Little Lakes group seeks help from ACW in fight against gravel pit
BY SCOTT STEPHENSON
A public information meeting of the community group “Save Ball’s Bridge and Little Lakes Road” was held April 25 at the Benmiller Hall as part of the group’s ongoing effort to halt plans to turn a nearby tract of land into an aggregate mine.
Constructed in 1884, Ball’s Bridge is a unique, pin-connected truss bridge spanning a stretch of the Maitland River in the Little Lakes area just outside of Auburn. The bridge was saved from demolition and fully rehabilitated in 2007 as a result of a collective community effort, receiving support from Ashfield-Colborne-Wawanosh (ACW) Council in the form of an investment of $250,000 to fund the project. Ball’s Bridge remains a popular spot for tourists, photographers and wildlife enthusiasts to this day.
The Ball’s Bridge and Little Lakes conservation group’s current concern is a proposal from Lobo Sand and Gravel to expand the existing Fisher Pit into a much larger, active pit - a project the group believes would devastate the delicate ecosystem surrounding Ball’s Bridge. Decreased air quality, water quality, dangers caused by increased truck traffic and loss of at-risk species also topped the long list of concerns voiced by community members at the meeting.
Early plans to stop the potential pit hinged on convincing ACW Council to deny the mining company’s application to rezone the site - without the zoning variance, the mine could not move forward. The issue has since moved beyond ACW Council’s purview, having been taken under consideration by the Ontario Land Tribunal (OLT). The Ball’s Bridge group is currently gathering a team of experts to help build their case against the pit and is lobbying ACW Council to join them in the effort.
There were a number of speakers at the meeting, led by Rebecca Garrett, one of the founders of the original “Friends of Ball’s Bridge” group. The group’s resurgence and broadening of its focus started in 2020, when nearby residents felt they had not adequately been made aware of applications by a private company to create a large open gravel pit near the bridge. Since then, group members have felt that they have been repeatedly left in the dark throughout the planning process.
Garrett presented maps of the contested area, and explained some of the more recent projects undertaken by the current group, ranging from objection letters to the Ministry of Natural Resources, to circulating a petition that garnered over 3,000 signatures. “That’s kind of a lot for a township that has 6,000 people,” Garrett said with pride. “We’re not willing to let this go.”
Daryl Ball, descendent of the original family who farmed the land, spoke about the bridge’s historical significance. He also reminded the public that agriculture is still the leading industry in Huron County, and stressed the importance of protecting farmland for the future.
A desire for more involvement from ACW Council was a common theme amongst the speakers. Several voices in the room expressed their perception that ACW has taken a neutral stance on this matter, which the Ball’s Bridge and Little Lakes group believes works against the interests of citizens hoping to see stronger actions taken by the municipality.
Newly-elected ACW Councillor Curtis Blake was in attendance at the meeting. Blake said he was not acting in an official capacity but rather as a citizen supporter of the bridge. “It’s just a standalone feature of our community,” he remarked.
The meeting ended with a call to action from the “Save Ball’s Bridge and Little Lakes Road” group, asking concerned community members to make their feelings known to ACW Mayor and Huron County Warden Glen McNeil via phone and e-mail.
The OLT hearing will consider arguments from Lobo Sand and Gravel, ACW and community members. It is scheduled to take place this fall between September 25 and October 6.