A trio of public hearings is coming up related to quarrying operations in the RM of Rockwood.
On Tuesday, March 17 at 6 p.m. at Stony Mountain Community Centre (117 School Rd.), a public hearing will focus on a request to rezone an industrial extractive holding area to an industrial extractive zone, which would allow the existing Heidelberg Materials quarrying operation to expand.
A map from the South Interlake Planning District shows the proposed location of a new aggregate extraction operation sought by Amrize Canada Inc. between Road 78N and Road 79N in the RM of Rockwood
On the same evening and at the same location, a public hearing is slated to start at 8 p.m. regarding a conditional use application from Heidelberg Materials, which is looking to expand its existing aggregate extraction.
Heidelberg Materials has been operating in the RM of Rockwood since the 1970s, and its current operations are at the Glacier Quarry with active extraction taking place at the Oughton Quarry.
The land in the proposed development area is currently agricultural. Farming would continue in the parts of the land that aren’t being used for extraction. Per provincial regulations, the proposed Oughton expansion site would include a buffer of 400 metres from residential landowners. The company also intends to build berms to separate the quarry from neighbouring properties.
The proposed rock truck route would continue on the existing route, which goes from the extraction area to the crusher and plant site across Road 7E and Road 78N.
The expanded area would continue with quarry operation hours from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m., Monday to Friday.
Then on Thursday, March 19 at 6 p.m. at Stony Mountain Community Centre, a public hearing will take place regarding a conditional use request by Amrize Canada Inc. to allow for an aggregate extraction operation.
Amrize Canada is seeking approval to start a new quarry operation between Road 78N and Road 79N. The current plan anticipates there would be about 25 round-trip truck trips per day using an RM-designated haul route. This would include travelling north on Road 4E, then east on Highway 323, south on Highway 236 and then east at Road 79.
A nearby landowner has formally objected to the proposed Amrize Canada quarry operation. Jeff Meier, whose family operates a four-generation farm located about three quarters of a mile from the proposed site along Road 4E, will be objecting the conditional use citing concerns about traffic, dust, groundwater and the long-term industrialization of agricultural land. In his letter, Meier said heavy truck traffic on Provincial Road 323 and 236 — which already experiences seasonal weight restrictions — could accelerate road deterioration and create safety risks. He also raised concerns about potential impacts from dust, blasting vibrations, groundwater changes and drainage near the Grassmere Drain and his geothermal heating system.
Meier noted that multiple farm residences, including the Black Bear Rescue Manitoba, are located within a quarter- to half-mile of the proposed extraction area and said the introduction of blasting, crushing and commercial hauling would be incompatible with the established agricultural and residential character of the area.
The RM of Rockwood’s zoning bylaw allows hauling from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday to Friday and 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturdays. However, Amrize Canada expects that its hauling activities would typically take place between 6 a.m. and 6 p.m. No hauling is permitted on Sundays or statutory holidays.
Rockwood resident Larry Neufeld plans to attend all three public hearings. He’s concerned that the rezoning and conditional use proposals are rushing forward, and he also worries about the potential impacts on nearby properties, including his own.
“When we moved in, they were already there,” he said. “We didn’t have a lot of recourse, but now we do. I think they’re going to get some serious pushback.”
He doesn’t want to see the quarry operations expand any closer toward residential properties, and he’s concerned about the potential impact on property values.
“We’ve been here for many years and I can tell you that the damage to the windows from blasts has been significant over the years, but it’s difficult to prove,” he said.
He encourages other property owners to attend the public hearings and get informed.
“Everybody should understand what the consequences are if they move forward with this. If you look at the investments that we’ve put in here and what’s happening, it devalues the property,” he said.
“It is impacting people and they are going to get resistance. It’s really important that everybody gets to know what’s happening. It’s going to be awfully hard to change it after the fact.”
More information about the upcoming public hearings is posted on the South Interlake Planning District’s website at sipd.ca.
