Personal Statements from Neighbours and Residents
My model home sales office (120 Hwy 105) is directly adjacent to the pit and is open 6 days a week. The model home/office was built in 1991.
There has been no commercial activity in the pit since that time. When I purchased the land, I was assured by the municipality that the pit was closed by the municipality and by the Quebec government.
The only activity in recent years has been the filling of the pit by local trucking companies.
--Ron Hill, Owner, Ronald S. Hill Developments Inc.
There has been no commercial activity in the pit since that time. When I purchased the land, I was assured by the municipality that the pit was closed by the municipality and by the Quebec government.
The only activity in recent years has been the filling of the pit by local trucking companies.
--Ron Hill, Owner, Ronald S. Hill Developments Inc.
I purchased and moved into my current residence at 9 Hillcrest Road, Wakefield, (Municipality of La Pêche), Quebec on November 1, 2010. Prior to the purchase of my first house I lived/rented at 49 Rockhurst since 1989 with my parents. Before building their residence at 49 Rockhurst they owned the land, and maintained and harvested a large vegetable garden, these are some of my very earliest of memories going back as far as the early 1980's. Since living on Rockhurst Hill, I have travelled past the corner of highway 105 and Rockhurst Road, almost daily for 23 years to go to school, work and visit friends. In addition, I walk past the corner to access Gatineau Park from Brown Lake Road, on the west side of Highway 105 during all four seasons of the year.
When I moved to Rockhurst Road in 1989, there was a large sandy pit ("the pit") lined with round rocks and the bottom edges, a layer of small shells could be uncovered three quarters of the way up and a few popular trees and small spruce grew below. Along the south, west and north sides of the pit were overgrown with spruce trees and shrubs. This the closest playground growing up where I began to develop my sense of adventure and independence.
From 1989, until, approximately, the year 2008, there was no discernible activity in the pit. I remember this because as a teenager in the winters we would slide down the sides with a toboggan or take our snowboards from the top and jump into the second smaller pit further below with friends. In the summer there was a large black raspberry patch at the top left side of the entrance where I picked berries for immediate consumption. The only major change prior to 2008 was the erecting of the fence around the pit to deter local teenagers from hosting epic bonfire parties at the bottom of the pit during the mid 1990's. As well, from time to time I would witness that someone had unloaded unwanted garbage from house renovations.
Beginning in about 2008, several local trucking firms began to dump, first, stone in the pit, and later clay and other debris. This activity began quite gradually. I remember observing the dumping of stone because the stone was left on the shoulder of the pit, easily accessible from Rockhurst Road. On weekends and evenings, I would often see individuals foraging for stone on the shoulder of the pit, loading big chunks into their vehicles. My mother-in-law used to forge for rocks that were used to build up her flower beds and was quite disappointed when the round river rocks were slowly covered by loads of rock and clay and other unwanted debris.
In the last few years, from about 2010 on, the activity in the pit became more pronounced, with significant amount of material being dumped into the pit, not just stone. But extraction began only in May 2012, when Couillard Construction began work.
-- Nicole Koch, 9 Hillcrest Road, Wakefield, QC
When I moved to Rockhurst Road in 1989, there was a large sandy pit ("the pit") lined with round rocks and the bottom edges, a layer of small shells could be uncovered three quarters of the way up and a few popular trees and small spruce grew below. Along the south, west and north sides of the pit were overgrown with spruce trees and shrubs. This the closest playground growing up where I began to develop my sense of adventure and independence.
From 1989, until, approximately, the year 2008, there was no discernible activity in the pit. I remember this because as a teenager in the winters we would slide down the sides with a toboggan or take our snowboards from the top and jump into the second smaller pit further below with friends. In the summer there was a large black raspberry patch at the top left side of the entrance where I picked berries for immediate consumption. The only major change prior to 2008 was the erecting of the fence around the pit to deter local teenagers from hosting epic bonfire parties at the bottom of the pit during the mid 1990's. As well, from time to time I would witness that someone had unloaded unwanted garbage from house renovations.
Beginning in about 2008, several local trucking firms began to dump, first, stone in the pit, and later clay and other debris. This activity began quite gradually. I remember observing the dumping of stone because the stone was left on the shoulder of the pit, easily accessible from Rockhurst Road. On weekends and evenings, I would often see individuals foraging for stone on the shoulder of the pit, loading big chunks into their vehicles. My mother-in-law used to forge for rocks that were used to build up her flower beds and was quite disappointed when the round river rocks were slowly covered by loads of rock and clay and other unwanted debris.
In the last few years, from about 2010 on, the activity in the pit became more pronounced, with significant amount of material being dumped into the pit, not just stone. But extraction began only in May 2012, when Couillard Construction began work.
-- Nicole Koch, 9 Hillcrest Road, Wakefield, QC
My partner Ron Scammell and I have lived at 31 Rockhurst Rd since July 2007, about 150 metres from the Rockhurst Rd site. Until recently, our property, which borders Suncrest Rd to the West, was the second closest residence to the site.
I have passed the Rockhurst Rd site, which is clearly visible from the road, at least twice daily most days, ever since our move here. Ron used to run by it and through the adjoining meadow in summer and cross country ski through and past this land in the winter. We have also taken regular walks through the former meadows and trails which adjoined the site and led to the Eco Echo campus and community orchard on that land.
The area of the site was well circumscribed. By my estimate, using Google Maps aerial view for comparision, it occupied an area well less than two acres, compared roughly to the size of our two acre property. There were two means of access, an upper entry flush with Rockhurst Rd, immediately adjacent to the intersection of the 105, on the Southeast corner of that intersection and another, giving access to the bottom of the site, about 50 metres to the East of the intersection on the South side of Rockhurst.
My impression is readily supported by looking at Google Maps’ aerial view of the site and adjoining properties at www.maps.google.ca. The current image is an old aerial view from no later than early 2010, showing the area of activity in the site as about two acres. Where there is now a small house on the property opposite the site at the Northwest corner of Rockhurst & Suncrest Rds, the Google Maps aerial image shows the land as empty, leveled and ready for construction. On our property, a large fenced in vegetable garden, constructed in the fall of 2010, is not shown.
The former activity level at the site seemed to be intermittent. Stone was occasionally delivered and removed. Clay was more recently deposited over the past year. I have never seen sand removed and there was no exposed sandy area visible either from the road or while walking through the property. The creation of a sandpit next to the site occurred only in the spring of this year (2012). It was announced visually by the construction of a new road on the South side of Rockhurst, opposite to the new house and about 15 metres to the East of the road to the bottom of the site. It involved the destruction of at least one or two linear acres of forest and meadow. Having walked in and around the resulting area of destruction, the scope is massive and has grown rapidly over the past three months. I estimate it to now occupy four times the size the footprint of the pre-existing site. While the sandpit may now be contiguous with the pre-existing site, that is because of the high speed with which it has been developed; both the rapid rate of destruction of the surface forest and meadow and the very rapid and extensive mining of the sandy substrate. In total, the transformation of this property is extreme. It is almost unrecognizable as the property which existed before April 2012.
--Anne Gillies, 31 Rockhurst Road, Wakefield QC
July 29, 2012
I have passed the Rockhurst Rd site, which is clearly visible from the road, at least twice daily most days, ever since our move here. Ron used to run by it and through the adjoining meadow in summer and cross country ski through and past this land in the winter. We have also taken regular walks through the former meadows and trails which adjoined the site and led to the Eco Echo campus and community orchard on that land.
The area of the site was well circumscribed. By my estimate, using Google Maps aerial view for comparision, it occupied an area well less than two acres, compared roughly to the size of our two acre property. There were two means of access, an upper entry flush with Rockhurst Rd, immediately adjacent to the intersection of the 105, on the Southeast corner of that intersection and another, giving access to the bottom of the site, about 50 metres to the East of the intersection on the South side of Rockhurst.
My impression is readily supported by looking at Google Maps’ aerial view of the site and adjoining properties at www.maps.google.ca. The current image is an old aerial view from no later than early 2010, showing the area of activity in the site as about two acres. Where there is now a small house on the property opposite the site at the Northwest corner of Rockhurst & Suncrest Rds, the Google Maps aerial image shows the land as empty, leveled and ready for construction. On our property, a large fenced in vegetable garden, constructed in the fall of 2010, is not shown.
The former activity level at the site seemed to be intermittent. Stone was occasionally delivered and removed. Clay was more recently deposited over the past year. I have never seen sand removed and there was no exposed sandy area visible either from the road or while walking through the property. The creation of a sandpit next to the site occurred only in the spring of this year (2012). It was announced visually by the construction of a new road on the South side of Rockhurst, opposite to the new house and about 15 metres to the East of the road to the bottom of the site. It involved the destruction of at least one or two linear acres of forest and meadow. Having walked in and around the resulting area of destruction, the scope is massive and has grown rapidly over the past three months. I estimate it to now occupy four times the size the footprint of the pre-existing site. While the sandpit may now be contiguous with the pre-existing site, that is because of the high speed with which it has been developed; both the rapid rate of destruction of the surface forest and meadow and the very rapid and extensive mining of the sandy substrate. In total, the transformation of this property is extreme. It is almost unrecognizable as the property which existed before April 2012.
--Anne Gillies, 31 Rockhurst Road, Wakefield QC
July 29, 2012
My partner and I have been living on chemin Hillcrest, off Rockhurst Road, since July 2003. I must drive or walk past the corner of Rockhurst road and Highway 105 almost every day. I drive to work that way several times a week, visit friends in that direction, and make regular visits to Gatineau Park from Brown Lake road (which runs opposite Rockhurst).
For most of the time we’ve been living here, the old pit at the corner of Rockhurst and Highway 105 has been dormant and overgrown with trees and shrubs. There used to be a lovely tall tree growing up from the bottom of the pit; its foliage just peeking over the top. I could check on the progress of the seasons by the foliage on that tree. It was the first to turn green in the spring, went orange late in August, and then lost its leaves just before the onset of winter.
Activity around the pit started in about late 2008/early 2009. First came the stone, which was dumped in the pit, but on the top edge alongside Rockhurst road; stored for future use. ‘Visitors’ started coming to the pit then, picking through the stone piles in search of gems for their gardens. Eventually, later in 2009, or maybe it was 2010, the pit began to be filled in with stone, clay and various forms of rubble.
The tree that presaged the seasons, sadly, isn’t there any more.
--Doris Buss, 15 chemin Hillcrest, Wakefield, QC
For most of the time we’ve been living here, the old pit at the corner of Rockhurst and Highway 105 has been dormant and overgrown with trees and shrubs. There used to be a lovely tall tree growing up from the bottom of the pit; its foliage just peeking over the top. I could check on the progress of the seasons by the foliage on that tree. It was the first to turn green in the spring, went orange late in August, and then lost its leaves just before the onset of winter.
Activity around the pit started in about late 2008/early 2009. First came the stone, which was dumped in the pit, but on the top edge alongside Rockhurst road; stored for future use. ‘Visitors’ started coming to the pit then, picking through the stone piles in search of gems for their gardens. Eventually, later in 2009, or maybe it was 2010, the pit began to be filled in with stone, clay and various forms of rubble.
The tree that presaged the seasons, sadly, isn’t there any more.
--Doris Buss, 15 chemin Hillcrest, Wakefield, QC
Since 2003 I have lived on chemin Pine Ridge, which is very close to the sand pit on the corner of Hwy 105 and Rockhurst.
During that time I have walked my dog and hiked around the area. There was a lovely path from Rockhurst to the EcoEcho fields where many of my neighbours walked. The old quarry was not used at all. A couple of years ago trucks started dumping rocks and gravel into the hole. I spoke with one of the local drivers who told me that the owner wanted to fill in the hole so that it would be saleable for housing. The dumping was sporadic but seemed to be mostly rock and gravel.
It was not until this spring that the activities increased and over night it seemed our lovely path through the woods was obliterated. Large machines moved in to chop down trees and bushes just below the Hall cemetery. I could no longer walk my dog through the area. No one seemed to know what was going on. Then trucks started dumping heavy clay on top of the rocks while other big trucks started digging and extracting large amounts of sand. I am shocked by how fast they have moved even though they have been told to cease by the Ministry of the Environment.
--Sylvia Spring, 23 chemin Pine Ridge, Wakefield, QC
During that time I have walked my dog and hiked around the area. There was a lovely path from Rockhurst to the EcoEcho fields where many of my neighbours walked. The old quarry was not used at all. A couple of years ago trucks started dumping rocks and gravel into the hole. I spoke with one of the local drivers who told me that the owner wanted to fill in the hole so that it would be saleable for housing. The dumping was sporadic but seemed to be mostly rock and gravel.
It was not until this spring that the activities increased and over night it seemed our lovely path through the woods was obliterated. Large machines moved in to chop down trees and bushes just below the Hall cemetery. I could no longer walk my dog through the area. No one seemed to know what was going on. Then trucks started dumping heavy clay on top of the rocks while other big trucks started digging and extracting large amounts of sand. I am shocked by how fast they have moved even though they have been told to cease by the Ministry of the Environment.
--Sylvia Spring, 23 chemin Pine Ridge, Wakefield, QC
