Brownfields Toolbox > Background

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Updated: August 2010
Brownfields Redevelopment Toolbox™: Background

	Brownfields in Canada Partners Building the Toolbox Development Team


Brownfields in Canada Canada’s industrial urban and rural lands or brownfields are redevelopment challenges for local government. “Brownfields are typically littered with abandoned buildings, all sorts of rubbish, leaking tanks, and rusting drums…About 30,000 brownfields mar the Canadian landscape” (MacLean’s, August 11, 2003). “These sites adversely impact a neighbourhood’s image and quality of life, and in some cases pose risks to human health and the environment” (National Roundtable on the Environment and the Economy, 2003). Redevelopment or the re-use of these assets is a key component of Sustainable Development and Smart Growth. Canadian communities are at various stages of brownfield redevelopment. Some are not even aware that brownfields exist in their community while others recognize the importance of brownfields redevelopment as an integral part of sustainable community development and have developed innovative policies and incentives for urban revitalization. The majority of Canadian communities, especially the smaller municipalities, need guidance regarding how to get started as well as how to identify and implement effective strategies and programs to support brownfields redevelopment.
Building the Toolbox The need for a brownfield redevelopment toolbox or guidance document has become evident over the past few years, as the number of requests for assistance, resources, and tools has increased. Municipalities who are eager to start the process of redevelopment have been inquiring on how to start brownfield redevelopment. Supported by the Toolbox Partners and with in-kind contribution from the Development Team, the Ontario Centre for Environmental Technology Advancement (OCETA) partnered with government and the private sector to develop the Brownfields Redevelopment Toolbox for Ontario Municipalities. This guidance document (Toolbox) will help municipalities understand the steps or process of redevelopment and the role that a municipality must play to motivate the brownfields redevelopment industry. To make the toolbox easily accessible to Ontario Municipalities, it has been developed as a feature on the website www.aboutREMEDIATION.com in modular format. New tools have been specifically developed for the Brownfields Toolbox including the decision tree and 10 key elements. The Brownfields Toolbox also provides additional information and resources that have been extracted from various sources. The toolbox will be evolving over time as new information is identified and new tools are created. The Municipal Brownfields Redevelopment Toolbox (Ontario) was developed as a guide for urban centers who are interested in starting and engaging in the process of redevelopment and revitalization. Each STEP in the Brownfields Toolbox assists municipalities in understanding, developing and implementing a brownfields redevelopment vision for their community.
Toolbox Partners
Development Team Ontario Centre for Environmental Technology Advancement (OCETA) Ontario Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing Aon Reed Stenhouse Canadian Brownfields Network (CBN) City of Brantford City of Kitchener City of Toronto Gowling Lafleur Henderson Jacques Whitford (Stantec) Kilmer Brownfield Equity Fund L.P. Additional support and contributions have been provided over the years from other supporting organizations. We have attempted to acknowledge contributions and content on each page where appropriate. Should you wish to contribute and update the Brownfields Redevelopment Toolbox, please contact OCETA directly through the AR Web site.