• Council approved an amendment to Amrize Ltd.’s fill management plan agreement that will allow for fill importation on Saturdays.
  • The agreement permits 500-1,000 trucks to enter their 14204 York-Durham Line site per day.
  • Saturday operations will run from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m., subject to Town authorization.
  • Town Staff say Saturday imports will be limited to fill from major public infrastructure projects to support broader city-building efforts.
  • Staff believe source restrictions will prevent Amrize from reaching peak truck volumes on Saturdays.
  • The amendment brings Amrize’s permissions in line with other fill operators in Stouffville.
  • Amrize’s eight million cubic metre remediation project is expected to take about 15 years to complete.

 

More trucks will be rolling into Stouffville after Amrize Ltd., formerly LaFarge Canada, was granted an amendment to its fill agreement allowing importation on Saturdays. Council approved the change unanimously on consent during its Nov. 5 meeting.

Saturday operations at 14204 York-Durham Line will follow the same general terms outlined in the company’s existing agreement, which permits between 500 and 1,000 truckloads to enter the site each day. According to the Town, those counts include the 60 daily trucks that would arrive should Amrize secure approval for its proposed aggregate recovery plant.

Prior to the amendment, the company was limited to importing fill Monday through Friday, excluding statutory holidays. The approved change brings Amrize’s permissions in line with other local fill operators, who can open their sites on Saturdays provided it’s approved by the Town and they comply with Stouffville’s Noise By-Law.

Town Staff noted the additional capacity will only apply to fill imported from major public infrastructure projects across southern Ontario, including Metrolinx’s Ontario Line. In the Town’s view, allowing the Saturday operations supports broader city-building objectives while helping facilitate provincial infrastructure work.

In a statement to Bullet Point News, Amrize said the amendment will help better serve customers’ scheduling needs. The company added that Saturday operations will follow the same 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. hours as weekdays.

Before the decision was made by Council, Woodlands of Camelot resident Paul Murray spoke against the proposal. The community is located northwest of the Aurora Road and York-Durham Line intersection, and Murray expressed concern about increased traffic and pressure on the roadway, which he and his neighbours rely on. He also cited ongoing issues with current operations, including noise, safety, and nuisance impacts.

“Their interest is commercial in nature, and their application for an additional Saturday operation is to ensure that they maximize their return. And we understand that,” he said. “But we believe that the current operations that have already been approved for that location are significant to ourselves and others that use that north-south corridor.”

While recommending Council reject the amendment, Murray acknowledged Staff’s proposed conditions. Should Saturday operations be approved, he asked that additional terms require Amrize to fulfill all outstanding conditions at the site and limit Saturday importation to twice per month.

Given the restriction on approved sources, Staff do not expect Amrize to experience the same truck volumes seen on weekdays. As with other fill operators, the Town will retain discretion over Saturday work, meaning Amrize must receive permission before operating.

Staff emphasized that environmental oversight, including soil sampling and analysis, will continue under the same protocols established in the current Fill Management Plan. Ensuring fill sources comply with the new public infrastructure policy will also form part of the Town’s enforcement efforts.

The additional deliveries are part of an eight million cubic metre remediation project at the former aggregate pit. When considered in 2023, the work was expected to take eight to 16 years to complete. A recent staff report now estimates a 15-year timeline.

Although the Town could not estimate how the amendment might affect the operation’s completion date, Saturday imports may help Amrize reach its fill target sooner.