Recognition by Ontario’s sand and gravel association is proof that Puslinch pits are not … the pits.
Earlier this year, the Ontario Stone, Sand & Gravel Association (OSSGA) held its annual conference which included presentation of the OSSGA Industry Advancement and student design awards.
Among the award winners were two sites within Puslinch.
At a recent council meeting Puslinch Mayor Dennis Lever noted that while he has been part of the judging committee for the past few years, “whenever it comes to a site in Puslinch, I let other people make the decisions.”
Lever commented it is usually a well-spent day making the decisions.
The Aberfoyle Pit, operated by CBM Aggregates was awarded the OSSGA’s Community Relations Award. The Community Relations Award recognizes good neighbourly activities, community involvement, media relations, education and awareness.
As well, the McNally East Pit, operated by CBM Aggregates was awarded the Progressive Rehabilitation Award. The Progressive Rehabilitation Award recognizes outstanding progress in the rehabilitation of extracted portions of active pit or quarry sites.
These awards were judged by an expert third-party panel that included an environmental group, a mayor and a conservation group.
In correspondence directed to Puslinch councillors, Ted Wigdor, CEO of the Ontario Stone, Sand & Gravel Association stated “we encourage our members to be responsible stewards of the lands on which they operate, and to be engaged and valued members of their community. “
Wigdor added the award winners “met and exceeded those expectations, and demonstrated that aggregate extraction is a responsible interim land use.”
Judge’s comments on the two pits are as follows:
The Aberfoyle Pit
A former OSSGA Award of Excellence recipient, CBM Aggregate’s Aberfoyle Pit is always working to strengthen its neighbour relations. It achieves noise reductions through the use of berms, trees, noise audits and trucking policies, and controls dust emissions and traffic safety with comprehensive policies and site maintenance.
Furthermore, Aberfoyle staff participate in a number of community events, including Wellington County’s Green Legacy tree planting program, environmental clean-ups, its CBM Fishing Derby; and other local initiatives.
They also lead site tours and educational programs for a wide range of community guests and students. These events and more are communicated through numerous publications and Aberfoyle’s page on the St. Marys Cement Group website.
McNally East Pit
Work on this progressive rehabilitation project took place across 2.8 hectares of berms and slope surrounding McNally East Pit’s pond.
The slopes were graded at 3:1 using 40,000 tonnes of on-site material, and 5,000 tonnes of topsoil was spread to a depth of approximately 20 to 30 centimetres throughout.
After grading, a seed mix of buckwheat, perennial and annual rye, alfalfa, tall fescue and white clover was applied at 125 kg/ha.
Elsewhere, trees and stumps removed during the original stripping process were used to create a non-uniform pond edge.
The ultimate goal of this progressive rehabilitation is to return the 16.3 hectares of land to a natural state that will include a 9.84- hectare pond, a 1.35-hectare natural wetland, and a 2.69-hectare naturalized area.
