Caledon approves landmark gravel mining reforms

The movement to reform gravel mining in Ontario achieved a significant victory when the Town of Caledon approved groundbreaking policies to protect residents’ health and the environment from aggregate extraction. The recently passed policies set standards for gravel mining that are stricter than provincial regulations, particularly when it comes to limiting dangerous air pollution and protecting essential water resources and woodlands. The Forks of the Credit Preservation Group (FCPG) worked hand in hand with RGMC and Caledon's Council to achieve these reforms, which set a precedent for municipalities across Ontario.

Most notably—and in what is believed to be a first in Canada—Caledon adopted the World Health Organization’s (WHO) 2021 global air quality standards for particulate matter (PM 2.5). PM 2.5 is a known carcinogen found in the dust that spreads from aggregate mines over schoolyards and crop fields, increasing the risk of disease and mortality in surrounding communities.

The achievement in Caledon shows the Interim Control Bylaw (ICBL) is an effective tool for minimizing the harmful impacts of gravel mining. We stand ready to support any municipality or residents' group that would like to follow Caledon's example and strengthen protections from gravel mining in your community - get in touch today!

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We acknowledge that we work on the Treaty and traditional territory of the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation, Treaty 13 and the Williams Treaties, the Treaty and traditional territory of Williams Treaty Nations (Alderville, Hiawatha, Curve Lake, Hiawatha and Scugog Island, Beausoleil, Georgina Island and Rama Island First Nations). Ancestrally this territory was home to other First Nations including the Wendat, Haudenosaunee, and the Pentun peoples. Today, this land is now home to many diverse First Nations, Inuit, and Métis peoples. In addition, our work takes place nationwide, across all the Treaty and unceded lands of Turtle Island. We recognize, respect and strive to reconcile the inherent Aboriginal and Treaty rights of all the Indigenous peoples as upheld within the UN Declaration of the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, The Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms and the Constitution of Canada.

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