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MISSISSAUGA, ONT. — The Ontario Stone, Sand and Gravel Association (OSSGA) recently handed out several awards in two distinct areas, one for community relations and the other progressive rehabilitation efforts.

The community relations awards recognize leadership in promoting good neighbour relations, community involvement, education and industry awareness.

This year there were six winners, which were all committed to noise and dust mitigation initiatives, representing good neighbour efforts.

Those awarded are as follows:

• CBM, Aggregates Division | Shelter Valley Pit Township of Alnwick/Haldimand
  CBM Aggregates’ Shelter Valley Pit donated to the Trenton Memorial Hospital to support the purchase of medical equipment.

• Walker Aggregates & �鶹��ý����ion | Sutherland Quarry Expansion Township of Georgian Bluffs
  Walker Aggregates, in 2024, supported Habitat for Humanity, local environmental projects and various community events.

• Walker Aggregates & �鶹��ý����ion | Duntroon Quarry Clearview Township
  The Duntroon Quarry donates to organizations like the Hospice Georgian Triangle Foundation.

• Walker Aggregates & �鶹��ý����ion | McGregor Quarry Town of Amherstbur
  McGregor Quarry support includes donations, event sponsorships and an annual summer PLC event.

• Walker Aggregates & �鶹��ý����ion | Severn Quarry Town of Severn
  Severn Quarry supports local causes like the United Way and Soldiers Memorial Hospital while hosting events such as PLC BBQs and student tours.

• Walker Aggregates & �鶹��ý����ion | Vineland Quarries and Crushed Stone Town of Lincoln
  Vineland Quarries is involved in local projects, such as restoring the Vineland Scouts building and supporting Habitat for Humanity.

The Progressive Rehabilitation Award recognizes the ongoing efforts of individual operators to progressively rehabilitate their sites per their site plans.

This year, the OSSGA recognized 11 winners, and one judge’s choice, honouring each site with a plaque at a recent awards dinner.

The 2024 Judges’ Choice Award Winner:

• CBM, Aggregates Division | Douglas Pit and McLaughlin Pit West Nissouri Township
  Covering approximately 6.26 hectares, the project successfully transformed former extraction sites into stable, vegetated landscapes, integrating seamlessly into natural habitats, states the OSSGA. By May 2024, the rehabilitation was completed, creating an ecologically sustainable environment.

The other 2024 winners are:

• CBM, Aggregates Division | Sunderland Pit Township of Brock
  The project rehabilitated 3.4 hectares, shaping slopes and restoring the pit floor using sustainable methods. Hydroseeding with specialized grass and legume mixes promoted long-term stabilization and ecological restoration.

• Green Infrastructure Partners Inc. | Armitage Pit Township of West Carlton
  Progressive rehabilitation at GIP’s Armitage Pit has focused on pond restoration, sloping pit sidewalls, and planting rye and clover after covering with topsoil. By 2016, 580 trees and shrubs, including Red Osier Dogwood, white spruce and white pine were planted to improve wildlife and fish habitats.

• ��Green Infrastructure Partners Inc. | Riddell Pit City of Ottawa
  The final rehabilitation plans for the Riddell Pit involve sloping pit faces, seeding with grass and legumes and planting trees like maples, white pine and white spruce. Phase three will be converted into a large lake, with sloped sides above and below the water table, covered with topsoil, seeded and planted with nursery stock. To date, 5.5 ha of pit faces have been sloped, seeded and planted.

• Green Infrastructure Partners Inc. | Torbolton Pit City of Ottawa
  Progressive rehabilitation at the Torbolton Pit covers 50 hectares, including pond rehabilitation�� and tree/shrub planting. Efforts around the northern pond area include creating perpendicular shorelines, sloping pit faces, and planting species like Red Osier Dogwood, High Bush Cranberry, White Pine, Red Pine and White Spruce to prevent erosion. Final plans include a self-contained pond, sloped shorelines covered with topsoil, seeded, and planted with Willows and Silver Maple, along with stumps and rocks placed to enhance fish spawning and wildlife habitats.

• Lafarge Canada Inc. – A Member of Holcim | Brantford Pit County of Brant
  The Brantford Pit rehabilitation aimed to stabilize former extraction areas with shallow shorelines and natural features. The project involved sloping and seeding the southern shoreline and side-slope areas using 14,000 cubic metres of overburden and topsoil. A native grass/legume mixture was seeded in May 2024 across 12,500 square metres to encourage natural re-vegetation.

• Lafarge Canada Inc. – A Member of Holcim | Clark Pit City of Ottawa
  The Clark Pit aimed to restore former extraction areas to their original grade for future industrial use in Ottawa. Over 22 years, 2.5 million tonnes of soil were imported to fill, slope and grade the land, with the western side sloped to a 3:1 ratio and overburden used to meet topsoil requirements.

• Miller Paving Limited – A Colas Company | Boyington Pit 3 Township of Uxbridge
  Through a combination of grading, topsoil placement and seeding with crops like corn and soybeans, Miller Paving has demonstrated a commitment to ensuring productive land use after extraction activities. While the site still remains an active extraction site, about 50 per cent of the land has now been rehabilitated back to agriculture production.

• E.C. King Contracting – A Colas Company | Breadner Pit Grey County
  By implementing soil fertility improvements and long-term sustainability measures, the project highlights a commitment to both environmental conservation and productive land use. Last year, a total of 6.44 hectares were rehabilitated and the site was fully transformed into pastureland with plans to return to its original orchard conditions.

• Pioneer �鶹��ý����ion Inc. | Laurentian Pit City of Sudbury
  The Laurentian Pit completed progressive rehabilitation on its 15.6-hectare pit focusing on slope stabilization, drainage improvements, and native vegetation planting.

• VicDom Sand & Gravel | Middleton Pit Township of Uxbridge
  The Middleton Pit, a former farmland used for aggregate extraction from 2019 to 2022, was rehabilitated in 2024 with a plan to restore it as open grassland, cropland and a small pond for wildlife habitat. Overburden material was used to backfill the site, restoring its original rolling hills landscape across three hectares, with a wheat crop planted in the first year to stabilize soils.

• Walker Aggregates & �鶹��ý����ion | Gowanlock Pit Grey County
  The Gowanlock pit underwent a 15-year rehabilitation process to restore it for agricultural use, with the final phase completed in 2024 on 5.8 hectares of land. The pit floor was levelled and topsoil and fertilizer were spread, preparing the site for future farming.