5,359,905 m³ of imported fill to Erin over 20 years...

Say "No" to Commercial Fill in Erin Township

TAKE ACTION NOW | Sign the petition at Change.org here!

UPDATE: An MNR Report reveals the Hillsburgh Pit already has enough soil to be deemed "rehabilitated". Any further soil being accepted is for commercial purposes - not rehabilitation. Additionally, the pit owner has a long history of non-compliance with MNR guidelines. Read the report here.

Want to Do More?

Share the petition with your friends and family and on your socials.
Request your FREE lawn signs to show your concern. Email erincitizenscoalition@gmail.org.
Ask our Municipal Candidates where they stand on this and future Commercial fill operations in Erin and about the future of all the gravel pits at end of life. Make this an election issue! Rescind approval of the Commercial Fill operation and the enabling By-law 26-16, which extends the timeline for completion of all site alterations in the Town of Erin from 2 years to 20 years.
Express your concern publicly by writing a letter to the Editor of the Wellington Advertiser. Email templates are available for download in the Resources section below.

The "Dirty" Facts

Scale: ~5,359,905 m³ of imported fill.
Estimated timeline to completion: 20 years
Truck Volume: estimated 250+ trucks a day
Operation hours: 7AM to 7PM, Monday-Friday and 9AM to 5PM, Saturdays.
Town revenue cap: $10.72 million at $2.00/m³ (no inflation adjustment).
How? The passing of By-law 26-16 amended the Site Alteration By-law 16-30 to allow for site alteration terms to increase from the previous 2 years to 20 years. As a result, the site alteration agreement term (allowing for the Commercial Fill operation) has been extended to December 31, 2045. The By-law applies to any and all site alteration agreements now and in the future in Erin.

Excerpt from "Just Sayin' Caledon" 12/29/25:

"Whitchurch-Stouffville believed it was acting responsibly in the early 2000s when it adopted a fill bylaw intended to manage excess soil in a controlled and limited way," said soil biologist and former Whitchurch-Stouffville councilor Mark Carroll. "What followed instead should serve as a cautionary lesson for Caledon. What began as a single, tightly framed fill approval for small property owners has grown steadily and contentiously into the aggregate business. One site became two, then more, and today we are dealing with five ongoing professional fill operations – many with no clear end dates."

Eighth Line at Barbour Field (Truck Haul Route) - May 24, 2026

Background

In January 2026, Erin Council approved a 20-year Site Alteration Agreement for a large-scale commercial fill operation at 9516 Sideroad 27, Hillsburgh.

The agreement runs until December 31, 2045, allowing importation of about 5.36 million cubic metres of fill.

A public meeting was held to discuss the Site Alteration proposal in July 2024, however most neighbouring residents were not made aware of the meeting. Those that were able to attend and speak were not listened to.

Designated Haul Route

Who is Affected?

Anyone living on or commuting via the designated truck haul route will be affected. Fill can be imported from all over Ontario. Routes include 27th Sideroad, Eighth Line, 22nd Sideroad, Trafalgar Road (north and south of Hillsburgh) and Winston Churchill. Ross R. MacKay Public School, Barbour Field, and the Hillsburgh Community Centre are all along the designated truck routes.

Identified Concerns

Risk of groundwater (well) & soil contamination
Traffic congestion & noise
Will the town make or lose money on this 20 year project? Has the town considered all the necessary expenses to properly execute this agreement such as personnel, testing fees, road and infrastructure updates, potential lawsuits?
Road safety & road capacity
The truck haul route is also a school bus route
Close proximity to sensitive watershed and fish habitat and hatchery
Impact on existing plant, animal and fish species that inhabit the already rehabilitated property
Is this Commercial Fill Operation in the best interest of the people of Erin? Pit rehabilitation projects like nearby Swan Lake and Pinchin Pit in Caledon show how properly rehabilitated pits can benefit the entire community.
How will this operation affect the construction and operation of the new recreation facility at the intersection of Eighth Line and 22nd Sideroad?
With an additional 250 dump trucks a day heading south on the Eighth Line from the pit, traffic lights and new turn lanes will be needed. New turn lanes will also be needed at Trafalgar road and 22nd Sideroad. Who will be paying for these?

Transparency & Process Concerns

The Erin Citizens' Coalition came about as a result of our shared frustration with trying to understand how the Hillsburgh Pit Fill operation was approved. Below are some of our shared concerns:
Why did no one receive the required notice of the July 2024 public meeting? Notices were required to be sent to residents within 120 metres of the pit?
Why is there no requirement to notify residents on the truck haul route, given the scale and 20 year duration of the project?
Why was there no public meeting to receive public input on the passing of by-law amendment (16-30), which paves the way for similar large scale, long-term, site alteration projects in the future?
What are the potential current and future ramifications of by-law amendment (16-30) on Erin residents?
In past council meetings there is repeated reference to an MNR standing order to "fill the pit". The ECC has confirmed that there is no such order. Is council aware of this and why didn't they do their due diligence to confirm this and other information presented by the land owner/applicant?
What is the future end use of this property? Some documents say agricultural. Others say end use is residential. Others say recreational. Others say commercial (?) Refer to Appendix A, Site Alteration Agreement, Recommendation Report - Agreement for Site Alteration Permit, and the Notice details documents on the Excess Soils website.

Request your FREE lawn sign. Email erincitizenscoalition@gmail.com.

There is no better time to show your support then now - it's election time!

Learn More...

Contact ErinCitizensCoalition@Gmail.com with any questions, concerns or comments.