Limestone is the line of work for family business Stonescape Quarry
Quarry employs about 30 people, and produces stone for home, business and more
A family business and an adventurous young man provide an interesting mix.
Last fall, Jacob Slobodian came home to Buckhorn to spend more time with the family business, Stonescape Quarry, but did not want to completely leave adventure behind.
Jacob has always looked for adventure. He attended high school at Lakefield College. In Grade 11, he travelled abroad to study with New River Academy, a travelling kayaking high school in Chile, Uganda and the U.S. He then worked in the family business for four years while learning the welding trade as well as all quarry operations. He attended Algonquin College to become a pilot and worked in northern Ontario. He flew people into Armstrong, Ont., to fish. When not flying Jacob could do his own hunting and fishing.
In addition to adventure his dad, Dan, says that Jacob has also gravitated toward machinery. Slobodian tells the story of when he was having difficulty backing up a loader. Then-10-year-old Jacob suggested his dad move over and he complete the task. Jacob did it with ease.
While COVID-19 has forced him to put his passion for flying on hold, Jacob displayed strong knowledge of the quarry on a tour. First stop was at the manufacturing plant housing a saw, a flamer and a guillotine. The saw and guillotine cut rock into various landscape products. The flamer texturizes stone to produce a non-slip surface. The stone is shipped to Ontario, Quebec and the Northern U.S. markets.
The tour continued in separate cars, using telephones to communicate to provide for coronavirus regulations, through the service area where homeowners and landscapers buy. Stonescape
provides construction aggregate and landscape supplies. There is a wide variety of sizes and colours of armour stone including grey, mocha and sienna. Recently, stone has been shipped to the Great Lakes to control erosion.
Driving into the pit there are berms of soil stockpiled so the site can be returned to a natural state when the excavation is complete.
Stonescape only extracts above the water table. Excavators pull the stone out of the ground. Loaders measure and sort the stone. To extract the stone, holes are drilled in the rock and filled with lowlevel explosives to loosen the layers. CBM St. Mary’s is a tenant on the site and produces crushed construction aggregate.
The quarry employs 25 to 30 people. The high-quality limestone with which these employees work is used in construction of roads, hospitals, schools and homes and in many other aspects of our lives. Stonescape welcomes both homeowners and contractors to visit the site and view their products.
Essential workers
Are you a health-care or essential worker? Do you know someone that is? Write a 100- to 140-word essay telling why you or someone you know should win a oneweek stay at Scotsman Point Resort and what this holiday would mean for you or her/him.
The winner chooses the summer week they want. They receive a welcome package, access to all resort activities and all linens.
They can enjoy tea for four in the lakefront tea room and a pontoon boat cruise around the lake. Provided by project partners will be a $75 gift card from Foodland, pizza dinner from Pizza Alloro and four frozen dinners from Canoe & Paddle.
Submit your essay to info@scotsmanpoint.com or facebook.com/ScotsmanPointResort. Include your name, job description, contact info and municipality or city. Submit by May 31. The winner will be notified by June 15.