“The debate over the proper use of Mono's town-owned gravel pit took centre stage at Tuesday's council meeting when representatives of the Mono Nordic Ski Club argued for its use as a recreational area while proponents of aggregate mining said the pit should continue to produce gravel.

For a number of years, the ski club and the town have shared the site on County Road 16 east of Blind Line. The town gives the club permission to use the area. The club, in turn, maintains the trails at its own expense. Local road infrastructure projects have ramped up, however, and the town is in need of more gravel.

Arguments for gravel extraction use became more compelling after the town got quotes that compared the price of using gravel from their own pit, to hauling it in from another location. The 36,000 tonnes of B-grade gravel needed to rebuild Mono's Second Line from the paved portion north of Highway 9 to Five Sideroad will cost $116,201 from the town's pit, as opposed to $383,700 from a private location.

Ski Club spokesman Usman Valiante, meanwhile, is urging Mono council to "think outside the box" on the issue. "The position we have is that we want what's in the best interests of the town," he said Tuesday. "There's a tendency to undervalue" recreational use of land.

In his Tuesday presentation to council, Mr. Valiante acknowledged there is a strong case for gravel extraction. He pointed out, however, that maintaining the ski trails will have long-term, intrinsic economic benefits. By making gravel extraction the ultimate priority, he said, "there will be fiscal savings in one area. But there will be costs in another." Although the land would eventually be rehabilitated, "its utility value won't be the same."

He said the topography of the trails, with their particular elevations and curves, make the area around the pit "a world class" cross-country skiing facility. He added that the pit, as well as the Monora Park ski facility, has produced four local skiers who are serious contenders for a spot in the 2010 Winter Olympics.

Altering the trail system through extraction, he explained, will mean that the facility will not be as good, regardless of what rehabilitation takes place.

In an interview after his presentation, Mr. Valiante said a first-class facility will draw skiers from other areas, which means outside dollars into the local economy. For example, an out-of-town skier will buy a meal in a local restaurant, or even book a room in a local hotel. As well, he said, good recreational areas add to the value of nearby properties, provide a recreational outlet for youth, and have health benefits are obvious.