Paving the way for a new gravel pit in Maryhill

The Shantz Station Pit is continuing to move forward despite some intense local opposition as the township suggests its hands are tied.

The Township of Woolwich recently announced a decision to settle with Capital Paving on required changes which effectively pave the way for a new gravel pit in Maryhill, just down the road from the Mary-Hill Golf Club. 

“We had a number of professionals, we had reports peer-reviewed, we hired a second hydro-geologist, we also hired a second planner to go over everything and see, are there other things we should be looking at?,” said Woolwich mayor Sandy Shantz. “In the end, they all came back and said, from a planning process point of view, everything has been taken care of.”

All that coming, meantime, as the clock was starting to run out for the township to decide on a required zoning change as well as a change to its Official Plan, and while Capital Paving had already launched an appeal to the Ontario Land Tribunal.

“So I understand that there's angst and that there's concern in the community,” said Shantz. “A lot of the decisions rest with the province […] so, in the end, we don't have a lot of choice.”

She said the township had, however, managed to secure additional concessions from Capital Paving as far as shallow-dug wells, monitoring, and tile drain outlets when it comes to ensuring water quality in the area.

That said, she did also make clear she's not thrilled either with how much of this process is out of the township's control.

“I understand we need gravel […], [but] one of the things that kind of sticks in my craw is the number of older, dormant pits,” Shantz said. “I'd like [the province] to look at how much gravel can still be mined in existing pits that are sitting dormant before we start opening up other pits.”