LEED award points for building materials or products that have been extracted, harvested or recovers as well as processed within 500 miles (800 km) of the project site. The reason LEED (Leadership in energy and environmental design) do this is to increase the demand for building material and products that are extracted and manufactured within the region, and thereby support the use of indigenous resources and reduce the environmental impacts resulting for moving building materials over long distances.
In southern Ontario from Windsor to Cornwall, a distance of 800 km and south of Sudbury 400 km is host to 64 dimension stone quarries (limestone, sandstone, granite and marble) six limestone quarries and seven plants for cement production; seven shale quarries and six plants for brick and tile production, one gypsum quarry and wall board manufacturer and numerous quarries producing crushed stone for coloured aggregate and terrazzo. There are also sandstone and quartzite quarries producing silica for glass, for solar energy applications and composite stone.
There are many advantages to using natural stone. It is durable, has low maintenance and a very long life cycle. Stone is an abundant natural resource. It involves relatively little processing after quarrying i.e. cutting and splitting. It can be recycled as building stone or crushed aggregate. Some stones like soapstone are valuable for passive heating. Finally quarries can by temporary and must be rehabilitated according to provincial regulations.
For more information about: Ontario stone, sand and gravel, Cement Association of Canada, Directory of Ontario dimension Stone Producers and Processors/
For more information please contact Pamela Sangster, Regional Resident Geologist, Southern Ontario or Peter LeBaron, District Geologist Southeastern Ontario, Ministry of Northern Development and Mines Tweed ON K0K3J0.
pamela.sangster AT ontario.ca, Tel. (613) 478-5238 peter.lebaron AT ontario.ca, Tel. (613) 478-2195