A group of Caledon residents left the council chamber happy last week, after Erin council supported their opposition to the Rockfort Quarry.
Bob Gardner, of the Coalition of Concerned Citizens, told council it is important for Erin to take a position on the quarry, because the town will be a participant in the Ontario Municipal Board hearing this spring.
“The ecosystem here is complex, fragile and inter-connected,” Gardner said in his presentation on Feb. 17. Specifically, the quarry will have “irreversible” effects on the Paris moraine, the Niagara Escarpment and Credit River, he added.
James Dick Construction Ltd., has proposed rezoning 220 acres at the corner of Olde Baseline Road and Winston Churchill Boulevard, directly northeast of the Erin-Caledon border. The company plans to mine about 145 acres of the site and is also seeking a change to Caledon’s official plan, as well as a licence to extract below the water table.
Gardner is worried about the effect that extraction will have on over 20 provincially significant wetlands and sensitive environmental features located nearby.
“This area is a gem,” he said, also wondering about the impact up to 1,000 trucks per day would have on those using surrounding areas for recreational outings.
Councillor Ken Chapman said concerns about water are legitimate, because if the local aquifer is harmed it can affect a surrounding area of 15 miles or more.
Council unanimously passed a resolution stating the town is opposed to the Rockfort quarry proposal.
The Town of Caledon is expected to make a decision regarding the quarry on March 3, with Peel Region following suit shortly thereafter.
