b'INFRASTRUCTUREEye on the Road The aggregate industryT he Ontario government announced in March it would invest $1.3 billion to rebuild and restore welcomes the provinceshighways across the provincea commitment that stands to make a significant impact on the commitment to pump aggregate industry. more money into roads Roadbuildingaccountsforthelargestuseof aggregate in Ontario, and the provincial and municipal and highways governments are the industrys biggest customers. The vastmajorityofstone,sandandgravelproducedin the province is used by the public sector, with road and By Warren Heeley highway construction, including asphalt and concrete, accountingfornearly60percentofallofOntarios aggregate usage.The $1.3-billion funding initiativeearmarked for the 2019/20 periodis part of the Ford governments long-term strategy to deal with Ontarios aging infrastructure overthenexteightto10years.Overall,itsignalsan understandingthatroadsandhighwaysneedtobe properly maintained, especially in light of the increasing number of extreme weather events. TheOntariogovernmentisrecognizingthe importance of infrastructure maintenance, says Norm Cheesman,executivedirectoroftheStone,Sandand 16 AVENUESFALL 2019'