Subject: Strong Objection –…

Subject: Strong Objection – Strada Aggregates Water-Taking Application (ERO 025-1082)

This water-taking application should not be reviewed or approved on its own.

It is clearly tied to Strada’s proposed below-water-table quarry in Melancthon, and the two must be reviewed together. Considering this permit separately hides the true environmental and community impact and undermines public trust.

I thought this government was committed to protecting Ontario’s land and water — to transparency, accountability, and responsible development.

Allowing a company to advance major approvals piece by piece sends the opposite message.

Key concerns:

The quarry and the water-taking are interdependent; one cannot operate without the other. Reviewing them separately distorts the facts.

The water-taking proposal allows up to five million litres a day, every day of the year — an enormous withdrawal for a rural, agricultural area.

There is no clear public reporting or independent verification of how much water would actually be taken or how nearby wells and wetlands would be protected.

The ministry’s process lacks transparency. Holding two disconnected comment periods prevents residents from understanding the full picture or responding meaningfully.

Approving this permit now would set a dangerous precedent — showing that industrial interests can proceed by dividing applications instead of facing comprehensive scrutiny.

With climate change creating longer dry periods and unpredictable water levels, the ministry should be strengthening oversight, not weakening it.

If this government intends to live up to its promise of protecting Ontario’s natural resources, it should pause this application immediately and require a joint review of the quarry and water-taking together, with full disclosure and independent oversight.

- A Concerned Resident