Two Madoc residents have been fined a total of $30,000 for unlawfully operating an aggregate pit without a licence on private land.
A release from the Ministry of Natural Resources states that William Willemsen of Madoc pleaded guilty to unlawfully operating an aggregate pit without a licence under the Aggregate Resources Act.
Willemsen was fined $20,000 and has been ordered to rehabilitate the site.
Meanwhile, Lyndon McCann of Madoc also pleaded guilty to unlawfully operating an aggregate pit without a licence. He was fined $10,000.
The Ontario Court of Justice heard that in August 2022, staff from the Ministry of Natural Resources conducted a site inspection on land owned by Willemsen.
During the inspection, staff determined there was a pit on the property and that aggregate material, specifically sand, was being unlawfully extracted.
According to the Ministry, the site was not licensed under the Aggregate Resources Act.
It was estimated that between August 26, 2020 and May 10, 2023, approximately 22,756 tonnes of sand were unlawfully excavated from the site, which is equivalent to almost 1,340 dump truck loads.
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.
Invoices obtained showed revenue in the range of $30,000.
Justice of the Peace Christopher I. Peltzer heard the case in the Ontario Court of Justice, Belleville, on April 27, 2026.
