The Aldershot East project won’t have to wait for the end of its life to be rehabilitated: It along with the Centre Quarry will be reforested and restored as quarrying goes on.
The Province of Ontario’s Greenbelt Plan states that “rehabilitated area will be maximized and disturbed area minimized on an ongoing basis during the life-cycle of an operation.” That means Meridian Brick will only excavate a portion of the East cell at any given time. Not only that, Meridian has a plan to rehabilitate the site step by step. As new areas of the quarry are excavated and completed, those areas will be restored and reforested for the future.
Meridian has developed a progressive rehabilitation plan for the East cell, gradually restoring it to natural slopes and forest. The rehabilitation plan will see the new slopes grassed, and new trees will be planted. By the time the rehabilitation plan is complete, the East site will be restored to a fully treed and forested landscape. Watercourses and stormwater management ponds will also be rehabilitated into habitats which represent the local ecosystem.
The plan will see the East cell become 100% forested again. A mix of White Pine, Red Oak, White Oak, Bur Oak, Sugar Maple, Basswood, Shagbark Hickory, Cottonwood, and Sycamore will be planted on the site.
Overall, Meridian’s rehabilitation plan for the Centre and East quarry covers 17.9 hectares of land, with more than 29,000 trees planted.
Meridian incorporated the Greenbelt Plan’s rehabilitation requirements into the new Site Plan amendment for the Aldershot Quarry system; the plan was approved in 2010. The rehabilitation plan reflects how seriously Meridian takes its commitment for environmental stewardship.
Meridian believes it is important to make natural resources available to the community and to Canada, but also in preserving our natural heritage. By rehabilitating the East site as we go, that natural heritage can be respected and restored.
