ABSTRACT
The majority of the people reside in southern Ontario, one of the major reasons why the aggregate industry is concentrated largely in that part of the province. Very large quantities of aggregate are used each year in the province. Comprehensive planning and resource management strategies are required to make the best use of available resources, especially in those areas experiencing rapid development. Principles of land use planning and associated decision making processes, whether enshrined in enabling statutory legislation and regulations, policy or best practices, have been traditionally based on land as a horizontal two-dimensional plane. A fundamental difference between minerals in the ground and many land uses or activities on land is the fact that mineral deposits can be extracted or mined only where the deposit is located in the land. Aggregate resource inventory studies in the province of Ontario fall under the jurisdiction of the Ontario Ministry of Northern Development and Mines.
