Council extends Interim Control Bylaw, preventing new aggregate development

By ZACHARY ROMAN

Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

Council has renewed a bylaw that prevents new aggregate operations from starting up in town. 

At Caledon Council's September 19 planning and development committee meeting, Ward 1 Councillor Lynn Kiernan brought forward a motion asking that Caledon's Interim Control Bylaw (ICBL) against new aggregate development be extended for one year. 

The motion was unanimously supported by Council at the planning meeting and adopted via bylaw at a September 26 Council meeting.

Caledon's aggregate ICBL will now be in effect until October 18, 2024. 

The ICBL was first put into effect on October 18, 2022. Former Mayor Allan Thompson called an emergency Council meeting that day on request of the Forks of the Credit Preservation Group (FCPG), which suggested the implementation of the bylaw.

The purpose of the bylaw was to give Town of Caledon staff time to update the Town's aggregate policies. A report commissioned by the FCPG found Caledon had the weakest aggregate policies out of all of Ontario's top aggregate producing municipalities.

At the September 19 meeting, FCPG member Debra Wilson delegated on behalf of the group. She said the renewal of the ICBL is critical and will give Town staff the time they need to create bold and robust aggregate policies.

Wilson said aggregate mining takes a biodiverse area and decimates it. She shared many reasons why it can be harmful to the Caledon community, such as health risks from dust, physical danger from flyrock, and danger to brook trout spawning areas. 

Albert Carwana, President of the Greg Clark chapter of Trout Unlimited Canada, also delegated in support of the ICBL extension on September 19.

Carwana said volunteers from the Greg Clark chapter have spent lots of time conserving brook trout habitat in the Forks of the Credit region. He said his group provides a unique perspective as many members are not from Caledon; yet they still spend lots of time in the area because it is so special. 

Carwana said the Greg Clark chapter thinks long-term when they do work to conserve trout habitat. He encouraged Caledon to do the same by renewing its ICBL.

Steve Burke, Manager of Strategic Policy Planning for the Town of Caledon, shared that much progress has been made towards updating Caledon's aggregate policies. He said the process is advancing as quickly as possible.