At a meeting on March 11, the council approved zoning changes that will enable the proposed expansion of the R.W. Tomlinson quarry. The quarry owner in Ottawa is moving closer to tripling the size of the operation, located near Stittsville along Highway 7. R.W. Tomlinson extracts millions of tons of bedrock annually for concrete and asphalt usage.
During the recent agriculture and rural affairs committee meeting, concerns were raised about the potential expansion’s impact on plant and animal wildlife. The area targeted for expansion houses three species of minnows and turtles in its wetlands, as highlighted by Janet Stavinga, president of the Friends of Stittsville Wetlands.
Tomlinson Group has filed for an aggregates license and municipal zoning adjustments to expand its Stittsville quarry on Jinkinson Road, which includes wetlands spanning 10.7 and 4.6 hectares. These wetlands lost their provincially significant designations in previous years.
Opponents like Sarah Hasenak from Ontario Nature stressed the importance of protecting these wetlands, especially for flood prevention. R.W. Tomlinson Ltd. intends to create over 63 hectares of natural features through progressive rehabilitation on the site, according to Neal DeRuyter, a planning consultant working with the company.
The company plans to implement seven extraction phases gradually to ensure minimal impact on the environment. They aim to rehabilitate the area once extraction is complete, aligning with the city’s requirement for no net loss. The final approval for the expansion plan now rests with the Ottawa city council.