Proposed Lippa Pit & Quarry |
What is the Proposed Lippa Pit & Quarry? An application was filed in 2017 to build a pit and quarry on private lands owned by the Lippas on Butler Mill Road. If approved, this permit would allow the extraction of 200,000 tonnes of gravel every year. Blasting and extraction would occur below the water table. Haul routes for transporting the extracted material would be along Aspdin Road, either 15 kilometers west to Rosseau or 22 kilometers east to Huntsville. Approval for the quarry requires amendments to the Township of Muskoka Lakes Official Plan and Zoning By-Laws as well as a license from the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry (MNRF) under the Aggregate Resources Act. |
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Why is it a threat to Skeleton Lake? These are the risks: Water Quality Via Lambert's Creek, Lippa will “de-water” crushing operations into our lake leading to contamination and increased nutrients. Noise The hundreds of large gravel trucks travelling along Aspdin Road, adjacent to our lake, will destroy our peaceful enjoyment of it. Safety Increased truck traffic on this scenic, pedestrian and school-bus route would create safety issues for both cottagers and area residents. | Health Risks Crushing generates silica dust and other toxic substances that prevailing winds can bring over our community ... as well as wildlife habitat. Ground Water Contamination The hydrogeological/hydrological impacts of blasting below the water table could affect the unique structure of our lake Real Estate Values These risks will have a negative impact on real estate values, your investment. |
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The Timeline ...
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November 2019 – The Case Management Conference (CMC) used by LPAT to determine the issues, parties and participants was inconclusive. March 2020 – The second CMC was postponed indefinitely due to Covid 19. |
Township of Muskoka Lakes Official Plan - Timeline Continued ...
| October/November 2023 - In preparation for the District Council Meeting SLCO and its partners…
November 20 – District Council Meeting Success! District Councilors voted unanimously (22 - 0) to approve the new Township of Muskoka Lakes Official Plan, without any modifications to the mineral aggregate policies, as proposed by the District Planning staff. Policies to protect our lakes from new aggregate operations have not only been retained, but they have been strengthened. District Planners now had 20 days to appeal the decision. Unfortunately, both the Lippa family and Miller Paving filed appeals with the Ontario Land Tribunal (OLT) against the two key policies targeted at regulating aggregates operations that the SLCO strived to maintain. March 21, 2023 On March 21, the OLT held a Case Management Conference and will begin, over the coming year, to hear the appeals against the new OP. Many people were involved in this fight with special thanks going to: Mayor Nancy Alcock (Huntsville), Mayor Peter Kelley (TML), Jeff Crocker (Skeleton Lake Cottagers Organization), Susan Eplett (Muskoka Lakes Association), Laurie Thomson (Friends of Muskoka), Mark Scarrow (Muskoka Small Lakes Coalition), Tom Newman (Stop Muskoka Pit), Ross Earl, Linda Haslam-Stroud, Erin Dixon, Geoff Ross, Betsy Rothwell. Thanks to all of you who made phone calls, sent e-mails, and attended public meetings. |
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What's Next? The SLCO worked very hard and, with the assistance of our local Councillors in Muskoka Lakes, successfully embedded important parts of our Stewardship and Lake Plan into the Township of Muskoka Lakes Official Plan. The SLCO, with assistance and support of other lake organizations, was also successful in encouraging Council to continue with the existing policy that prohibits aggregate operations within 2km from the Waterfront areas in the Township, while adding strengthening wording to it. The recent appeals shed light on Lippa’s true ambitions. While the appeals of their original application, made in 2017, have largely been dormant since 2019 (when the new OP project was launched), it is now apparent that they were hoping that less restrictive rules would be adopted in the New OP allowing them a path of lesser resistance to their goals of establishing their under-the-water-table pit and quarry in our watershed. We can’t let this happen. | Where do we go from here? The SLCO, our partner lake associations and TML Council all intend to vigorously defend the new OP and our own ability to protect our most important resource in the township – our lakes.The OLT has set up a file (OLT-24-000035) to hear the appeals. *Player Summary:
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