Cramahe Township residents strongly oppose gravel pit expansion

Screenshot of the Fidelity Gravel Pit Route. Courtesy of Cramahe Township.

By Dan Jones, Northumberland 89.7 FM News, Local Journalism Initiative.

Residents are being very vocal in their opposition to the extension of the operation of a gravel pit in Cramahe Township.

The Municipal Council held a special meeting Tuesday evening to hear from residents on the expansion by Fidelity Property Group. They currently own and operate the pit on Telephone Road from 6 AM to 6 PM Monday through Friday and Saturday morning.

An application to the Ministry of Natural Resources seeks to expand to 24 hours Monday through Friday, with the possibility of Sundays and holidays. MHBC, an urban design and landscape architectural group representing Fidelity, sent the Township a letter on January 17 outlining Fidelity’s intentions.

That letter stated the hours of change are needed for the crucial operations of expanding Highway 401 in the region and to locate an asphalt plant to the site.

Yet residents at that special council meeting  spoke against the expansion indicating the trucks traveling down the road are already too noisy. “The noise alone of the tailgates banging is constant, which is very disruptive during the day. I can’t imagine what it's going to be like during night time,” Shirley Bird said.

Joshua Bell, who lives right next to the gravel pit said he can't walk his dog on their 12-acre property because the noise is too great.  “I can't even walk my dog without him tucking his tail between his legs when the tailgates smash. The trucks going back and forth passing our front window, he’s on the couch all the time whining and barking,” explained Bell.

Speaker after speaker expressed to council their opposition the application. Deputy Mayor Sandra Arthur stated she heard residents' concerns about the expansion. She said she could not support Fidelity’s application because they have not been forthcoming with information to the Township. “100 percent, I can’t support it, for the reason of the lack of information coming forward,” said Arthur.

Cramahe Township has until Friday to submit comments on the noise aspect of Fidelity’s application. That comment package, expected to include residents' emails and documents will be considered by the provincial government.