Local municipalities less concerned about gravel shortages
The umbrella group for Saskatchewan’s rural municipalities says it’s vital to ensure they have enough of a key natural resource to maintain their infrastructure. But leaders in the Battlefords area say when it comes to gravel, they’re set for the short term.
The report, Got Gravel? Aggregate Management Strategies for Rural Municipalities in Saskatchewan outlines 10 recommendations to ensure long-term reserves are set aside to maintain and add to the over 165,000 km of municipal roads in the province. The report, conducted for the Saskatchewan Association of Rural Municipalities (SARM) cautions that economic growth in recent years has increased demand, and prices for the non-renewable resource.
Dan Bartko, reeve of the R.M. of North Battleford, said it hasn’t been necessary yet to secure any reserves of gravel.
“We haven’t really gone to that extent. There are local pits, within even just the R.M., that (means) we’re pretty confident there’s still a good supply,” he explained, adding the R.M. has roughly two years of gravel available before the municipality has to start looking for more.