TAPMO – Responsible Management of Aggregate Extraction

March 19, 2026 · 0 Comments

by MAYOR ANNETTE GROVES

The Top Aggregate Producing Municipalities of Ontario (TAPMO) presented information on balancing aggregate needs with fairness for municipalities, environmental stewardship and sustainable land use at the March 10 Planning Committee meeting at Town Hall.

TAPMO works with industry partners and provincial decision makers to develop a sustainable plan for aggregate extraction. They bring together municipalities to provide education, advocacy and shared support on aggregate-related matters including planning, licensing, rehabilitation, infrastructure impacts and land-use considerations.

Aggregate extraction places long term demands on local road infrastructure and the community. The Ontario Aggregate Resources Corporation (TOARC) collects annual fees and royalties from aggregate producers (pits and quarries) in Ontario, distributed annually to provincial and municipal governments for rehabilitation and infrastructure.

TAPMO has expressed concerns if these fees properly reflect environmental impact and whether they sufficiently fund rehabilitation, and how the funds are distributed. When levies fail to reflect these impacts, municipalities are left to absorb the costs through local budgets and property taxes.

The Town of Caledon is facing potential downloading of roads and ongoing concerns with provincial policies related to aggregate extraction. Town Council has asked for the support of Top Aggregate Producing Municipalities of Ontario (TAPMO) to help advocate for changes to provincial policies that affect aggregate operations. The policy changes the Town is requesting would benefit many municipalities across Ontario that host aggregate operations.

Current provincial policies do not give municipalities enough authority to address the combined environmental, health, and social impacts of aggregate extraction and transportation. Municipalities that host a large share of aggregate operations should not be left to manage these long-term environmental, community, and financial impacts without stronger provincial policy support.

Council has raised these concerns in the past, noting that current provincial policies do not adequately protect water resources, air quality, public health, or community well-being in municipalities with significant aggregate activity.

I would like to thank TAPMO for their support and commitment to fairness for municipalities and for advocating responsible management of aggregate extraction.