Kiwanis Park

Former mines and quarries are often hidden in plain sight!

Truro's Kiwanis Park is a former gravel pit that provided aggregate in the 1930s to build Route 2. It's an example of how former mines, quarries and pits can contribute to communities after extraction is done.

Aggregate is the most-mined material in the world because it is used in virtually all infrastructure including homes, roads, schools and hospitals.

Aggregate makes up about 80% of concrete and 94% of asphalt.

Building one kilometre of highway takes about 18,000 tons of aggregate - enough rock to fill four Olympic-sized swimming pools! Nova Scotia needs 10-15 million tons of new aggregate each year to build and maintain our infrastructure.

To keep costs down, construction companies like roadbuilders have established a lot of small quarries widely dispersed throughout the province, especially in areas where construction projects are planned, so aggregate can be sourced relatively close to construction sites. This reduces the amount of fuel used in trucking the aggregate, which reduces cost and lowers emissions from fuel consumption.

Keeping costs down means more paving can be done and reduces the financial burden on taxpayers. This model is the only economic way to build and maintain our roads and highways, and to keep our infrastructure safe for Nova Scotians.

The network of small quarries means aggregate quarried in a community is generally used in the community to improve the local road system and make it safer for residents.