Aggregate is fundamental to everyday life
by Sharon Armstrong
In response to the March 6 editorial “Pause new pits and fix the system.” Aggregate – stone, sand and gravel – is essential to building and maintaining our communities, so it is understandable that people care deeply about how these resources are managed. At the same time, discussions about aggregate benefit from being grounded in the full context of the available data and how the provincial system actually works.
The article refers to the Ministry of Natural Resources’ 2024 Aggregate Supply and Demand Study, which estimated remaining reserves in licensed sites in the Greater Golden Horseshoe at approximately 6.2 billion tonnes. However, the study itself clearly notes that this estimate is based on a desktop analysis and comes with important limitations. Such studies can include areas where the aggregate may be low quality, uneconomic to extract, or in some cases not actually present. As the study explains, these limitations “would tend to exaggerate or overestimate the actual reserves available.”
The report also examined aggregate quality through a survey of producers and found that only about 20 per cent of sites contain material suitable for producing the high-quality stone required for asphalt and concrete used in roads, bridges and buildings. The study further concluded that current trends support concerns about shortages of aggregate close to market, particularly in fast-growing areas.
The article also suggests that Ontario has licensed far more aggregate than we use annually. Ontario’s annual consumption is approximately 164 million tonnes, which closely reflects what producers supply each year. Aggregate producers typically maintain only modest stockpiles, usually enough to carry supply through the winter months until construction resumes in the spring.
While there may be a significant amount of licensed reserve capacity, those reserves are intended to ensure a long-term supply of aggregate for Ontario’s future infrastructure needs. This is important because obtaining approval for a new pit or quarry can often take 10 years or more. Sites proposed today are intended to supply materials that will be needed as development grows and Ontario implements its $223 billion infrastructure investment plan.
It is also important to remember that aggregate must be located relatively close to where it is used. Transporting stone, sand and gravel long distances significantly increases costs, traffic and greenhouse gas emissions. For that reason, pits and quarries tend to be distributed across the province in areas where suitable resources exist.
Simcoe County itself is one of the fastest-growing regions in Ontario, with significant investment in housing and infrastructure across communities such as Collingwood, Wasaga Beach and Clearview Township. Meeting those needs requires a reliable supply of construction materials.
Aggregate is also more fundamental to everyday life than many people realize. On average, each Ontarian uses about 12 tonnes of stone, sand and gravel every year in the infrastructure that supports modern life. A typical single-family home requires roughly 400 tonnes of aggregate in its foundation, concrete, pipes, driveway and the roads that lead to it.
Ontario’s aggregate industry operates within a comprehensive regulatory framework. Before a site can operate, it must undergo detailed technical review that can include hydrogeological studies, environmental assessments, noise and dust modelling, and land-use planning approvals. Once operating, sites must comply with numerous provincial statutes governing environmental protection, rehabilitation, and operational standards.
The Auditor General’s report referenced in the article did identify areas where improvements to oversight were recommended. However, it also acknowledged that the Ministry of Natural Resources has made progress in several areas, including improvements to compliance planning, risk management, and the recruitment and training of inspectors. Many of the recommendations related to oversight are either completed or currently underway.
Discussions about aggregate can sometimes become polarized, but the reality is that Ontario must balance environmental protection, community interests and the need to build essential infrastructure. Ensuring a responsible supply of aggregate – particularly close to where it is needed – is an important part of that balance.
A surprising fact: after water, aggregate (sand and gravel) is the most widely used natural resource in the world – and ensuring a responsible supply of it will remain essential to building Ontario’s future.
Sharon Armstrong is Executive Director of the Ontario Stone, Sand and Gravel Association, a not-for-profit industry association representing over 280 aggregate producers and suppliers.
