McGuinty's gift to the Greenbelt: quarry rejected

The Ontario Greenbelt Alliance, a coalition of more than 80 organizations dedicated to protecting the Greenbelt and furthering its objectives, applauded today’s decision by the provincial government to stop the development of the Flamborough quarry.

“Today's decision is important for both the protection of the environment and human health," said Dr. Rick Smith, Executive Director of Environmental Defence, an Ontario Greenbelt Alliance member. “This is a great gift to the Greenbelt in its fifth anniversary year."

Today's decision is a huge victory for Alliance member Friends of Rural Communities and the Environment who have worked tirelessly to defend their community’s drinking water, air quality and natural features.

This quarry would have been the first new industrial development of its kind in the natural heritage system of the Greenbelt. The proposed site and service roads would have cut through working agricultural lands, Provincially Significant Wetlands, significant woodlands and significant wildlife habitat that is home to a number of species at risk. In addition, the quarry was proposed to go below the water table threatening the safety of water quality for the thousands of residents who live in the area and rely on a ground-water based municipal drinking system.

While the introduction of Greenbelt legislation five years ago has done much to protect agricultural land and maintain natural habitats, proposals for aggregate mining continue to undermine this protection.

Heather Harding
Greenbelt Coordinator
Environmental Defence