
Bronze Plaque Award
The Bronze Plaque Award is the most prestigious award given by OSSGA. It is reserved for those sites that have become truly outstanding examples of the state of the art in rehabilitation of pits and quarries in Ontario. Members of the the public who are interested in putting forward a nomination for the Bronze Plaque Award are asked to contact Ashlee Zelek at azelek@ossga.com
Click here for submission criteria.
Bronze Plaque Award Winners
Established in 1975, The Bronze Plaque Award is the most prestigious award given by OSSGA. It is reserved for those sites that have become truly outstanding examples of the state of the art in rehabilitation of pits and quarries in Ontario.
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1. Royal Botanical Gardens, HamiltonPresented to the Royal Botanical Gardens on September 16, 1976 to acknowledge the origins of these grounds as a gravel pit and their transformation into a world recognized garden.
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2. East Park Gardens, LondonPresented February 24, 1977 to Roy James East Park Gardens to commemorate the origin of these grounds and their transformation from a gravel pit into an outstanding recreational area with considerable environmental appeal and a distinct asset to the community.
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3. Smythe Park, TorontoPresented June 16, 1977 to Mr. Conn Smythe and to the Borough of York to commemorate the origin of these grounds and their transformation from a gravel pit into an outstanding recreational area with considerable environmental appeal and a distinct asset to the community.
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4. Erindale College, University of Toronto, MississaugaPresented to Erindale College, University of Toronto on October 31, 1980 to commemorate the origin of these grounds and the transformation from a gravel pit into an educational/recreational facility with considerable appeal and a distinct asset to the community.
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5. St. Mary’s Swimming Quarry, St. Mary’sPresented July 14, 1983 to the Town of St. Mary’s and St. Mary’s Cement Limited to commemorate the transformation of these grounds from a quarry to an outstanding recreational area, having considerable environmental appeal and being an asset to this community.
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6. Orchard View Golf Course, LeamingtonPresented 1984 to Harold Kennette to commemorate the origin of these grounds and their transformation from a gravel pit into an outstanding recreational area with considerable environmental appeal and a distinct asset to the community.
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7. Peninsula Lakes Golf Course, FonthillPresented September 1986 to Steed and Evans Limited to commemorate the transformation of these grounds from a gravel pit to an outstanding recreational area with considerable environmental appeal, and being a distinct asset to the community.
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8. Lakeland Estates, NepeanPresented to Spratt Sand and Gravel and the Township of Osgoode in July 1987 to commemorate the transformation of these grounds from a gravel pit to an outstanding residential/recreational area.
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9. Professor’s Lake, BramptonPresented to the City of Brampton and Standard Aggregates Inc. on July 29, 1989 to commemorate the transformation of these grounds from a gravel pit to an outstanding residential/recreational area.
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10. Standard Aggregates Baseball Diamond, HagersvillePresented June 1994 to Standard Aggregates and the Town of Haldimand to commemorate the transformation of these grounds from a quarry to an outstanding recreational area.
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11. University of Guelph Arboretum, GuelphPresented to the University of Guelph Arboretum to commemorate the origin of this site as a gravel pit and its transformation into an outstanding educational and research asset to the University and the community alike. October 1996.
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12. Spivak Golf Course, LondonPresented to the City of London to commemorate the origin of this site as a gravel pit and its transformation into an outstanding recreational area and a distinct asset to the community. 1997.
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13. Wasaga Sands Golf Community, Wasaga BeachPresented May 30, 1998 to Seeley and Arnill Aggregate Ltd. to commemorate the transformation of these lands into the outstanding Wasaga Sands Golf Community through the creative rehabilitation of a sand and gravel operation.
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14. Don Valley Brick Works Park, TorontoPresented July, 2000 to the Toronto and Region Conservation Authority, the City of Toronto, and the Province of Ontario to commemorate the origins of this site as a quarry and its transformation into an outstanding natural environment and cultural heritage park for the citizens of the greater Toronto region.
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15. Glen Major Management Tract, TorontoPresented October 8, 2003 to the Toronto and Region Conservation Authority to acknowledge their contributions and those of local aggregate producers in rehabilitating this site. This former sand and gravel pit is now an outstanding ecological and recreational area on the Oak Ridges Moraine for use by the Citizens of Uxbridge Township and the Greater Toronto Area.
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16. Wainfleet Wetlands Conservation AreaPresented October 5, 2004 to the Niagara Peninsula Conservation Authority to acknowledge their coordination of the rehabilitation of this site. These former limestone quarries and clay pit are now an outstanding ecological enclave and recreational area for use and enjoyment of the citizens of Ontario and beyond.
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17. Kerncliff Park, City of BurlingtonBegan as a quarry in 1948 by W.W. King and supplied material for the Malton Airport now Pearson International. Following closure in 1957, the Province acquired the land and transferred it to Conservation Halton in 1995.The City and Conservation Halton created and implemented a master plan with the support of numerous public and private donors including APAO, MAAP, TOARC and Nelson Aggregate. This collaboration has resulted in Burlington’s ecological gateway to the Niagara Escarpment.
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18. Green Lane Sports Complex, East ParisThis former sand and gravel pit belonging to Lafarge Canada Inc. has been completely rehabilitated to its current recreational use, which includes four first-class ball diamonds and two soccer fields.
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19. The Brampton Esker Park System, BramptonOver 40 years, 12 former gravel pits have been transformed into a series of interconnected linear parks stretching over seven kilometres throughout the City of Brampton. At least 80 million tonnes of high-quality sand and gravel have been extracted from the Brampton Esker area and used in such construction projects as the Gardiner Expressway, Ontario Place, The Queen Elizabeth Way, Pearson International Airport, the Toronto subway system and many other roads, streets and highways in the Greater Toronto Area. Brampton is also the only community in Ontario to have received two Bronze Plaque Awards. The first was given 20 years ago for Professor’s Lake (please see #9).
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20. Wildwood Pit, St. Mary's, OntarioThe rehabilitated former sand and gravel pit now features a number of environmentally-significant habitats including a tallgrass prairie plantation, a rare wetland community called a fen, a semi-arid section home to lichens and plants and an abundance of wildlife which thrive in the pond and habitats created on-site.
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21. Kelso Quarry Park, MiltonPresented to Conservation Halton on July 26, 2018 to acknowledge their contribution, in partnership with the town of Milton, in transforming the Kelso Quarry, a former quarry within the Niagara Escarpment Plan area, into a naturalized area within Halton Region's Natural Heritage System.