Nova Scotia·NewIn a news release on Wednesday, the province said Northumberland Capital Corporation received its environmental assessment approval for its expansion project. This means the four-hectare site can grow to 40 hectares.Province says expanded quarry will supply materials needed for roads, homes, schools and other buildingsAnjuli Patil · CBC News · Posted: Nov 12, 2025 4:15 PM EST | Last Updated: 11 minutes agoListen to this articleEstimated 3 minutesThe audio version of this article is generated by text-to-speech, a technology based on artificial intelligence.One resident of Mount Uniacke says several gravel trucks already pass his home going to and from the quarry every hour. He calls it ‘noisy, dusty, loud [and] annoying.’ (Paul Palmeter/CBC)Nova Scotia’s minister of Environment and Climate Change has approved the Mount Uniacke quarry expansion, meaning the four-hectare site can now grow to 40 hectares.In a news release Wednesday, the department said the quarry will supply essential materials needed for “roads, homes, schools and other buildings that support local communities.” The quarry supplies aggregate for construction projects and the building and maintenance of roads in the area. Aggregate, sourced from quarries and pits, is on Nova Scotia’s list of strategic minerals.Northumberland Capital Corporation Inc. got its environmental assessment approval on Wednesday.There are a total of 38 terms and conditions that must be met to protect surrounding water resources, wildlife habitat, air quality, noise and lighting. There must also be ongoing public engagement with neighbouring communities, including the requirement to maintain a community liaison committee.Environmental concernsThe quarry project is a controversial one, with residents expressing environmental concerns when the proposal to turn the former gold mine site into a quarry was first made more than a decade ago.Those concerns were noted in Environment Minister Tim Halman’s environmental assessment approval letter dated Nov. 12, 2025.”I acknowledge that there have been community concerns about alleged illegal wetland alterations, disposal of construction and demolition waste and possible toxic discharges on the current site of the quarry,” Halman wrote.”The Department takes all such complaints very seriously. However, after multiple on-site inspections the concerns have not been substantiated.”Halman’s letter goes on to say that any complaints will be thoroughly investigated by his department. He also said Northumberland Capital Corporation Inc. will be required to develop and implement a “comprehensive complaint resolution plan” for receiving and responding to complaints related to the project.LISTEN | Mount Uniacke residents voice concerns:Information Morning – NS9:24Some Mount Uniacke residents voice concerns about quarry expansion plansOwners of a four-hectare quarry near Mount Uniacke want to expand its size ten-fold. Nova Scotia’s environment minister is expected to decide whether to grant the expansion within weeks. Hear why many people who live near the quarry hope that won’t happen. In a segment aired on Oct. 31, some residents voiced concerns to CBC Radio’s Information Morning Nova Scotia about the quarry expansion plans.Bobby McConnell, a Mount Uniacke resident, said 10 to 12 gravel trucks pass his home going to and from the quarry each hour. He said it’s “noisy, dusty, loud [and] annoying.””Too many trucks for my dog to walk safely on the road. Can’t keep the cars clean. I can’t keep the house clean. Can’t even put clothes on a clothesline in the summer,” he said.Michael Perry, the East Hants councillor for the area, said his municipality is against the quarry expansion.”One of things that is unique about Mount Uniacke is we have multiple quarries, we have an asphalt plant, we have a concrete plant and none of the other ones have caused the community any time of, I’ll say, grief,” Perry said.Perry said the community’s rejection of the quarry isn’t a case of people not wanting it in their backyard, but expanding its size would stiffen development. He said there is also concern people who rely on wells and septic systems could lose them to the blasting or get cracks in their foundations.”I myself live over three kilometres away from the quarry and when they blast, I have pictures fall off the walls in my house,” Perry said.MORE TOP STORIESABOUT THE AUTHORAnjuli Patil is a reporter with CBC Nova Scotia’s digital team.With files from Phlis McGregor
Nova Scotia approves Mount Uniacke quarry expansion
