By Pepper Parr
January 25th, 2023
BURLINGTON, ON
While City Council was debating parks and parking issues we learn that the biggest park the city is going to see in the not too distant future is no longer in the hands of a Joint Tribunal.
The current operational quarry is close to its life cycle.
The matter was before a Joint Tribunal which didn’t appear to be making much in the way of progress. The Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry referred the matter to the Ontario Land Tribunal (OLT). The Niagara Escarpment Commission will be meeting to do the same thing in February.
When the matter gets to the OLT the city of Burlington will have to defend its position before a tribunal that is driven for the most part by process.
Lost is an opportunity for the city to have some input on the shape of the park and the potential it offers.
A rendering of what a park created on a mined out quarry could look like.
The two shaded areas are where the Nelson Aggregates is seeking a license to mine. The white area is where they are have been mining for several decades.
Nelson Aggregates has a signed Letter of Intent for an operator to run the park once is has completed the mining of aggregate at the main quarry – no firm date for that mining to end other than that it is going to come to an end at which time Nelson wants to begin the process of turning the main quarry into a park and begin mining in a property to the west of the main quarry and another piece of land to the south.
More to come on this story.
How in the world did the city lose control of deciding what goes on in their own city, why bother with a council if they can’t make decisions????
Great idea. Many families from Burlington have enjoyed a similar “quarry to park”at Emerald Lake further north for at least 70 years.This would be much closer .