Council advocates for sustainable aggregate management, Caledon-Vaughan GO Line

August 31, 2023 · 0 Comments

Local leaders table Caledon priorities at AMO conference

By ZACHARY ROMAN

Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

Future public transit and mitigating the impacts of aggregate extraction topped Caledon Council’s list of priorities at a recent conference.

From August 20 to 23, Caledon’s Mayor and Council were at the annual Association of Municipalities of Ontario (AMO) conference, which was held in the City of London this year.

AMO is a non-profit organization that represents nearly all of Ontario’s municipalities. Each year, municipalities send delegations to the AMO conference to meet with members of the Provincial Government (and members of the opposition) and advocate for their municipality’s needs.

Regional Councillor Christina Early said it was important for Caledon Council to advocate for help with sustainably managing aggregate at AMO. She said Caledon residents have many concerns with aggregate like noise, dust, and increased truck traffic through existing communities.

“The Aggregate Resources Act needs to better address road degradation; and, support an official plan policy to ensure (pit and quarry) separation from settlement and residential areas,” said Early.

She said as the Aggregate Resources Act is provincial, municipalities feel they aren’t able to have enough control.

“There’s a need for change… to ensure the balance between the needs of the community and the needs of the Province,” said Early. “Aggregate is required, but we can’t just destroy our entire community because of that.”

Early stressed the importance of stronger rehabilitation requirements being implemented for pits and quarries that have outlived their useful life. She said the current rehabilitation requirements are too weak.

Regional Councillor Mario Russo said while aggregate is important for city-building and infrastructure, new aggregate mining operations can’t come at the expense of residents already living in a given area. He also stressed the importance of proper distances being required between aggregate operations and settlement areas.

Russo also shared concerns about below-water table aggregate extraction.

“Any mining below the water table puts everyone who relies on water from wells in peril,” said Russo.

Another key priority for Caledon Council at AMO was advocating for the Caledon-Vaughan GO Line to be in service, with two stations in Caledon, by 2041. Caledon would like to see a station built in the Macville area and in South Bolton.

Russo said chatting with Ontario’s Minister of Transportation, Caroline Mulroney, was important and productive. He said in addition to the GO Line, they also discussed improvements to Highway 10.

Early said while making progress on the GO Line will take time, things are moving in the right direction. One of the main things Caledon needs to do is prove it will have the ridership necessary to sustain its GO stations.

“We talked to Mulroney about the fact that by 2051, Caledon will be home to 300,000 people and 125,000 jobs,” said Early. “We’re going to need… a major transit station area to accommodate that growth.”

Early said Caledon is trying to intensify development in Bolton, where the future GO Line would be.

In a media release sent out before the AMO conference, Groves said Caledon needs support as it prepares to become a single-tier municipality after the coming dissolution of the Region of Peel.

“We’re hearing from our residents and businesses about challenges and opportunities regarding aggregates, transportation and enforcement that affect Caledon…,” said Groves. “Bringing our requests directly to our Provincial Government and colleagues across Ontario is an important step in creating the Caledon we want to build.”