The Melancthon Quarry
Why here?
The Melancthon Quarry is located in the sparsely populated rural Township of Melancthon. The site has no significant natural features and is outside of all special environmental planning zones, such as the Greenbelt, Niagara Escarpment and Oak Ridges Moraine. It has direct access onto Dufferin County Road 124, a former Provincial highway designed and designated for truck traffic. It is also in close proximity to the Dufferin County rail corridor.
The Township of Melancthon is home to three major local industries based on the area’s natural resources: agriculture, aggregates and wind.
Agriculture
There are approximately 26,000 ha of prime agricultural lands in Melancthon, which produce a variety of crops including potatoes, wheat, barley and canola. The 937 ha quarry site represents less than 4% of the prime agricultural lands in Melancthon and less than 1% of the prime agricultural lands in Dufferin County. In addition, when fully rehabilitated, 544 ha of the site will be returned to agriculture with the balance being naturalized to complement and enhance the surrounding rural landscape.
Aggregates
The Aggregate Resources Inventory Paper (#163) identifies approximately 5,200 ha in Melancthon as a Selected Bedrock Resource Area that should be protected for excavation consistent with the Provincial Policy Statement (PPS). Today there are 5 pits and no quarries operating in Melancthon. The Melancthon Quarry is located within the identified resource area.
Wind
Melancthon is host to one of Canada’s largest wind energy farms, producing over 200 MW of renewable energy. The area is also the target of an additional 100 MW wind project being developed.
These three industries are complementary and compatible land uses. The PPS encourages rural townships to develop their natural resources and limits population growth to urban areas so that non-compatible land uses do not overlap or conflict.