Walker Aggregates Inc. - Approval of an amendment to the Niagara Escarpment Plan

The subject lands are a licensed and operating quarry under the Aggregate Resources Act (ARA), owned by Walker Aggregates Incorporated. The quarry operation on the subject property is integrated with the Walker Duntroon Quarry expansion, located on the north side of the road on an approximately 80 ha site with 65.9 ha within the Mineral Resource Extraction Area (MREA) and licensed under the ARA. A tunnel under Clearview Township Road 91 connects the two properties. The processing of aggregate for both properties is done within the south quarry. 

The amendment proposes a change only to allow for the continuation of processing and shipping at the Duntroon Quarry, including material from the Duntroon Quarry Expansion.

Based on the decision of the Township of Clearview not to close the road and transfer ownership to Walker Aggregates, original intent to eventually relocate the processing facility to the expansion (north) quarry and to close the tunnel is no longer feasible due to safety concerns with exiting the north quarry onto Clearview Township Road 91. Walker has indicated that access to the road must continue from the south quarry throughout the duration of extraction in the expansion quarry. 

To support this, Walker Aggregates applied for a Niagara Escarpment Plan Amendment (NEPA) to allow for the processing facilities to continue to serve both quarries and remain in the south quarry until extraction is complete in both. 

Further to a NEPA, a development permit from the Niagara Escarpment Commission will also be required for the operational aspects of the proposal consistent with the ARA licence. The development permit process would follow a completed NEP amendment process.

Application materials can be viewed online (see below) or in person at the Niagara Escarpment Commission by contacting the Owen Sound office to book an appointment. 

Other information 

The licensed boundary of the quarry is already located within a MREA designation of the NEP where mineral aggregate operations is a permitted use in Part 1.9.3. The original Duntroon quarry was established following the issuance of a permit under the Escarpment Protection Act, on September 21, 1970, and an aggregate license issued under the Pits and Quarries Control Act shortly after in 1972. Thus, the original quarry pre-dates the Niagara Escarpment Planning and Development Act (NEPDA), in 1973 and the NEP in 1985. In 1988 NEPA 16 was approved to allow for the redesignation of 3.21 ha of land in the eastern portion of the subject property (of the original quarry) from Escarpment Protection Area (EPA) to Escarpment Rural Area (ERA), followed immediately by NEPA 17 to redesignate the lands to MREA, to allow for an expansion of the original quarry to the east boundary of the property. 

In 2005 Walker Aggregates applied for an amendment to the NEP (NEPA 161) to allow for a re-designation of lands on the north side of County Road 91 from Escarpment Rural Area to MREA to permit a below the water table quarry. As part of this amendment to allow the Duntroon Quarry Expansion on the north side of the road, Walker Aggregates sought an amendment to allow the processing of material from the expansion property at the processing facility located in the original quarry on the south side of the road until such time as there would be room on the quarry floor within in the expansion to accommodate the processing plant. This required a site-specific amendment which was also approved under NEPA 161.

The Amendment application is not proposing to change what has been currently approved for site facilities, e.g., portable extraction and processing equipment, resource stockpiles, mobile equipment and plant (screening, crushing, power). 

Public consultation opportunities 

Information about this proposal can also be found on the Niagara Escarpment Commission’s website Niagara Escarpment Plan Active Plan Amendments - Niagara Escarpment Commission to invite input from the public

Pursuant to the Niagara Escarpment Planning and Development Act, a public meeting may be held.