Province confirms large aggregate surplus, reinforcing call for pause on new approvals

In October 2024, Ontario's Ministry of Natural Resources released an updated study on aggregate supply and demand in the Greater Golden Horseshoe. The report confirms there is a 6.2 billion tonne reserve of aggregates in the GGH that can meet construction needs for the next 38 years without adding any new pits or quarries or expanding existing ones. The province's new study reinforces our call for a pause on the approval of new pits and quarries.

Download our fact sheet on aggregate supply and demand.

Read the executive summary of the MNR's study. If you'd like a full copy of the report, email us at: [email protected].

 

 








While aggregates are an important resource in Ontario, too many municipalities and their residents have borne the costs and impacts of this industry, as the province has failed to minimize impacts on public health and safety.

Here are the key takeaways from the current supply report:

  • The province estimates there are 6.2 billion tonnes of aggregate reserves in the Greater Golden Horseshoe. These do not include aggregate supply in the rest of the province, including eastern and southwestern Ontario, as well as over 2,000 permits on Crown land.
  • Current aggregate reserves will last for 38 years at the current average annual consumption rate, without the need to add new pits or quarries or expand existing ones.
  • Ontario licenses the extraction of thirteen times more aggregate than it consumes each year on average.
  • The aggregate industry's claim that there is a shortage of high-quality aggregate close to market is unsubstantiated.
  • The province failed to meet the Auditor General's recommendation to provide accurate and verifiable data on supply and demand.
  • Ontario's management of aggregate resources ignores and exacerbates climate change.
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