Feb 4, 2025
Protecting the Saugeen River
The Saugeen Preservation Society Inc. (SPSI) deputed to the West Grey Council on January 14 concerning the danger of proposed gravel pits that straddle the Saugeen River. Judy Smelco referred to an Auditor General’s report that the province is neglecting its management of aggregate, including inspection and enforcement. Meanwhile, A-1 farmland in West Grey may be lost and the floodplain changed forever. SPSI is calling for an Interim Control Bylaw, as used in Caledon, which allows a temporary freeze on development of certain lands while a municipality is reviewing its land use policies. Councillor Geoffrey Shea called for a staff report on “options… to take a more proactive approach to managing aggregate extraction.” The local climate action group, Earth Works, supported the deputation. Sign the petition here.