The 519 Podcast

In 2012, a company from the Niagara region called Walker Industries put forward a proposal for a  landfill just outside of the town of Ingersoll. It was to be located in an old limestone quarry and would take in garbage from around southern Ontario, much of it from the GTA. It would be Ontario’s 5th largest landfill and would take in 17 million tonnes of garbage in its proposed 20 year lifespan. 

But for many in the region, the landfill would be perilously and alarmingly close to the Thames River. 

There were concerns about the impact, not just on the health of the river, but also on the aquafer of the area, where many residents got their drinking water. 

The stage was set for a long-running battle between a company that wanted to fill an empty quarry with garbage and local residents who wanted no part of it. 

This is the story of how that community rose up, organized, and fought a years-long battle that it ultimately won.