A Zoning By-law Amendment proposal was made for 40 Curtis Ave North at the County of Brant Council meeting on April 14, 2026. 

This proposal is to make an amendment to the current zoning (M3) to build a hydro-vac slurry processing facility just on the other side of the rail trail. To our knowledge, this application would create an exception to the current zoning allowances to permit a private owner to build this facility which otherwise would require a M4 zoning (e.g. dumps and heavy industrial machinery). 

You can view a copy of the application on the Active Applications webpage.

 

**UPDATE: The County of Brant councillors voted NO to the rezoning application at the July 14, 2026 meeting **

Thank you to all those who wrote letters, signed this petition and spoke at the meeting. You can watch the meeting on YouTube here.

 

What is a Hydro-Vac Slurry Processing Facility? 

• Hydro vac trucks (similar to dump trucks) remove debris from construction sites like sand, dirt, and gravel (“slurry”) using a suction hose
• Processing sites (such as the one being proposed) offer a place for trucks to offload their waste into holding tanks or tailing ponds
• The materials are then spun around at high speeds in a turbine to seperate the water from rocks
• Hydro vac trucks then come back in and suck up the materials to deliver elsewhere

 

How might this negatively impact you?

• Excessive Noise Pollution: These systems produce high-pitched, piecing whine that can exceed 90-110 dB (about the sound of the trains passing). The operators will no doubt run a 24/7 business as hydrovac trucks are often used in emergency situations (e.g. burst water lines) and expect at least 25 trucks entering and exiting the property daily. The low-frequency thrum of a turbine processing heavy slurry can vibrate windows and walls in nearby homes and lead to structural fatigue of structures over time.
• Decreased Property Values: Residents close to this site purchased properties with the expectation that the site will not be repurposed for heavier industrial uses that will have a negative impact on their environment and property values.
• Contamination of air and soil: The operators cannot give a guarantee that no contaminated slurry will be brought on site unless they test every load, which doesn’t seem to be the plan. Turbines and high-pressure vacuums can turn liquid waste into a fine mist. If the slurry contains heavy metals, hydrocarbons or bacteria, these pathogens can become airborne and be inhaled by humans and animals.
• Contamination of drinking water: There can be no guarantee that the separated water will be reused and so it might be dumped locally. There are recent examples of hydro-vac companies being fined for discharging contaminated slurry into the local watershed and sewers. The watershed in this area feeds the Grand River, which is the drinking water for many in the area.
• Disruption to Wildlife: This change of use may disrupt the animals and birds that frequent the forest in this area, and may deter people from using the rail trail in this area.

 

What’s next in the process? 

• The company can file an appeal against the decision
   

 

 

 

You can watch the council meeting on YouTube (from 1hr mark): https://www.youtube.com/live/c-x-VjyDBC0?si=5V2g6hdV13D3hMGX&t=3609

You can see the full application here: https://pub-brant.escribemeetings.com/filestream.ashx?DocumentId=74973

The updated application is here: https://www.brant.ca/media/wjwh14jo/notice-of-complete-application-and-council-meeting-july-14.pdf

 

If you wish to be notified of any Public Meetings or Council Meetings regarding this application, or to be notified of the decision on the proposed application, you can make a written request to the County Clerk at clerks@brant.ca.