CBM hosted two virtual information sessions (webinar) on November 3, 2021 to provide a presentation of the proposal and to provide an opportunity for attendees to ask questions to CBM staff and the technical experts on the file. CBM hosted the meetings via GoToWebinar.
An invitation to these meetings was delivered to all landowners within 120 m of the proposed expansion. An invitation was also sent via email to members of the public whose email addresses are in the project's contact list. The invitation was also published on the project website.
CBM would like to thank the neighbours that attended the virtual information sessions for your participation and for your questions and comments. We hope that we answered any questions that you may have and we look forward to continued dialogue with you as the licence application review process continues.
A copy of the presentation provided at the meetings can be found at the link here. Please note that CBM presented the same project information at both sessions.
The recording of the presentation can be watched below.
We also want to take this opportunity to thank the neighbours that have provided comments to CBM and the Ministry of Northern Development, Mines, Natural Resources and Forestry (NDMNRF) via mail or email about the licence application. The deadline to provide comments on the application was December 14, 2021. CBM and the project team are reviewing all of the comments that were provided during the consultation period and will be responding to each question once all comments have been reviewed. You can expect to receive a reply in Q1 2022.
We continue to welcome questions that you may have at any time during the project, and are committed to participating in constructive dialogue. If you have questions or would like to be added to our contact list in order to receive future updates regarding the project, please contact us at:
CBM has submitted the application for the Dance Pit Expansion under the Aggregate Resources Act to the Ministry of Northern Development, Mines, Natural Resources and Forestry (NDMNRF). Please click on the link here for the notice of application and for further details, including how to provide comments on the application. The deadline to provide comments on the application is December 14, 2021.
Under normal circumstances, CBM would host an in-person information session to provide additional details on the application and to answer questions you may have. However due to restrictions related to COVID-19, we will not be hosting an in-person information session, but rather, we will be holding two (2) virtual information sessions (webinar) where we will provide a presentation of the proposal and, afterwards, there will be an opportunity to ask any questions you may have to CBM staff and the technical experts on the file who will also be in attendance and have them addressed. Please also feel free to submit questions in advance of the meeting.
Two sessions are being offered in an effort to accommodate everyone’s schedule and we hope that you are able to attend one of these webinars. The virtual information sessions will be offered on:
WEDNESDAY NOVEMBER 3rd, 2021
From 1pm to 3pm and from 7pm to 9pm.
To participate in the virtual information session, which will be held using GoToWebinar, please follow the link to the registration page here. At the registration page, you can select your preferred time using the drop-down menu at the top of the page. Please note that CBM will present the same project information at both sessions.
After you have completed your registration, you will receive a confirmation email with a link to the virtual meeting. A guide on how to attend the meeting and ask questions via GoToWebinar can be found here.
If you have issues registering, please email us at: CBMDancePitExpansion@golder.com. Attendees do not need to install GoToWebinar prior to the meeting. Please note that Google Chrome and Microsoft Edge are the preferred browsers for the GoToWebinar platform. If you are not able to attend, information presented at this virtual meeting will be available on this page after the meeting has taken place. Alternatively, please feel free to send in any questions to the above email address and someone will respond as soon as possible.
September 2021 Update # 1
CBM is preparing to enter the official application process for the Dance Pit Expansion. Please click on the link here for an update on the project.
As always, we would be happy to talk to you about the activities that are ongoing, completed and underway associated with this application, so please feel free to send us an e-mail or give us a call. Your main point of contact continues to be Stephen May, Land & Resource Manager, who can be reached by email at stephen.may@vcimentos.com or by phone at (647) 637-6707.
We will provide details soon on how to provide comments during the official application process.
Kind regards,
CBM Aggregates
September 2019 Community Open House
CBM held an open house on September 21, 2019 at the existing Dance Pit to provide the community with information about aggregates in the community, see the existing Dance Pit operation including rehabilitated areas, and to provide the community the opportunity to meet industry experts and ask questions.
On May 11th, 2019, CBM received news from the community that the tree screen, which had been planted along the eastern boundary of the proposed Dance Pit Extension, had been damaged due to tilling that had occurred on the adjacent farmer's field. CBM would like to take the opportunity to thank our neighbours for informing CBM of the tree screen damage, almost immediately after it had occurred. It was unfortunate that many of the trees that had been planted in 2018 were inadvertently tilled under during preparations for planting the field. Since being notified of the mistake, the farmer has worked closely with CBM to replant the tree screen within days of the incident occurring. There are now over 1,500 new white spruce and approximately 50 red maple planted near the property line that should mature into quality trees. The trees will have mulch placed around them shortly and will be watered if extended periods of dry weather occur. CBM looks forward to seeing these newly planted trees establish themselves over the next couple of years. Below are some photographs showing the planting efforts.
CBM would also like to thank the residents for making the effort to attend the Dance Pit Extension April 25, 2019 Open House. If you have not yet submitted comments and still want to do so, please feel free to get in touch with Stephen May of CBM whose contact information is provided below. CBM's aim is to complete the studies supporting the licence application in the coming months, with plans to submit the application to the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry in the fall of 2019. As outlined at the Open House, this process then kicks off a period of additional consultation with all stakeholders. Once the reports have been completed, CBM will upload them on this website and will let residents know they have been posted.
Please click on the April 2019 project update below if you would like to view the information provided at the April 2019 Open House.
Dance Pit Extension - April 2019 Open House and Project Update
CBM has been carrying out studies on the proposed Dance Pit Extension (the Site) since 2016. We provided an overview of the undertaking in a meeting with the public in January 2018. As a result of this meeting, CBM incorporated many of the discussion points we had with the neighbours into the ongoing studies. At an open house held on April 25, 2019, CBM provided the public with the opportunity to review available updates on current studies being undertaken to support the Site application, view displays, and speak with the project team and technical specialists.
Please click on the following links to view information that was presented at the April 2019 open house. We can also provide you with updates via email if this would be more convenient.
It has been a few months since our public meeting in late January and we wanted to provide you with an update on the studies that have been underway over the past few months. After taking note of some questions raised at the public meeting we further expanded our studies to address these questions as much as possible before our next meeting. In the interim, we wanted to provide a summary of what has been comprising the additional work, which should be completed by mid-fall. Once these studies have been completed we will schedule another meeting to provide a further update. The meeting will be scheduled prior to any application being submitted to the agencies for formal public review and potential approvals in order to provide another opportunity for us to address any outstanding questions that may arise.
Air Quality – We heard at the meeting that dust was a common observation from the neighbours to the east of our operation. As such, further air quality surveys were conducted (and are on-going) and included additional monitors that were placed in various locations around our existing operation, and other nearby operations, to help characterize the existing dust conditions. You may have seen a vehicle driving around the perimeter of the easternmost field on our property as they routinely checked the equipment and batteries. We included up-wind and down-wind monitors on our site and placed them in locations that will provide a more holistic understanding of where dust is originating from.
Vibration and Noise – While the noise study had already been on-going prior to the meeting in January, one question raised by a couple of the neighbours related to them feeling vibration in their homes at certain times. To address this, we commissioned a vibration study that will take multiple readings related to ground vibration while the equipment is operating on our site. This work will use noise and vibration data collected from specialized equipment positioned on the site which will then be used to model potential noise scenarios for a future expansion. The new processing plant was the focus of this work and data was, and continues to be, gathered while the plant is operating at full capacity. Information is being collected from not only locations close to the equipment but also along the boundary of the CBM property as well.
Visual Assessment - At the meeting a few people mentioned that since their properties backed onto the CBM lands that a closer operation would mean that there would be a change in the view from their backyards. In order to determine to what extent this may occur, CBM commissioned a Visual Assessment to be completed in cooperation with a few of the neighbours who allowed for their backyards to act as a reference point. This assessment will allow us to determine if further actions are needed, beyond what was already being contemplated, to help limit the change in what neighbours would see under the existing licence in comparison to what would be proposed under a future licence application.
Traffic – Since we are utilizing the existing entrance and exit and are not proposing to increase the tonnage out of the pit a traffic study was not required. However, we heard from a few people that truck traffic and the safety of trucks pulling out from our entrance should be reviewed. As such, we engaged a traffic engineer to review the flow of traffic associated with this operation. This review will be completed in more detail once the road works in the area are completed.
Tree Planting – This past spring, a number of trees and shrubs (over 1800) were planted along the edge of the farm field. These included a variety of native, yet decorative flowering species of shrubs as well. The little coloured flags on metal sticks marked the outside of the tree planting area. This was a tough year on newly planted trees and shrubs, and the fact that this site is especially dry and sandy meant the trees in particular did not do well. Although they were watered twice in July, this was not enough for many of these seedlings. As such, we are looking to complete some infill planting next spring using the species that did survive this year. We will also be applying mulch to the trees and plan to get them in the ground earlier in the spring in order to increase success next round.
If you have any questions related to the October 2018 update, please contact Stephen May, Land & Resource Manager who can be reached by email at stephen.may@vcimentos.com or by phone at (647) 637-6707.
Thank you again for those of you who were able to attend our community meeting in late January. As discussed at the meeting, we would like to provide you with updates on the Dance Pit Extension Project as information becomes available to share. We listened to the concerns raised at the meeting, and in subsequent correspondence that has been sent, and are working to see how we can best address each of them.
We heard common concerns at the meeting related to dust and noise; and although they are already required for us to address as part of the licence application, we have been, and will continue to be collecting additional information to aid in our ultimate analysis. In addition to dust and noise, several people expressed concern over vibration, property values and visual impacts . Although not part of a typical licence application process, we are gathering as much information on these subjects as feasible to help us respond to these additional concerns that have been raised.
This type of work takes time to complete and we expect that some of the studies should be completed in the summer, while others may take into the fall to gather some preliminary findings. Prior to finalization of the studies we will host another meeting to discuss their conclusions, and how they relate to the issues that have been raised, before an application for the proposed expansion is submitted.
Also, of note, some of you may have noticed that a tree and shrub windbreak planting exercise was completed in May along the east edge of our property. In addition to the added aesthetics, as this windbreak matures it will have the added benefit of helping to reduce dust and noise on the adjacent properties. The plantings included a mix of native tree and flowering shrub species that will also ultimately benefit local wildlife in the area.
Please feel free to contact CBM with any other questions as they arise, as we continue to value your input through the process. I have also provided a list of studies being completed below.
List of Studies
The following studies will be completed that meet or exceed the regulatory standards in order to guide the ultimate licence for the site.
Regulatory Requirements:
Hydrogeological Level 1 Assessment;
Surface Water Resources Assessment (this will be incorporated into the report for the Hydrogeological Level 1 Assessment);
Natural Environment Level 1 and Level 2 Assessment;
Stage 1 and 2 Archaeological Assessment;
Air Quality Assessment; and
Noise Assessment;
Additional Studies:
Visual Assessment Study;
Agricultural Impact Assessment;
Traffic Impact Assessment; and
Vibration Assessment.
A windbreak was planted recently along the east edge of the CBM property. This planting included a variety of flowering shrubs, coniferous trees and quick growing deciduous trees. This diverse planting will add wildlife habitat and help reduce dust and noise in the future. The area between the rows was also seeded with grass and clover to help reduce weed competition in this area. If you would like to know more about this planting do not hesitate to call Stephen May at (647) 637-6707.
