The Rural Voice, 1981-02, Page 37Grey County Federation of Agriculture
Newsletter
Grey Federation
active in many areas
Kate McLaren was a visitor at the December meeting of the
Grey County F. of A. asking for support and memberships for a
newly formed Aggregate Group in South Grey.
A Euphrasia township I.S.M. asked for help
with a road fence problem. This was turned over to the
Properties Committee, who drafted a motion to forward the
material to the Properties Committee of OFA.
A resolution re rabies vaccine being supplied was passed.
Sydenham township had a resolution re agents not paying
farmers for hay shipped to Manitoba.
A complaint was received about the OFA convention being
dull and the count on the resolution votes perhaps being
inaccurate.
Past President pins will be ordered for several past presidents;
we thought we were starting something new this past year but
pins were given out several years ago and discontinued.
Letters of protest are to be sent re government withdrawing
support from Canfarm.
Bessie Saunders
R.R. 4, Meaford
Grey County
Pork Producers
ANNUAL
MEETING
Markdale Legion Hall
Thursday, Feb. 5
Luncheon - 12:30
Business Meeting - 1:30
Arrangements are being made
to hove o guest speaker.
Grey fated to be North America's biggest gravel pit?
Booms, like the Alberta oil boom, are
usually welcome signs of prosperity. But
Grey County municipal politicians aren't
looking forward to a gravel -hunting boom
in their county.
One local politician, Art Field. is
already predicting the county is fated to
become North America's biggest gravel
pit.
Ministry of Natural Resources maps
show the four southern townships in the
south of Grey contain the richest deposits
of high-quality gravel in southern Ontario
The Ministry of Natural Resources,
which has the "ultimate authority" to
decide the future of these valuable gravel
reserves, is exercising this authority by
vetoing the Grey County official plan until
a "fair share" of land is designated for
gravel extraction. Such a designation
could stop residential, commercial or
agricultural development which might
interfere with access to the gravel pits.
Since the province's construction
industry uses about 130 million tons of
aggregate a year. and since extraction
sites close to Toronto are under pressure
to close from urban development and
from citizens' environmental groups,
Grey County gravel is in demand - even
though shipping the gravel from Grey to
the city will likely double its price.
Deputy Reeve Art Field of Glenelg
Township, an engineer who spent 25
years in the aggregate business himself,
predicteu .,nce gravel extraction starts
seriously there will be more gravel trucks
daily in Durham, a farm community of
about 3.000 people. than there are people.
Field told a meeting of concerned
citizens: "And they (the trucks) will be
running 20 hours a day, six days a week. "
Frank DeWitt, president of the gravel
producers' association, said Field's
predictions are "exaggerated" and
designed to "panic" local residents.
He said it will be ten years before
extraction begins on a large scale, and
even then it won't reach the proportions
described by Mr. Field.
Craig Moyer, general manager of
Standard Aggregates Ltd. of Markham.
which owns about 800 gravel -bearing
sites in the township, said residents are
worried about the industry's reputation
for not getting along with its neighbours.
Moyer said, however, "There is almost
nil extraction going on today without
rehabilitation. When we're done, the
land will be as good or better than it was
before."
Moyer said most of the fuss about
gravel pits is being generated by former
city residents who have moved to the
country. "I've never yet talked to a
farmer who is upset. It's always the city
people raising Cain," Moyer said.
Grey County council has asked for a
social, economic and environmental study
to assess what compensation would be
suitable in return for the county's "fair
share" of gravel. The county has also
asked the Ministry of Natural Resources
to dig test holes to back up its claims of
substantial gravel reserves in south Grey.
THE RURAL VOICE FEBRUARY 1981 PG. 35