Halton Hills Requests Temporary Moratorium on Gravel Pit Licenses Pending Consultation & Review

HALTON HILLS, ON - The Town of Halton Hills took a stand against the issuance of gravel licenses, citing environmental impacts, increased truck traffic and the rights of First Nations for quarries sited on treaty lands. In a unanimous decision, Halton Hills Town Council passed a motion supporting the Reform Gravel Mining Coalition campaign for a moratorium on new gravel mining applications in Ontario. 

Mayor Rick Bonnette introduced the motion saying: “There are over 5000 pits and quarries located throughout Ontario.  All it seems you have to do today is buy a hundred acres of land, hire some consultants and next thing you know you’ve applied for a quarry. They are popping up all over Ontario. We have approved similar resolutions in the past but this is an all-encompassing one that includes important consultation with First Nations and affected communities.”

The Town’s motion noted that there were already more than 5000 licensed pits and quarries in Ontario. Recognizing that the current sites were enough to meet the construction industry’s projected immediate demand, the Mayor said: “It’s time that we take a look at this industry and impose a moratorium so we can look at the need for new gravel licenses.”

The resolution included a call for the Province to:

• Impose an immediate, temporary moratorium on all new gravel mining applications pending a broad consultation process with stakeholders
• Develop criteria and processes for determining the need for new gravel licenses
• Update policies/procedures for mining below the water table
• Develop new guidelines for reprocessing to ensure sustainable aggregate supplies
• Recommend a fair levy for gravel mining including compensation to the local community for the full environmental and infrastructure maintenance costs of extraction and distribution of aggregate
• Provide greater weight to municipal input to lessen the social impacts from mining operations and trucking through local communities.

About the Town of Halton Hills

The Town of Halton Hills, with a population of approximately 60,000, consists of two urban centres, Georgetown and Acton, the Halton Hills Premier Gateway employment area, three hamlets – Glen Williams, Stewarttown and Norval – and several smaller settlements. Halton Hills has long been recognized for its natural beauty, active agricultural community, high quality of life and proximity to major centres, including Brampton, Mississauga and Toronto.  The Town is ranked as one of the top small communities in Canada by a national magazine.

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