On behalf of the Town of…

On behalf of the Town of Mono, I am writing to voice the Town’s objection to Strada Aggregates Inc.’s application to amended Permit to Take Water No. 3210-AKRL9C, as it is presented today. Dufferin County, including the Town of Mono, currently experiences significant issues relating to water supply and, in our opinion, the proposed amendment to the Permit to Take Water will only exacerbate the significant water supply issues present in the County of Dufferin and the Town of Mono.

Our municipality understands that Strada Aggregates Inc. intends on using upwards of 5,000,000 litres of water per day for a period of 10 years. We find this concerning as it is more than the amount of water utilized by each of the eight lower-tier municipalities in Dufferin County. With such a significant amount of water being proposed to be withdrawn by this permit, the potential impacts to the County of Dufferin’s water table could be severely detrimental to the system’s overall health. If the water system were to be negatively affected, it would have serious implications on the quality and quantity of water in Dufferin and would be problematic for the agricultural sector - one of Dufferin County’s main economic drivers.

The agricultural sector represents a significant portion of the county’s economy; and as such, the protection of agricultural lands is paramount. The Town of Mono understands that the availability of a safe and abundant water source is critical to farmers’ production of abundant and high quality crops. It is our belief that Strada Aggregates Inc. amendment to their Permit to Take Water will harm Dufferin County farmers’ ability to produce crops in high yields and maintain the current standard of crops. The permit’s proposed volume of 5,000,000 litres per day will likely lead to a notable decrease in the level of the water table, and in turn, the availability of water for farmers to use for their crops. A reduction in water availability will have profound impacts on current agricultural practices, adaptability of the water system, and ultimately, crop output for farmers in Dufferin County.

Beyond the agricultural sector, the Town of Mono also believes that, at a fundamental level, the safety and quality of resident drinking water will be brought into question should the amendment to the Permit to Take Water be approved. As noted previously, the proposed amount of 5,000,000 litres per day will likely lead to a lower water table, which means that the water system becomes more susceptible to emerging impacts to the existing water supply. The availability of groundwater supply is likely to be reduced; and as a result, the number of drinking water sources for residents will also be reduced. There is also a heightened potential for large residential areas to be negatively affected by the emergence of a contaminant in the water system. Given that the permit has the potential to reduce the number of drinking water sources, it is likely that more residents will become reliant on a particular water. Should this water source become infiltrated by a harmful contaminant, the number of residents now subject to lesser quality drinking water or, in extreme cases, undrinkable water, will be much greater than in a scenario where the Permit to Take Water is not approved and the number of water sources in Dufferin County remains unchanged.

The Town of Mono wants to emphasize its objection to Strada Aggregates Inc.’s submission to the Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks for an amendment to a Permit to Take Water. It is our belief that approval of the amendment to the permit will have detrimental impacts to Dufferin County and the Town of Mono’s water system and would significantly impact residential drinking water and the availability of water to support agricultural production.