Friends of Lanark Highlands

Protecting Lanark Highlands from irresponsible aggregate development

Nov 26, 2025

Lanark Highlands Twp. Planner’s Report Released

Planner recommends that council reject the Cavanagh Proposal

At the Council meeting on November 25, 2025, Lanark Highlands Council asked that the Planner’s Report related to the Highland Line pit proposal be shared with the public. This report, with the Planner’s recommendation to Council, was to be presented to Council at the October 14 Committee of the Whole meeting for discussion and a vote. The triggering of an OLT by Cavanagh has taken the decision out of the hands of the township, but the report is clear in its stance that the development, as proposed, does not represent good land use planning.

The recommendation of the report was:

“THAT, Committee of Whole recommends to Council that they REFUSE Official Plan Amendment OPA #8 and Zoning By-Law Amendment ZA-2023-02, based on the lack of land use compatibility, and that the protection of the existing Waterfront Communities and agritourism land uses are in the long-term interest of the Township."

Read Planner's full report here

Nov 24, 2025

Status of the Highland Line Pit Proposal:

The Planner for Lanark Highlands township was scheduled to make a final recommendation at a Committee of the Whole meeting on November 25, with a final decision expected from Council on December 9. Every indication has been that the Township has acted in good faith and followed the process, allowing the applicant more time for revisions and to submit additional information. Despite this, Thomas Cavanagh Construction Ltd. filed an appeal on November 7 to the Ontario Land Tribunal on the grounds of non-decision by Lanark Highlands Township and Lanark County. Because of this, the application will go directly to the Ontario Land Tribunal for a ruling, rather than allowing the municipality to make a decision. Friends of Lanark Highlands is gathering information and developing a strategy to be a meaningful part of the process moving forward.

Click here for past updates on our blog

What can you do to help?

Write a letter! Details

Sign the petition to support the cause!

Attend public meetings. See upcoming Events

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Make all your friends and neighbors aware!

Continue Writing Letters!

Letters of concern are crucial and can still be sent to Lanark Highlands Township, the County of Lanark and to our MPP John Jordon.

Subject: Cavanagh Proposed Highland Line Pit

Township of Lanark Highlands: LHclerk@lanarkhighlands.ca

County of Lanark: info@lanarkcounty.ca

Member of Provincial Parliament John Jordan: John.Jordan@pc.ola.org

Thank you to all who wrote letters of concern to both Phil White, the ARA/MNRF and the Environmental Registry as part of the licence application by Cavanagh. Every letter makes a difference!

Proposed Sand and Gravel Pit on the Highland Line just south of McDonald’s Corners (in red)

The other sites in yellow are existing gravel pits. At present, none of these local pits operate below the water table.

For directions - google maps

Cavanagh Construction proposes a huge sand and gravel pit directly on the borders of Barbers Lake

A Class “A” pit operation with excavation below the water table operating 12 hours a day - 7 days a week (7 am to 7 pm)
Only a 30 metre setback from the sensitive wetland shores of Barbers Lake
Crushing, washing, and screening plants with recycling of imported construction waste and asphalt
Licence to remove up to 500,000 metric tonnes of aggregate annually
A truck every 2 minutes on the Highland Line, and continuing through Lanark Village to points east and south
The technical reports Cavanagh has submitted leave many unanswered questions about: traffic and roads; acoustics; the dark night sky; the impact on springs, aquifers, and wells; the impact on wetlands; loss of habitat and threat to species at risk; pre-contact archaeology; air quality;human health; property values; resource allocation; potential release of on-site uranium; climate change
In short, this proposal is an assault on the environment and the community surrounding McDonald’s Corners

Removal and export of the entire hill forming the western shore of Barbers Lake

Potential destruction of important pre-contact artifacts
Loss of wildlife habitat in the vicinity of Barbers Lake and Long Sault Creek
Impact on property values and quality of life for waterfront and haul route communities
Damage to existing and future eco-tourism
Harm to water bodies through warmed water, potential contamination and silt
Threat to residents’ water supply, air quality, peace and well-being
Potential future demands, including a water taking licence, or permission to dewater

Impacts

Misconceptions

This is revenue for the Township!

Lanark Highlands Township gets only 13 cents per tonne of aggregate taken away from the Township forever - in this pit the maximum payout possible would be $73,500 (14.7 cents x 500,000 = $73,500 per year), but likely much less - and MUCH MUCH less than the costs of road upgrades, loss of nature-based business and tourism, and the diminished value of properties throughout the area.

Aggregate is necessary for the growth and development of roads, housing and business!

Ontario has 13 times more aggregate than currently needed in already licensed pits