MHCA acknowledges it is located on Treaty One land and the homeland of the Metis Nation

Planning Act amendments balanced

The MHCA is grateful to Municipal Relations Minister Jeff Wharton and departmental staff for the balanced and progressive amendments to the Planning Act, which flow from two years of intensive multi-stakeholder discussions.

Their cumulative effect for conditional use applications to establish a new pit or quarry, or vary conditions of existing operations, is the introduction of evidence-based decision making and right of appeal to the Municipal Board in the event of denial. We are also grateful to the AMM and its colleague municipalities for having participated in reaching consensus in many areas.

The Planning Act will now require Technical Review Committee reports to be part of the public record for consideration heading into conditional-use hearings. These should help enable informed discussion, and the ability to address local concerns whether related to community or land-use issues. Their use, over time, will help all involved understand the nature of aggregate extraction activities in Manitoba, and how critical they are to the ability of public and private-sector construction projects to be built as cost effectively as possible. They will help the public understand better the contributions to the local economy our industry makes.

And importantly, the changes give life to The Mines Act, the objective of which is to ensure access to and extraction of aggregates in a manner consistent with the principles of sustainable development. Industry supports each of these objectives.

All of the above are measured, balanced approaches.

The story however does not end there. An outcome of the two-years effort was also establishing an ad hoc committee to advise the minister going forward on matters related to and associated with aggregate extraction in Manitoba. Among the areas that advisory committee will examine are adjusting the aggregate haul and mining license fees, and improvement to and funding of the provincial quarry rehabilitation program, which has since 1991 contributed significantly to rehabilitating spent quarries. The MHCA for years has championed updating rehab standards and rationalizing the dedicated extraction levy which pays for the work.

The committee consists of provincial departments, the AMM, the RMs of Rosser, Springfield, Rockwood and Hanover, and MHCA. We look forward to further collaborative work to ensure we, collectively, are part of the solution to challenges, and not the source of problems.

Legislative changes are never easy. We appreciate provincial government leadership on this file. We look forward to working with the AMM and the RMs, where extraction activities are hosted.

Chris Lorenc, MHCA President

Chair’s Gala

November 18, 2022
RBC Convention Centre

Close to 650pp attended from both industry, government and stakeholder partners.  It was the closing of Nicole Chabot’s two year term as Chair.  Dennis Cruise of Bituminex Paving was welcomed as the new Chair.

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2022 Heavy Santa

December 16, 2022
David Livingstone School

This event was made possible through fundraising at the MHCA Chair’s Gala and Spring Mixer.

104 goodie bags and presents were prepared for the grades 1-4 students at David Livingstone School. 

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Awards Breakfast & Annual General Meeting

November 18, 2022
RBC Convention Centre

Manitoba Transportation & Infrastructure (MTI) Award Winner

  • Grading – Strilkiwski Contracting Ltd.: PTH 6 Grahamdale
  • Paving – Coco Paving o/a Russell Redi-Mix: Bituminous Reconstruction PTH 83
  • Urban Works – Coco Paving o/a Russell Redi-Mix: Bituminous Reconstruction PA 634 and Bituminous Pavement PTH 5
  • Special Projects – Mekhana Development Corp/Arnason Industries Ltd: Theresa Point Airport
  • Major Structures – D. Steele Construction: Bridge Replacement over the Red River Floodway on PTH 59N
  • Minor Structures – Moncrief Construction Ltd.: Reinforced concrete box culvert on PTH 5
  • Water Management – Brunet Ltd.: Flood response, Morris ring dike closure

200 members and guests gathered to hear greetings from Premier Heather Stefanson and the newly elected Mayor of Winnipeg, Scott Gillingham. Hon. Doyle Piwniuk, Minister, Manitoba Infrastructure, handed out the MTI Awards.

31 companies were recognized for their milestone membership commitments.

Matthew Neziol, of Bayview Construction, received the Safety Leader Award.

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