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Construction Materials

Ontario Trap Rock

Ontario Trap Rock supplies specialty trap rock aggregates across the Great Lakes region, serving customers throughout Canada and the United States. From high-friction aggregate to AREMA-compliant rail ballast, Ontario Trap Rock delivers exceptionally durable diabase trap rock engineered for demanding transportation environments.

Ontario Trap Rock

Situated on a 1,000-acre quarry on the shores of Lake Huron, with over 80 million tons of reserve, Ontario Trap Rock offers long-term resource security and dependable cross-border aggregate supply for major rail, highway, commercial and industrial infrastructure programs.

With our extensive network of Canadian and US ports we provide asphalt producers, pavement contractors, and railway operators the convenience and security of reliable deliveries.

Strategic Location. Dependable Supply.

Great Lakes Marine Distribution

Ontario Trap Rock operates a dedicated ship loading facility on-site capable of accommodating self-unloading lake freighters. Through a marine distribution network across more than 16 Canadian and U.S. ports, Ontario Trap Rock provides scalable, cost-effective bulk aggregate transportation throughout the Great Lakes region.

Multi-Jurisdictional Compliance

Ontario Trap Rock products meet specification and classification standards across multiple regulatory jurisdictions in both Canada and the United States. The trap rock produced at our Lake Huron quarry supports projects requiring alignment with regional and cross-border infrastructure standards.

Customer Service and Technical Coordination

With decades of aggregate production experience, our local team works directly with customers to coordinate logistics, confirm specifications, and ensure reliable delivery from order through shipment.

Engineered for Rail & High Friction Performance

Ontario Trap Rock produces high-performance diabase trap rock recognized for its density, abrasion resistance, and long-term durability. The material’s physical and chemical properties make it ideally suited for AREMA-complaint railroad ballast, high-friction hot-mix asphalt surfaces and demanding transportation applications requiring structural integrity and extended service life.

Prized for its consistently reliable gradations, the trap rock supplied by Ontario Trap Rock offers:

  • Superior thermal and acoustic properties for rock wool insulation
  • Higher-than-average strength in specialty concrete applications
  • Skid-resistant, durable, long-lasting road surfaces
  • AREMA-compliant performance for railroad ballast

Applications

  • Mainline rail ballast and walkway ballast
  • Slurry seal and micro-surface aggregates
  • High-friction hot-mix asphalt surface courses
  • Manufactured sand for high-performing pavement systems
  • Mineral wool/rock wool production
  • High-abrasion industrial concrete applications

Serving the Ports within the Great Lakes

Illinois: Chicago

Ohio: Ashtabula, Cleveland, Toledo

Ontario: Windsor, Sarnia, Port Colborne, Hamilton, Toronto, Owen Sound

Michigan: Detroit, Saginaw, Cheboygan, Ludington, Muskegon, Benton Harbour, Ferrysburg, Marysville

Get In Touch

Tomlinson Group Head Office

100 Citigate Drive,
Ottawa, ON K2J 6K7

Contact Details

Bill Sanders, Regional Sales Manger, US: bsanders@tomlinsongroup.com

Ray Mack, Regional Sales Manager, US: mack@tomlinsongroup.com

Christina Watts, Sales Representative, ON: cwatts@tomlinsongroup.com

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Frequently Asked Questions

Learn more about the benefits of Ontario Trap Rock and our various products in our FAQ below. From gradation specs to port access and product uses across multiple jurisdictions, this section covers the essentials for accurate project planning.

Please find our Terms & Conditions here.

Yes, we are pleased to offer an extensive inventory of boulders with sizes ranging from less than 12″ to over 3.’ Having our own boulder supply allows our customers to save by buying directly from the quarry as opposed to buying from a landscape supplier.

OTR’s fine aggregates provide friction properties to the finished surface and increase set time to reduce the duration of road closures.

Slurry Seal/Micro-Surface Products:

  • DFC Fines
  • Unwashed manufactured sand

Yes, thanks to its chemical properties, OTR products can be used as an ingredient in the production of rockwool insulation.

Mineral Wool/Rockwool Products:

  • 3″ x 4″
  • 4″ x 6″

OTR’s railroad ballast exceeds industry strength and durability requirements. Our railroad ballast forms the track bed upon which railroad ties are placed. Properly placed and maintained ballast holds the track in place and facilitates drainage. OTR meets all North American railway applications and AREMA specifications.

  • Mainline Ballast (2-1/2″ x ¾”)
  • Walkway Ballast

OTR Ready-Mix Concrete is used in temperature-sensitive and high-abrasion-resistant industrial applications. It has a freeze-thaw dilation of -0.001 per Michigan Test Method 115.

Tomlinson proudly serves the following ports:

  • Illinois: Chicago
  • Ohio: Ashtabula, Cleveland, Toledo
  • Ontario: Windsor, Sarnia, Port Colborne, Hamilton, Toronto, Owen Sound
  • Michigan: Detroit, Saginaw, Cheboygan, Ludington, Muskegon, Benton Harbour, Ferrysburg, Marysville

Trap rock/diabase is an aggregate that provides superior friction properties. It assists in building voids in mineral aggregate (VMA) and allows for increased binder replacement (FRAP/RAP/RAS) content.

Ontario (DSM Inventory # B22-072)

  • HL-1 (5/8″ clear)
  • DFC Fines
  • Unwashed Manufactured Sand
  • ¼” Chip

Michigan (MDOT Source # 95-10)

  • Aggregate Wear Index – 306
  • CS-1
  • CS-2
  • 25-A
  • 29-A
  • Washed manufactured sand
  • Unwashed manufactured sand

Illinois (IDOT Source # 52352-02)

  • CM-13
  • CM-14
  • CM-16
  • FM-22

Ohio (ODOT Source #4144-01)

  • ODOT #7
  • ODOT #8
  • ODOT #9