Feb. 26, 2015 – The Ontario aggregates industry is meeting
challenging business conditions head on thanks to ideas and initiatives being
addressed as part of this year’s Ontario Stone, Sand and Gravel Association
AGM.
Feb. 26, 2015 – The Ontario aggregates industry is meeting
challenging business conditions head on thanks to ideas and initiatives being
addressed as part of this year’s Ontario Stone, Sand and Gravel Association
AGM.
Held this year in downtown Toronto, the event is responding
to issues surrounding next generation leadership, including how to deal with
growing community opposition, succession planning, incorporating new technology
and working with stakeholders to provide a consistent source of close-to-home
aggregates.
Day one of the three-day event provided sterling examples of
each of the challenges facing OSSGA members by giving industry experts the
opportunity to share positive insight into these pressing matters.
Leading the way were Stan Denhoed of Harden Environmental
Services Ltd. and George Gorrell of BGC Engineering Inc. The pair presented on
the contentious issue of below water table extraction, an issue that has become
a focal point for community protests and NIMBY groups that are blocking
aggregates projects across Canada. The presentation included several case
studies showing water mitigation measures taken to greatly reduce the impact
that below water table extraction will have on the watershed.
The Pelee Island pit conflict is a textbook example of how
the environment and the aggregates industry can work together to profit
together. George Paisiovich, James Duncan and Stephen Douglas each provided
input from where they sat during the conflict, showing how they worked together
to provide a solution for all stakeholders involved.
A panel discussion on succession planning visited the issues
surrounding long-term planning for the future of aggregates operations. An
issue that was previously discussion in the Money
Matters column of Rock to Road,
succession planning is vital for the health and welfare of the business, and as
away to incorporate the next generation of the industry into the long-term
future of an operation, whether that is through the family or with the
introduction of younger leadership.
On the technology front, Chris Poole and Caitlin Port of
Skelton Brumwell and Associates discussed the use of 3D modeling as a valuable
new tool for the aggregates industry. 3D modelling provides a real world view
of a project, current or proposed. It allows companies to review the before,
during and after landscape of the pit or quarry, including pit design, haul
roads, drainage, stockpile locations and mitigation features. It also provides
operators with a chance to look at way to modify design elements. This tool can
also be used in public information sessions, OMB hearings, public meetings and
open houses, showing the public the best practices put in place during the
design phase, as well as proposed rehabilitation efforts.
The OSSGA AGM runs until Friday at the Hilton Downtown Hotel
in Toronto.
Stay informed on these issues, as well as other points of
contention facing the aggregates industry, by visiting www.rocktoroad.com.
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