Two people from Madoc have been fined a total of $30,000 for unlawfully operating an aggregate pit on private land.
William Willemsen and Lyndon McCann each pleaded guilty to unlawfully operating an aggregate pit without a licence under the Aggregate Resources Act.
Willemson was fined $20,000 and has been ordered to rehabilitate the site.
McCann was fined $10,000.
Ministry of Natural Resources officials laid charges after conducting an inspection on land owned by Willemson in August 2022 and determining aggregate material, specifically sand, was being unlawfully extracted.
It was estimated that 22,756 tonnes of sand – almost 1,340 dump truck loads – were unlawfully excavated from the site between August 26, 2020 and May 10, 2023.
The investigation also revealed that McCann was contracted to excavate sand from the unlicensed pit and deliver some of the aggregate material to multiple properties being developed nearby generating almost $30,000 worth of revenue.
In Ontario, the Aggregate Resources Act applies to all public and private land and requires a licence or permit to operate a pit or quarry to remove aggregate resources, such as sand and gravel. Individuals must check with the Ministry of Natural Resources prior to the extraction and removal of aggregate from their property.
Justice of the Peace Christopher I. Peltzer heard the case in the Ontario Court of Justice, Belleville, on April 27, 2026.
