The province must pay $10 million to compensate a company affected by the construction of the Outer Ring Road. The case dates back to the mid-1990s, when the province expropriated land to complete the highway. City Sand and Gravel was compensated for its contribution, but it was future blasting at their nearby quarry that they were concerned about. The government at the time insisted they had nothing to fear, backing an expert’s report saying there would be no impact on the highway or the blasting. But there was, with several incidents of rocks reaching the outer ring road and a new subdivision, and the conclusion that the report was incorrect. It also led to new blasting rules that tripled the company’s costs, eventually rendering the quarry unprofitable. All told, City Sand and Gravel said they were owed 17 years of business, or just over $10 million, for losing the quarry. They were initially awarded that amount, which the province challenged, and lost, at the Court of Appeal last week. The government could still appeal the decision to the Supreme Court of Canada.
