The Aldershot Quarry has been around for a long time. In fact, it has been here for almost 90 years. Over time, Burlington has expanded and grown up around the quarry.
This has been a fully licensed quarry for more than 40 years. Meridian Brick purchased the Aldershot Quarry in 1990. In 2010, a revised Site Plan was approved by the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry to meet Provincial standards. The Aldershot Quarry is fully compliant with the Aggregate Resources Act, the Endangered Species Act and the Greenbelt Plan.
In 1990, Meridian (then Canada Brick) acquired the Aldershot Quarry with the intention of using the site’s Queenston shale to supply a new, $60-million Aldershot brick plant. The company broke ground on the Aldershot brick plant in 1999. The quarry was divided into three cells – West, Centre and East, with East set to be developed last, as the third phase of the project.
In 1995, a few years after Meridian bought the quarry, the Tyandaga West subdivision was proposed. Meridian agreed to implement certain controls recommended by the Province of Ontario to ensure the new subdivision would be compatible with the quarry. In 1999, the subdivision was registered and construction of homes began.
About 38% of the existing shale reserves at the time of the Aldershot brick plant’s opening in 2000 were located in the East cell of the quarry. Now, 17 years later, the West and Centre cells of the Quarry are almost depleted. Meridian Brick needs to develop Aldershot East to keep the Aldershot and Burlington 2 brick plants operating.
As of 2017, Meridian manufactures almost half of Canada’s supply of clay brick in Burlington. With the Queenston shale from the East site, Meridian’s Aldershot and Burlington 2 plants can continue to supply Canada with high-quality brick made right here in Burlington for an estimated 25 years.
