The Economic Importance of Aggregates

The production of all aggregates in 2006 was approximately 177 million tonnes which is more than 47% of the total mineral aggregate production in Canada.

Aggregates provide the critical resources for the $37 billion construction industry that employs 292,000 people in Ontario. The aggregate industry is estimated to directly employ 7,000 people. In addition, more than 34,000 people are indirectly employed in sectors such as transportation and equipment.

The free on board (at the point of extraction) value of the mineral aggregate resource in 2006 is approximately $1.4 billion.  The value increases as the raw material is processed into the various construction materials and then utilized to build our infrastructure such as hospitals and roads.  For example, the commodities produced by the aggregate industry make a significant contribution to the $1.9 billion cement and concrete manufacturing industry, the $1.3 billion glass and glass products industry, and a $2.9 billion pharmaceutical and medicine manufacturing industry in Ontario.