HGIS: Dibblee Osgoode Quarry

Aggregate Resources, Engineering and Terrain Geology

December, 1995

Dibblee Osgoode Quarry

HUNTER and ASSOCIATES, as lead consultant, has been successful in obtaining the necessary approvals for establishment of a new dolomite quarry in Osgoode Township, Regional Municipality of Ottawa-Carleton (RMOC), Ontario, for Dibblee Construction Limited (The Warren Paving & Materials Group Limited). Approvals required included: Class "A" Aggregate Licence under the Aggregate Resources Act (1989) from the Ministry of Natural Resources (MNR), Permit to Take Water from the Ministry of Environment and Energy (MOEE), and official plan and zoning amendments from Township of Osgoode and RMOC.
Dibblee had been attempting to obtain a quarry licence in Osgoode Township since the early 1970's. This licence is required to complement and replace Dibblee’s depleting Oxford Formation resources in the City of Gloucester. Hunter and Associates was retained in 1989 and undertook a comprehensive review of Dibblee's and competitors’ RMOC quarry operations and potential for acquisition of new sites. This review included preparation of extensive geographic information system (GIS) databases, regional aggregate resource evaluation and modelling of transportation haulage costs of aggregate products landed at key locations in the RMOC market area. This study provided strategic input to the corporate decision to acquire additional licensed property in the City of Gloucester, to retain as much as possible of the existing licensed property in the face of expropriation procedures for Highway 416 in the City of Nepean, to the licensing of the new quarry in the Township of Osgoode near provincial Highway 31, and ultimately to the acquisition of an existing quarry operation and resources in the City of Nepean where available resources have become sterilized.
A number of site factors complicated licence approval at the Osgoode Quarry. The site is located near highway, residential and commercial development and in an estate residential growth area and required blasting restrictions. It is also adjacent to Provincial Class II Wetlands and subject to Ontario's Wetland Guidelines and setbacks. The two prime lifts of the quarry are below the water table and the quarry is located in a groundwater recharge area. A Permit to Take Water exceeding 500 Imperial gallons per minute was obtained after hydrogeological evaluation of the pumping influence zones and satisfaction of application criteria.
The environmental impact assessment and subsequent negotiation process with the Township of Osgoode, MOEE and MNR led to the reduction of the wetland setbacks, the approval of a second lift, and the introduction and acceptance of a surface mini-lift. Ultimately, this resulted in more than doubling of the originally estimated quarry reserves to about 30 million tonnes. The Class "A" extraction licence was granted based on Hunter’s site plans without additional conditions imposed after formal agency circulation.
To quote a concluding letter from the Vice-Chairman of The Warren Paving & Materials Group Limited:

On behalf of our company, I would like to thank you for your hard work and leadership during this long process, without which we would not have been successful.

All necessary permits, licences and planning approvals were obtained within 26 months from the time of instruction to proceed with site feasibility studies, making it a very rapid time frame for obtaining a new licence for an urban fringe quarry. A Board Hearing was not required as all agencies and neighbours were satisfied with the approval process.