community Taskforce (NDACT) hosted a community meeting on March 5 at the Horning’s Mills Community Centre, located at 14 Mill Street in Melancthon.

The focus of the meeting was to provide concerned residents with an update on the status of the proposed application from Strada Aggregate as well as share initial findings from peer-reviewed studies.

The four main areas of study that were peer-reviewed included: blasting, air quality, noise and hydrogeology.

NDACT have received the completed peer review for blasting, noise and air quality, but said they will not be “endorsing” the report due to “large holes” in information that need to be addressed.

Some of the additional information they’re looking to obtain includes flying rocks and blasting in relation to nearby farmers as well as how westerly winds will impact noise and air quality.

“There was a lot of work put in, trying to get our peer reviewer to understand that we had a different approach to this project. We wanted them to look at the project in ways the community would and not in the ways a normal peer reviewer would,” said Cosack. “Normal peer reviewers sort of check off the boxes under the aggregate resources act, and there’s really no recourse for people to question it.”

“In the end, all they did was review it to the minimum requirement of the aggregate resources act,” said Cosack. “It’s a classic approach for them.”

NDACT is still waiting for the hydrogeology results from community peer reviewer, Gary Hunter.

One point raised by residents was the amount of water that would be used daily if the proposed application for the quarry were to go through, and how it would impact the water pressure of wells.

According to Hunter, the water usage would be around 6.7 million litres a day.

“That’s the water consumption above or equivalent to the average daily use for Centre Wellinton Township, which is Elora and Fergus. It’s three times as much as Shelburne uses and three quarters of what Orangeville uses,” said Hunter. “That number is underestimated by up to two or three times by the current model.”

Concerns were raised by residents regarding Strada’s commitment to sticking with a signed agreement with NDACT.

In 2023, NDACT and Strada Aggregate jointly signed an agreement regarding an application to quarry below the water table. The signed agreement gave NDACT input and decision-making into Strada’s quarry application prior to it being submitted.

Part of Strada Aggregate’s agreement with NDACT states that they would not file their application with the Ministry of Natural Resources (MNRF) until the results of the peer-reviewed reports including the hydrogeology study were released.

In January of 2025, NDACT said they were contacted by Strada about filing the first steps of the quarry application in order to get MNRF approval.

“We felt very much pushed into a corner and in the end, we decided it was most important to us that we preserve the benefits of the community engagement,” said Cosack. “We asked Strada to commit, in writing, to the fact they would not do anything else, until the hydrogeology questions would be answered.”

It was also noted in the meeting, that Strada Aggregate had filed an official plan amendment (OPA) and a zoning bylaw amendment (ZBA) application in January with the Township of Melancthon, which was completed in February.

“We only found that out when we read their site plan, and it was a bit of a surprise as to how this is working,” said Cosack.

Despite the two incidents, Cosack tried to quell residents’ concerns about Strada’s reliability stating, “We take them at their word.”

“What I know of them and how they have dealt with us, I would expect them to keep their word,” added Cosack.

Strada Aggregate has been operating as an existing 360-acre above-water sand and gravel pit in the area of 4th Line and County Rd. 17 in the Township of Melancthon since 2004.

Strada initially brought forward a presentation to Melancthon Council in October of 2021, which noted their intention to submit an application for a proposed quarry.

Strada has initiated undertaking the field work and technical studies required to determine the feasibility of developing a quarry that would extract and process consolidated dolostone bedrock below the water table within the same footprint of the existing pit.

According to Strada Aggregates, the proposed quarry is being designed to ship 2,000,000 tonnes per year from the site and will continue to use the existing entrance/exits and existing haul route.

To learn more about the proposed quarry and the work being conducted by NDACT, visit www.ndact.ca. Those concerned can also submit questions by emailing [email protected].