Stop the Norval Quarry
Of the 1.8 million acres of protected Greenbelt land in Ontario, only 577 acres are in Brampton.
This is only 0.0025% of the total Greenbelt area
Relatively small & scarce, Brampton's Greenbelt area performs a critical ecological function. This area follows the Credit River watershed and its tributaries and wetlands, but is under stress from growing urban development. The Credit River is cold water fish habitat, and a wildlife movement corridor, within a Provincially significant wetland. The Greenbelt around Norval is in close proximity to the growing urban areas of Northwest Brampton & Georgetown, and performs a significant ecological function. Locating a quarry in this area is not a good choice of sites.
The proposed aggregate extraction area is in close proximity to the historic Village of Norval, a recognised tourism area, and an existing community.
The Credit River valley in the Norval (North West Brampton, and East of Georgetown) is a breath taking panoramic view of rare natural heritage in the midst of urban sprawl. Significant natural featuresaround this part of the Credit River provide important fish and wildlife habitat, and an important wildlife movement corridor. The proposed Norval Quarry, a 100' deep open pit extraction of shale for use in brick making, is on a site that is bisected by a tributary of the Credit River, and includes a Provincially Significant Wetland, and significant woodlot. The proposed Norval Quarry is in the midst of a residential hamlet, and is surrounded by a future urban community. This is no place to locate a destructive industrial activity; shale extraction.
About 600 acres surrounding the Credit River valley in NorthWest Brampton were included in the Greenbelt. Greenbelting protected the natural ecological features in this area from urban development. However, since quarry development is the one development permitted in the Greenbelt, the land was cheap, and a proposal to re-zone agricultural land to industrial-extractive zoning is being pushed.
The Sierra Club of Canada has fought hard to win the protection of this significant natural heritage. Less than 9% of Brampton is natural green space. Let's not destroy the few natural heritage features we have in this growing urban area. Sierra Club of Canada-Peel Region Group takes action by encouraging all levels of government to adopt sound land-use policies that will protect the natural environment, ground & surface waters, the local heritage, and the concerns of local residents such as traffic, dust, noise, well water, and property values.
More information is available at www.pit-STOP.ca
