“You don’t need an assessment to understand that” Local voices push back against fill plan

May 22, 2025 · 0 Comments

By Riley Murphy

Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

Recent discussion over the aggregate pit located at 0 Shaw’s Creek Road has flooded council’s walls for the past week.

The original motion was presented at the May 13 Planning and Development Committee Meeting.

Mayor Annette Groves introduced a motion to authorize a grading agreement allowing fill (soil) to be brought in to rehabilitate an old, unused aggregate pit at 0 Shaw’s Creek Road.

The owner of 0 Shaw’s Creek Road is a developer and has approached the Town about rehabilitating an old aggregate pit located on the property with fill created from their development sites across Caledon and the Greater Toronto Area.

The area is currently zoned Extractive Industrial (MX), which is outside the typical scope of the Town’s Fill By-law. Normally, that by-law only covers lands zoned A-1, A-2, or A-3.

Councillors Kiernan and Early moved a motion to pause the process and refer the proposal to staff to conduct public consultation before making a decision.

This motion was tied and defeated.

The original motion was then carried at a vote of 5 to 3.

On Tuesday, the motion was raised at Council where multiple Caledon residents came forward to speak against the main motion.

The delegations included members from West Caledon Communities Traffic Group, Democracy Caledon, and independent residents such as former Councillor Ian Sinclair who delegated at the Planning and Development Committee meeting as well.

The concerns raised by residents regarded an increase of trucking in Caledon and possible contamination of the soil and water from the fill.

Kate Hepworth from West Caledon Communities Traffic Tourism Group spoke on the challenges that Caledon has been facing regarding dangerous truck traffic up and down the streets.

“I’m hoping [the motion] gets defeated tonight because, quite frankly, I can’t stand the thought that we would have to have more of these memorials. We have them all over Caledon,” said Hepworth.

Another delegate was Kathleen Wilson, who lives beside a once large-scale fill operation that now is no longer running.

Wilson stated that due to the fill, the area is now full of contaminants.

She shared she fears the same will happen with 0 Shaw’s Creek Road.

One of the delegates was Jean-Francois Morin, from Chickadee Hill Farm, whose property borders on the property of the proposed fill site.

Morin has been farming on that property for more than eight years now, and has cows, chickens, pigs, ducks and more all on his property.

Morin shared his concerns over potential water contamination.

“We’re depending on the water and the soil and everything. For us, that’s vital. The quality of the water, that’s what we have. It’s important for us. We cannot run a day without water. It’s impossible,” stated Morin.

Walking through Morin’s farm, he shared he relies on the land itself to help take care of his wildlife through the soil and the water.

Morin stated the proposed site is mostly a lake that has been rehabilitated properly with quality topsoil and certified to keep the lake in place and the border clean and accessible.

“If you remove it or contaminate the water there, that’s us, that’s our neighbour, and that’s all the people in the street, depending on this water there,” stated Morin.

Morin said it’s not only the neighbours and the farm that rely on the state of the water, but wildlife that have made the site their home.

“In the spring and in the fall, we’re talking about over a thousand geese coming there — the lake, the swan and ducks, they’re living there. They’re coming to have babies there every year,” said Morin.

Morin reiterated to the Citizen that he is very concerned about the quality of the water and soil being contaminated by the fill.

“It’s a big piece of land that will affect everybody here,” said Morin. “You don’t need an assessment to understand that.”

With concerns arising from councillors and residents, Councillor Maskell proposed an amendment to the original motion.

“I brought the amendment forward in an attempt to change the tone and tenor of the discussion,” Councillor Maskell told the Citizen.

Maskell stated that the amendment to the motion accomplished four significant goals: it removed delegated authority from Town staff; it ensured that when all the studies were completed and analyzed by Town staff, a staff report would be submitted to Council; once the report is submitted to Council, it can accept or reject the Staff recommendations; if Council accepts the Staff recommendations, then an agreement will be signed. If the Council rejects the staff recommendations, then the matter is settled.

“I was quite astonished to see four Councillors opposing an amendment that, in an effective compromise, accomplished exactly what they were asking for. I was mystified by their arguments against the amendment and unfortunately some gave no reason for their objection to the amendment,” said Councillor Maskell.

The amended motion passed five to four.

Councillors Early, Sheen, and Kiernan shared their thoughts with the Citizen.

“There are numerous issues with this motion. The risk to public health and the safety of our community’s drinking water is just too high. The large-scale de-watering involved could have significant environmental impacts, including the unpredictable effects of the water table rising through newly imported materials. Additionally, the plan would require thousands of truckloads of questionable fill, raising serious concerns about road safety and environmental quality,” shared Regional Councillor Early.

Added Councillor Sheen: “As a member of Council, I am concerned that, under the current Strong Mayor system, residents’ voices about the Mayor’s motion concerning the Shaw’s Creek fill proposal are not being heard or fully appreciated, and that decision-making may be rushed or influenced by political priorities. The proposed timelines for producing the required professional reports on hauling and dumping thousands of truckloads of fill seem unrealistic, and I question whether Town staff will have the capacity to properly review these reports, even if they are produced on such short notice. And even if the Mayor’s motion is approved and the fill operation proceeds, I remain skeptical that the Town has the enforcement resources to adequately monitor the quality of the fill or the conditions surrounding the operation, given the Town’s enforcement staff’s current workload. I urge Council to prioritize transparency and ensure that community interests and safeguards are not compromised.”

Area Councillor for Ward 1 Kiernan shared her thoughts as well.

“I am extremely disappointed in the outcome at the Council meeting last night. The process was bypassed, frankly it should never have gotten this far this fast. Concerned residents came forward with compelling and valid concerns, to no avail. This below the water table fill operation poses a very real threat to their drinking water, and should not have been dismissed.

“Ward 1, specifically the area surrounding this location, relies on ground water for their drinking water, for farming, it is their life source. Large scale fill operations such as this are currently having devastating impacts on residents in northeast Caledon, not mythical, but actual contamination of groundwater. I believe the outcome from last night will be disastrous to Ward 1 for years to come. Those who supported the motion have also sanctioned additional truck traffic through Caledon Village, an area we already acknowledge is under siege with trucks.”

The Citizen reached out to Mayor Groves and additional Council members for further comment, but formal responses had not been received at press time.

This story will be updated online.