In this section, we answer our most frequently asked questions. If you don’t find the answer to your questions, please contact us.
The Heritage Project involves the development of a new Regional Park and a wooded green space in an urban setting, utilizing non-recoverable inert stone from Graymont’s extraction facility in Bedford. The project will be tackled in two phases and will be progressively accessible to the public.
The Heritage Project also includes the creation of a regional fund to underwrite the costs of managing and maintaining the park going forward.
▲ TopThe Heritage Project is located on Graymont property, near the company’s Bedford plant. The project site overlaps three municipalities: the City of Bedford, the County of Bedford and Stanbridge Station. A significant portion of the project, most notably the Regional Park, will be situated within the City of Bedford, near the downtown area.
▲ TopThe first step of the Heritage Project involves creating a new Regional Park over a period of five years. The second step consists of building a heavily wooded green space over a subsequent 15-year period.
▲ TopCreation of the Regional Park and the wooded green space should last approximately 20 years.
▲ TopThe Heritage Project is being managed by Graymont. It is being created in concert with the City of Bedford, the County of Bedford and the Municipality of Stanbridge Station, with which agreements have been signed. A Monitoring Committee acts as an interface between the company and the community, to ensure that the development work complies with current regulations and will have a minimal impact on the site’s neighbours. Several experts, including engineers, agronomists and biologists, have also been involved in the planning and execution of the project.
▲ TopThe Heritage Project is entirely funded by Graymont.
▲ TopIt is an unusable stone overburden, commonly named “black slate”. Because of the specific geological formations in Bedford, the process of extracting limestone from the quarry creates significant quantities of this unusable stone. The slate is inert and safe for the environment.
▲ TopGiven the size and scope of the Heritage Project, the development work inevitably involves certain environmental impacts. Noise and dust emissions, potential water runoffs from the newly created hills and alterations to the landscape are among the impacts that will be closely monitored and mitigated. The project will also result in the loss of some wetlands and aquatic habitats. Those losses have been compensated for through the identification and creation of new habitats of equal or superior ecological value. For more information, visit the Responsible Management page.
▲ TopThere are no risks to the health and safety of either employees or neighbours. However, access to the site will be restricted during the landscaping and development phases. Work areas are not accessible to unauthorized personnel, due to the presence of heavy machinery and equipment.
▲ TopA protective mound has been built as an acoustic wall around the site and in the vicinity of Corriveau and Rocheleau streets, in order to reduce the noise and visual impacts of the project. Work shifts are restricted to week days, between 7 am and 6 pm. Silencers have been added to certain equipment, and three noise-measuring stations will enable continuous readings to ensure conformity to noise standards.
To reduce and contain dust emissions, mobile equipment speed has been reduced on the site. As well, water sprinklers have been added along main transportation routes and dust suppressants are to be used in the main work areas. Progressive revegetation of the site will also contribute to reducing erosion caused by the wind.
As for soil and water runoff management, drainage collectors and sedimentation tanks are progressively being installed as work proceeds. A continuous monitoring and water-sampling program is also in effect during the development phase. Continuous revegetation of the site also will help ensure minimal erosion while improving visual aesthetics.
▲ TopGraymont wishes to maintain a harmonious relationship with the community and is committed to making the Heritage Project a collective success. A Monitoring Committee tracks the progress of the work and will ensure that the company complies with stipulated control and monitoring measures. Graymont is also collaborating with the City of Bedford to create a new residential area near the future Regional Park and is investing in several other community projects in the region.
▲ TopGraymont’s commitments to the community are the result of numerous discussions between the company and the City of Bedford, the County of Bedford and the Municipality of Stanbridge Station. These discussions were successfully concluded in 2016, with the signing of agreements with each of these municipalities. Graymont also must comply with all current environmental, health and safety regulations, including those stipulated in the project permits, such as the authorization certificates received from the Ministry of Sustainable Development, Environment and the Fight against Climate Change. In addition, the Heritage Project’s Monitoring Committee composed of citizens and representatives from local organizations and municipalities, will ensure that Graymont delivers on its commitments.
▲ TopWith roots in the region that go back nearly 70 years, Graymont is fully supportive of the Heritage Project, which will enable the company to sustain its Bedford operations for many more years. Accordingly, Graymont is committed to creating a regional fund that will cover the costs of managing and maintaining the new Regional Park.
▲ TopThe first phase of the new Regional Park should be accessible to the public five years after the start of construction.
▲ TopAs of July 2019, twelve months after the construction began, the work is going smoothly and on schedule. The progressive rehabilitation approach is a success, plantation of trees and bushes already started.
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