Short Story

Join the important fight to stop the creation of three gravel pits in the Saugeen River watershed in West Grey, Ontario between the Towns of Hanover and Durham. This is an important ecological and much enjoyed recreational area. Please donate today and help keep the Saugeen River in its pristine state.

Municippality of West Grey, Ontario, Canada

Save the Saugeen

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Saugeen Preservation Society Inc.
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Story

Please donate to help us Save the Saugeen River from three new gravel mine applications.

Three new pits are being proposed in West Grey County beside the Saugeen River. There is no need for new aggregate operations in West Grey as there are currently 29 licensed pits operating at ~50% of their licensed capacity.

The only benefit is to the bottom line of the three applicants. There is no NEED it is just GREED.

It is more important than ever for us to step up and say NO to these unnecessary industrial operations. They put our environment and water at risk at a time when the aggregate industry is insufficiently regulated and protections for the Saugeen River and it’s watershed are being further eroded.

There are TWO new aggregate extraction license applications and a planned expansion of the existing Redford pit at the corner of Alan Park Road and Concession 4NDR in the Municipality of West Grey on the banks of the Saugeen River.

If approved these pits will excavate 350 acres of a 528.5-acre area. This will leave 178 acres trapped between them.

The total affected area consists of:

  • 3.5+km of the Saugeen, 3 tributaries and the floodplain
  • 7 wetlands
  • 1 significant woodland
  • municipal hazard lands
  • SVCA protected lands
  • Habitats for endangered species
  • 46+ residential homes and businesses
  • Camp McGovern for underprivileged youth (property will be rendered unsuitable)
  • Hopkins Bridge, popular entry and exit point for the Saugeen River

People living in the Saugeen watershed will be directly impacted for the next 25+ years by:

    • impacts to the watershed and fisheries
    • unhealthy dust from excavation and truck traffic
    • 3 excavating and processing operations at separate locations
    • 3 dusty gravel internal haul routes
    • 306 to 516 trucks per day
    • 30,456 to 50,760 trucks per year spreading dust, increasing traffic and noise on our rural roads.

Thank you for your interest and contribution to our fight to STOP these unnecessary pits!