The County is asking the Ministry of Natural Resources for public consultation and transparency when it comes to creating a new site plan for a long dormant pit on Ridge Road.

Mayor Steve Ferguson sent a letter to MNRF Minister Mike Harris December 10 regarding Ellbrook Pit #2907, which has been dormant for nearly two decades.

Previously owned by the late John Leavitt, the pit changed hands in 2023. It is now owned by Ellbrook Excavating.

While Mr. Leavitt’s original licence didn’t allow for aggregate extraction below the water line, Ellbrook seeks to extract below the waterline, alarming neighbouring residents concerned about local wells. Meanwhile, the original site plan agreement seems to have been lost by the MNRF. 

Residents say a new site plan must be established before operations can lawfully resume.

The Mayor noted that the situation is unique, as there is no formal process under the Aggregate Resources Act to address missing site plans. Currently, the site plan negotiations are exclusive to Ellbrook and the MNRF.

“Resumption of operations should be treated as a significant alteration to the existing license,” the Mayor wrote. “(Residents) have requested the County advocate for a public consultation process and to ensure environmental and source water protection considerations are fully addressed.”

The Mayor said the County is committed to working collaboratively with the MNRF to ensure that community concerns, environmental protections, and regulatory requirements are addressed before any extraction activities resume at the pit.

“We welcome the opportunity to meet with Ministry staff to discuss this matter further and to ensure that the County’s perspective, along with the concerns of our residents, are fully considered in the process ahead.”

The municipality is calling on the MNRF for a transparent process for re-establishing the site plan. It wants clear guidance on how missing site plans are to be managed under the ARA; public consultation before any operations resume; a briefing on how the pit will be classified and what environmental and regulatory protections will be applied; and all water-related impacts, including potential effects on private wells, to be fully assessed and mitigated in advance of re-establishing a site plan.