Inside Caledon, Ontario

Lorraine Symmes member of the Coalition of Concerned Citizens

When looking for a house to buy in the Caledon area back in summer 2007 I remember stumbling across many homes for sale in the Winston Churchill & Olde Baseline road area, also very noticeable if you drive around the area are red stop signs saying “James Dick STOP Rockfort Quarry”. As a non resident of the area at the time I had no idea what was going on but a quick search on the web revealed the whole troubling story. For more information see the Coalition of Concerned Citizens website which has very detailed and up to date information on the status of the Rockfort Quarry if you are not familiar with the situation.

There was good news today though for residents in the area, word is the Town of Caledon has rejected the proposed Rockfort Quarry. Here is a small except from the Caledon Enterprise reporting on the news.

The Rockfort Quarry application has had its fair share of jeers from the public over the 11-year process, but Caledon Town Council gave residents something to cheer about Tuesday night when councillors announced their official opposition of the plan.

The decision ultimately lies with the Ontario Municipal Board (OMB), not the Town of Caledon, but support can’t hurt the cause. The OMB hearing is set to begin in May, and will decide whether or not to allow James Dick Construction Limited (JDCL) to mine the 89-hectare site at the corner of Olde Base Line and Winston Churchill Boulevard. Credit Valley Conservation (CVC) and Caledon Council have both decided to oppose the application, and the Region of Peel is set to make a decision on their position in April.

“I’m just ecstatic,” said Penny Richardson, president of the Coalition of Concerned Citizens (CCC), a resident group that has opposed the open pit mine application from the start. “Once again the Town of Caledon has come through. They’re very responsive to their citizens. We’d actually expect no less of them.”

For the full article, click here.