Township residents want municipal candidates to back gravel pit moratorium

Residents are getting ready to head to the polls and for many township residents, aggregate is an important election issue.

Citizens for Safe Groundwater, a non-profit based in Wilmot surveyed local mayoral candidates to find overall agreement that there needs to be a temporary pause on new gravel pits.

Township residents have raised issues of noise, dust, and health and environment concerns of having the pits in their communities. 

Woolwich council was debating an application for a gravel pit in Maryhill, which led the applicant to file an appeal with the Ontario Land Tribunal. 

Petersburg residents have urged Wilmot council to reject a zone change for a gravel pit, while the township council also rejected an application to rezone farmland near Shingletown earlier this year.

Rory Farnan, the secretary of Citizens for Safe Groundwater said it seems like there's “no rhyme or reason” to locations for new pits.

“There's a narrative out there right now that there's an absolute need for aggregate, how are we going to build, etc. I don't think anybody is denying that role. I think what some are deciding to ignore or at least not put into the same need, is our need for safe drinking water and our need for locally sourced food,” he said.

Farnan said there's 10 to 13 times more aggregate being pulled than being used. 

“We continue to hand out licences,” he added.

While the province issues gravel pit licences, it's up to municipalities to decide on zone change applications.

“Are we going to pit one community against the other? Are we going to say, 'it's okay, even though Singletown may only have 50 to 60 homes, is it okay for them to be collateral damage for growth in Kitchener?” he questioned. 

Local officials have expressed the importance of protecting the countryside line when planning for future growth and Farnan argues that along with development, that also means the type of operations, like gravel pits.

“To me, the fundamentals of protecting our water, protecting our prime farmland, and ensuring that we don't leave our rural communities behind is paramount, I think, to our growth in this region,” he said.

Farnan wants to see a pause on new pits to allow experts to assess gravel pits and prioritize resources. 

He's calling on local candidates to speak out on aggregate and groundwater protection.