Brownfield Advocate
09/05/2005
by -- Tammy Lomas-Jylhä
www.canadianbrownfieldsnetwork.ca
Since its inception, the Canadian Brownfields Network has been promoting brownfields redevelopment across Canada through various mechanisms.
In February 2003, the National Round Table on the Environment and Economy (NRTEE) recommended that a national brownfields network be established in Canada.
The Canadian Urban Institute and partners of aboutREMEDIATION.com (the Ecolog Information Resources Group and Ontario Centre for Environmental Technology Advancement) rose to the challenge and founded the Canadian Brownfields Network (CBN) in March 2004.
The vision for the CBN is to advocate brownfields redevelopment as an essential component of sustainable communities and urban revitalization in Canada. Its mission is to act as the enabling mechanism to implement the NRTEE recommendations for a national brownfields strategy and accelerate brownfield redevelopment across Canada. It aims to accomplish this by delivering outreach and capacity-building initiatives and increase awareness of the benefits of brownfields redevelopment. The CBN also creates links between private industry, government and non-government organizations, including consolidating regional and local issues into integrated national and provincial plans of action.
Significant progress has been made by the CBN in its first 18 months. Highlights include the following:
Removing of Crown Liens and Tax Arrears
The NRTEE and the CBN organized an experts group workshop in Ottawa in March 2005 to consider approaches to removing Crown liens and tax arrears on brownfield sites.
The framework and recommendations from the workshop were presented in a report entitled: Greening Canada's Brownfields -- A National Framework for Encouraging Redevelopment of Qualifying Brownfields through Removal of Crown Liens and Tax Arrears. The report outlines the barriers from Crown liens and municipal tax arrears on brownfield sites. It also describes the key elements of a national framework for coordinating the involvement of the federal, provincial and municipal governments to remove liens and tax arrears on qualifying brownfield properties as an incentive for redevelopment.
The NRTEE and CBN view this framework as the catalyst to encourage federal and provincial governments to create legislation, regulations, bylaws or other governance instruments, designed to encourage brownfields redevelopment through the removal of liens and tax arrears.
Developing the Green Municipal Fund Concept
In the February 2005 budget, the federal government granted $300 million to the Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM) in addition to the existing $250 million Green Municipal Fund (GMF). Of this new money, $150 million will be used as a permanent source of financing for brownfield remediation and redevelopment.
GMF can provide grants for pre-construction activities related to brownfields. Up to 50 per cent of the costs related to the development of community improvement plans, assessments and site-specific risk mitigation plans are eligible (to a maximum of $350,000). GMF is not allowed, however, to provide grants for the actual construction costs of remediation or redevelopment.
The CBN assisted FCM in developing a workshop to obtain advice and suggestions from industry stakeholders on the types of loan products that FCM should develop to accelerate the redevelopment of brownfield sites in Canada. FCM is currently developing the financial concept in consultation with the CBN and others and plans to issue a request for proposals in the fall.
Canadian Brownfield Conferences
CBN's annual Canadian Brownfields Conference is held each fall. The conference features high-profile keynote speakers and seminars, the latest case studies from across Canada and internationally and the Brownfields Marketplace. This year's conference chair is Jeff Westeinde, chief operating officer, Quantum Environmental Group/Windmill Development Group and a member of the Canadian Brownfields Network Advisory Panel. The opening keynote address will be from the Honourable John Godfrey, Minister of State (Infrastructure and Communities). There will also be presentations by Canada's leading practitioners in remediation, finance, law, planning and community improvement.
The conference will also feature the CBN Marketplace, a forum to meet and exchange ideas with consultants, developers, municipal staff, provincial and federal government representatives and industry associations. The conference will again present the Canadian Urban Institute's Brownie Awards, recognizing leadership, innovation and environmental sustainability in brownfields redevelopment across Canada. The awards comprise seven categories designed to provide recognition to all types of projects and programs that best contribute to brownfields remediation.
Advocate Changes to the Income Tax Act
In November 2004, the CBN submitted letters to the Honourable Paul Martin and the Honourable Ralph Goodale, advocating the amendment of the Income Tax Act to permit the expensing of remediation costs rather than the capitalizing of these costs as is done at present.
Strategic Alliances
The CBN has developed strategic partnerships with other like-minded organizations that have a vested interest in brownfields redevelopment in Canada. Currently, the CBN's support network includes:
* aboutRemediation.com
* Atlantic PIRI (Atlantic Partnership in RBCA Implementation)
* Canadian Environmental Auditing Association
* Canadian Institute of Planners
* Canadian Petroleum Products Institute
* Canadian Urban Institute
* EcoLog Information Resources Group
* Environmental Services Association of Alberta
* Federation of Canadian Municipalities
* Montreal Centre of Excellence in Brownfields Rehabilitation
* New Brunswick Environment Industry Association
* Newfoundland and Labrador Environmental Industry Association
* Ontario Centres of Excellence -- ETech
* Ontario Centre for Environmental Technology Advancement
* Ontario Environment Industry Association
* Ontario Professional Planners Institute
* RÉSEAU environnement
* Royal Architectural Institute of Canada
* SENECA College
* University of Toronto, Institute for Environmental Studies
Canadian Brownfields Chronicle
Right now, you are reading the CBN's latest venture, the Canadian Brownfields Chronicle. This is the inaugural issue of the Chronicle, which is a media partnership between the CBN and HazMat Management magazine. CBN members are invited to submit articles and case studies to future issue of the Chronicle.
In the upcoming months, the CBN will continue advocacy efforts to encourage brownfields policy changes at both the federal and provincial government levels on behalf of its members. The CBN will focus its efforts in three main areas. The first is collaborating with industry stakeholders and strategic partners to address the liability issue. The second is to showcase and highlight brownfield success stories and innovative approaches being used by jurisdictions across the country. The third is to assist in the development of a national database that can track the "triple bottom line" (economic, social and environmental) benefits of brownfield redevelopment projects in Canada.
Tammy Lomas-Jylhä is the executive director of the Canadian Brownfields Network. For further information, contact Tammy at 905-822-4133 ext. 234 or tammy@canadianbrownfieldsnetwork.ca.
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