OMB/LPAT/ERT/OLT decisions and outcomes

  Norval/Brampton Brick LTD

 In December 2008, Brampton Brick Ltd. submitted a planning application to the City of Brampton to rezone
land at Old Pinecrest Road and Winston Churchill Boulevard for the development of a shale quarry. The
company was seeking permission to begin extraction at the 34.9-hectare Norval Quarry site, which would
produce approximately 5.8 million tonnes of shale over 30 to 40 years (P. Douglas).

In August 2010, the company submitted an application for an Aggregate Resources Act (ARA) Licence to the
Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry (MNRF). The City of Brampton filed an objection in December 2010
on the grounds that the proposed area was not zoned for quarry use and that there were outstanding concerns
related to land use planning, transportation, the natural environment, hydrogeology, surficial soil, visual, noise,
cultural and social impacts (brampton.ca).

In 2014, the City of Brampton rejected Brampton Brick’s application to rezone the land based on extensive
technical peer reviews and land-use incompatibility, which launched a battle with the Ontario Municipal Board
(OMB) (P. Douglas). In May 2016 Brampton Brick requested that the MNRF refer the licence application to the
OMB to be considered along with the rezoning application (brampton.ca).

Hundreds of area residents, the Town of Halton, the City of Brampton, the Norval Pit-STOP Community
Organization, Sierra Club Canada’s Peel Region Group, and the Norval Community Association all vowed to
support protection of the ecologically sensitive area by sending objection letters, protesting and attending
critical Municipal decision-making meetings during the hearing process (R. Guo).

Key issues identified by opponents included dust, noise, truck traffic, and the impact on the site’s wetlands and
Credit River tributaries (ourontario.ca). It was also noted that existing and future residential homes, religious
and educational institutions neighbour the proposed quarry operations and that the addition of trucks could
increase the danger to other road users (R. Guo). Lawyers and experts also objected to the plan, agreeing that
it failed to address truck safety concerns, land use issues, water contamination concerns, and impacts to fish
habitat and future and existing residential development (P. Douglas).

A settlement has since been reached between the City of Brampton and Brampton Brick that resulted in the
complete withdrawal of the rezoning and licensing applications and Ontario Municipal Board appeals. As
of April 2018, the City’s development file on this matter was closed. New applications would be required if
Brampton Brick wants to re-visit a quarry operation at this site in the future (brampton.ca).
This decision came as a massive relief to those who had been fighting against the proposed quarry for over
12 years. Pit-STOP president Janet Kuzniar said that she hoped future plans for the land “will include a large
protected natural corridor, connecting people and wildlife along this Credit River tributary in the midst of a
growing urban area,” (P. Douglas).

Links:
• http://images.ourontario.ca/Partners/HHPL/HHPL002372219pf_0005.pdf
• https://www.sierraclub.ca/en/peel/quarry
• https://www.toronto.com/news-story/8383701–norval-quarry-has-been-stopped-residents-groupdeclares-victory-in-12-year-fight/
• https://www.omb.gov.on.ca/ecs/CaseDetail.aspx?n=PL110063 – Case Details