What should have been a simple tile drain meeting turned into a session of “what ifs” as the proposed Monck quarry was pulled into the mix.
At Monday night’s Wellington North council meeting the majority of those attending a drainage public meeting were directly affected by the drain.
However, the line of questioning quickly moved to a proposed quarry as a result of questions by Karen Idzik, a member of a group opposed to the quarry.
Generally drainage meetings review the watershed and drainage areas and how local landowners will be affected.
Garth Noecker, of K. Smart Associates Limited, was at council presenting a report for the expansion of West Luther Drain 63, branches A and A1.
Throughout the discussion, he said what is being presented is a proposal for an agricultural drain – part of which includes property owned by Alfred Wilson – at Monck.
But for over a decade now, that property has been under consideration for a quarry operation.
Noecker limited his comments to how the drain expansion would affect an agricultural drain. He noted that the Grand River Conservation Authority has a number of questions. However, he said his firm believes the drain, “as proposed,” will not have a large impact to downstream lands. The drain outlets into lands adjacent to the Luther Marsh.
He said many of the issues of the GRCA are related to a potential future use of the Wilson property.
“But that is a future land use,” which he said will have to be dealt with separately.
“This is an agricultural sized drain,” Noecker added.
Even if the land use changes, the drain would still need to meet agricultural requirements. “This is not a storm drain,” he said.
In Mayor Mike Broomhead’s absence, acting mayor Ross Chaulk requested that questions from the audience be limited to the drain itself.
Idzik, a member of Stop the Quarry – Save Luther Marsh, Inc., a group opposed to the Monck proposal, asked for more detail on what the GRCA concerns are.
Noecker said one issue is that of the potential of pumped water from an extractive use going into the drain. He said pumped water is allowed into such drains.
However, that water would still need to meet the same requirements as agricultural runoff and be clean, unpolluted water – or disconnected from the drainage system to be treated.
While Wellington North does not currently have any drains that have water pumped into them, he said there is a small one in Minto, and the Holland Marsh involves probably the largest such drainage in the province. He added there are also a number of instances where municipal outlets exist for sewage – with a Ministry of Environment certificate – which overrides conditions of the Drainage Act.
As for the matter of continuous water flows – as compared to intermittent agricultural runoffs, Noecker said the amounts proposed while substantial, related to the impact of the overall watershed used by the drain, are not.
“In our opinion, if the water carried out is clean and clear, it should have no significant effect.”
As for questions if the input of clean, clear water would alter or improve local fishery habitats, Noecker suggested that is far down the line – and would likely only come into play near the end of the quarry’s lifecycle.
He added that once the quarry is complete, traditional waterflows would be reestablished.
“We can’t see a big effect on fisheries in the area.”
He said if concerns are raised about the quarry, they should be done through the Ministry of Environment Aggregate Resources legislation.
“Our job here, is to work under the Drainage Act.”
Although Idzik wanted to ask more questions, Chaulk said he was informed that questions were allowed only by members of the petition for the drain – although she was free to ask Noecker questions following the public meeting.
