The following letter was published here: https://www.muskokaregion.com/opinion-story/8124607-letter-residents-take-up-cause-to-stop-quarry-rosseau-area-project-again/
An application for a zone and official plan change was made to open a quarry on Muskoka Road 3 between Huntsville and Rosseau.
It was unanimously defeated by the Muskoka Lakes Council and their decision was also unanimously endorsed by the Huntsville Council.
Consequently, Frank Lippa has taken this decision to the Ontario Municipal Board in a bid to have it overturned.
His plan is to put a gravel pit and a rock quarry on Lots 3 and 4, Concession 4 in Cardwell Township.
The quarry is to be allowed to excavate below the water table and to “dewater” the pit into the creek and directly into Skeleton Lake at Long Point, just off MR3.
The quarry will operate 17 to 24 hours a day, seven days a week. He will be crushing granite on the site and stockpiling it for truck removal daily.
This project, if successful, has many serious ramifications for local residents as well as the Muskoka area.
The estimate is for up to 100 truckloads per day going east toward Huntsville or west toward Rosseau. MR3 is the prime road for residents, businesses and school buses as well as for cottagers, tourists, cyclists and walkers with their pets.
The quarry is only 1.7 kilometres from Skeleton Lake. The Official Plan for Ontario designates quarries to be close to major highways. This quarry location is 21 kilometres from Highway 11 at Huntsville and 14 kilometres from Highway 141 at Rosseau, then 20 kilometres more to Highway 400 in Humphrey/Seguin, (a total of 34 kilometres as in Lippa’s report.
The provincial recommendation concerning crushing is that the crushing is to be over two kilometres from a designated shoreline. There are three lakes closer than two kilometres:
Skeleton 1.7 kilometres, Lamberts Lake 0 .8 kilometres and Mudd Lake 0.6 kilometres.
We will only live to regret treating our pristine area as if we were a Third World country. We will pay the cost to repair MR3. This, I believe, will leave the Muskoka taxpayer on the hook because it is a district road.
It is now time for concerned citizens to show their support by attending the meeting at Port Carling on Feb. 21 at the municipal office at 10 a.m. Your appearance will help support those who are fighting to prevent this industrial development in tourist country and our homes.
If anyone would like to have more information or is willing to help with our cause please do not hesitate to call.
Ross Earl,
Bracebridge
John Earl,
Huntsville