Update
We’re pleased to share the What We Heard Report from recent engagement on the Aggregate Resource Plan initiatives. Thank you to everyone who took the time to contribute. Your insights have been vital in helping us understand local perspectives on how aggregate resources are managed across the County.
Council will consider several proposed updates related to aggregate management at a Special Council Meeting Public Hearing on June 18, 2025. Administration will be presenting amendments to the Municipal Development Plan and Land Use Bylaw, and introducing the Site Monitoring Bylaw as public hearing items. Administration will also be presenting the Aggregate Development Performance Standards Policy as a general item for Council’s approval.
Residents are invited to attend the hearing, listen, and share their input before Council makes its decision. For details on how to take part, please refer to the Public Notice for June 18 Special Council Meeting and Public Hearing.
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Aggregates, such as gravel, crushed stone, and sand, are raw materials sourced from pits and quarries. These resources are essential for the construction of roads, buildings and other critical infrastructure.
Rocky View County is committed to ensuring that aggregate extraction is conducted safely and responsibly within the region. As part of the Aggregate Resource Plan Project, the County is implementing initiatives to improve the management of aggregate operations.
Members of the public were invited to review and provide their feedback on the following aggregate management initiatives:
- Performance Standards
- Proactive Monitoring, Reporting and Enforcement by the County
- Application Requirements for Aggregate Development
- Improved Transparency and Communication
- Mandatory Stakeholder Engagement Process
- Location Criteria
- Third-party Review Process
For more background and information visit Aggregate Resource Plan | Rocky View County.
Project Timeline
Project Timeline
FAQ
FAQ
Aggregate resources can be described as sand, gravel, clay or marl that is extracted from pits and quarries. Aggregate is essential for the construction of roads, buildings, and other critical infrastructure.
The Aggregate Resource Plan Project was initiated to balance the continued need for aggregate and improve the management of aggregate operations.
As aggregate needs to be extracted using heavy machinery, developments are often associated with nuisances, such as increased noise and dust.
The Aggregate Resource Plan Project's intention is to improve the way aggregate operations are managed in the County.
The regulation of the aggregate industry is a shared responsibility between the Province of Alberta and the municipality of Rocky View County.
Where a proposed aggregate development exceeds 5 hectares (12.36 acres) in size, an operator must seek approval from the Province under the Environmental Protection and Enhancement Act.
The municipality is responsible for regulating, monitoring, and enforcing onsite operations through the conditions of a Development Permit. Rocky View County also requires operators to redesignate land through a public hearing to the appropriate land use district and submit Master Site Development Plans to regulate the site design, operations, and phasing.
Most initiatives would largely be undertaken with existing staff resources already accounted for in the County’s operating budget.
Regarding site monitoring, Administration is recommending that some, or all, of the cost of these resources could be recovered from aggregate operators that have active sites within the County.
Rather than being developed as a single document, the Aggregate Resource Plan will encompass several plans and policies, including the proposed creation of a new Aggregate Site Monitoring Bylaw.
This approach ensures that efforts to manage aggregate are streamlined across County plans, policies and actions. All actions and progress will be shared with the public in a clear and accessible manner.
Survey
Community Conversations
Members of the public are invited to review the proposed measures and provide their feedback. You can share your thoughts through the survey on this page or by attending one of the upcoming in-person open house events:
- February 24, Beiseker Community Centre, 6:00 – 8:00 p.m.
- February 26, County Hall, 6:00 – 8:00 p.m.
- February 27, Bearspaw Lion’s Club, 6:00 – 8:00 p.m.
- March 6, Weeden Community Hall, 6:00 – 8:00 p.m.
