Keele Valley Landfill

The landfill served the city of Toronto, as well as neighbouring municipalities in York and Durham regions. The site was originally a large gravel pit. Prior to its opening, Toronto's trash went to the Beare Road Landfill in Scarborough. When it opened the Keele site was within an almost entirely rural region, but rapid growth in the region means that the site is now surrounded by suburbs. Local residents strongly disliked the dump due to the odours and large amount of truck traffic it generated, Some 30 million tons of garbage were placed in the dump during its time in operation. The landfill reached capacity in 2002 and was closed. Toronto had no immediate replacement facility, the proposed Adams Mine projected in Kirkland Lake having met strong local and environmental opposition. After the closure of the landfill Toronto started shipping it's waste to the Carleton Farms Landfill in Michigan. In 2006 the city purchased the Green Lane Landfill outside of London, Ontario, and it will become the new destination for the city's waste.

The site of the Keele Valley Landfill has been partially redeveloped. The garbage has been covered by a thick layer of soil, but it will take many decades for trash to decompose. The actual site of the landfill is not suitable for redevelopment until 2028, but some of the land surrounding it has already been put to new use. The southeastern part of the site has been turned into a golf course, the Eagles Nest Golf Club. Another section of to the north of the site has become soccer fields.

Notes

References

* [http://www.toronto.ca/wes/techservices/involved/swm/keele/pdf/fact_sheet.pdf City of Toronto fact sheet]
*Matt Beam [http://mattbeam.com/ws/content/articles/jour_landfill.htm Keele Valley Landfill, 1983-2002] . Toronto Life, December 2002.