2025 Finalists

Founded in 2001 by the Canadian Urban Institute, the Brownie Awards recognize the innovative efforts of professionals who rehabilitate sites that were once contaminated, under-utilized, and undeveloped by remaking them into productive residential and commercial projects that contribute to the growth of healthy communities across Canada.

As an annual celebration recognizing excellence in the remediation and redevelopment of brownfield sites across Canada, the Brownie Awards are presented proudly in partnership by the Canadian Brownfields Network and Actual Media.

Read the 2025 Finalists Announcement on Environment Journal >>

Here’s a good look at the outstanding achievements of the well-deserving finalists for the 2025 Brownie Awards.

REPROGRAM

Legislation, Policy and Program Initiatives

Location: Caledon, Ontario

The Chinguacousy Beneficial Soil Reuse Site (CBSRS), a former landfill closed since 1980, transformed brownfield management by repurposing excess soil from Peel’s capital projects. Peel has historically generated approximately 424,000 m³ of soil annually, hauled offsite over long distances, incurring high costs and environmental impacts. CBSRS addresses this challenge by reusing soil generated from Peel projects at the landfill, which not only reduces leachate but also protects groundwater near provincially significant wetlands. Since August 2024, over 151,000 m³ of soil have been reused, saving 1.42 million km of transport and 1,532 tCO2e in greenhouse gas emissions. This aligns with Ontario Regulation 406/19, promoting sustainable brownfield regeneration by reducing off-site disposal. The project integrates expertise from internal teams (Waste Management, Transportation) and external partners (MECP, TRCA), ensuring compliance and environmental protection. By reducing transport distances by 34–47 km per load, CBSRS is projected to save 4.1 million km and 4,395 tCO2e over its duration, setting a scalable model for municipalities. These savings make CBSRS a scalable model for municipalities seeking to reduce costs, protect ecosystems, and regenerate brownfield sites. Operations are further streamlined through digital soil tracking (SoilFlo), ensuring transparency and accountability. CBSRS demonstrates a great system for brownfield redevelopment that can serve as a model for sustainable regeneration across neighbouring municipalities and beyond in Ontario.

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Project Team: 

  • Environmental Team, Engineering Technical Services
  • Waste, Compliance and Landfill Monitoring and Maintenance,
  • Waste, Infrastructure Development
  • Atkins Realis (Consultant)
  • Pacific Paving (Contractor)

Location: Guelph, Ontario

To solve significant environmental challenges in the region, the City of Guelph has developed innovative programs to overcome well known barriers to brownfield redevelopment and community regeneration. These efforts are strengthened through consultation with regulators and industry outreach. A key barrier has been naturally occurring background concentrations of metals, which has stymied soil reuse and necessitated risk assessments. By establishing scientifically defensible background values, the City created a robust body of evidence that can be relied on and applied to risk assessments and environmental permitting. This reduces unnecessary disposal costs, supports beneficial soil reuse, reduces roadblocks and streamlines redevelopment opportunities. Through collaboration with regulators and plans to publish results for broader application, the City is planning ahead for this program to extend benefits beyond local projects.

The City also undertook a systematic evaluation of environmental risk at the municipal scale. Using a risk-ranking algorithm and spatial mapping tools, a comprehensive dataset and mapping system was generated that identifies areas of elevated concern. This proactive approach provides a single portal for municipal staff to view environmental risk data and provide early-stage insights to inform municipal decision-making and support development and infrastructure projects.

Municipal leadership is critical in overcoming barriers to brownfields and sustainable soil management, and Guelph has demonstrated how evidence-based initiatives can provide clarity, reduce uncertainty, and enable cost-effective redevelopment. Guelph’s enviable programs combine fiscal responsibility with environmental stewardship, and are replicable models for other communities navigating environmental liabilities and brownfield challenges.

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Project Team: City of Guelph, Geosyntec International Consultants

Location: British Columbia

This report was prepared for the Contaminated Sites Approved Professional Society (CSAP) by WSP Canada Inc. It provides an overview of methodologies to assess groundwater contaminant plume stability as required by British Columbia’s environmental regulations. The document outlines the importance of stable or decreasing plume trends in risk assessments and compliance verifications.

Key sections discuss qualitative and quantitative methods for plume stability analysis, including temporal and spatial assessments like concentration vs. time plots, Mann-Kendall trend analysis, and plume-based methods such as the Ricker Method. It emphasizes data quality, addressing challenges like non-detect values and missing data. The report also explores the role of specific contaminants like chlorinated solvents and petroleum hydrocarbons in shaping analysis strategies.

Case studies highlight practical applications, showcasing trend analyses and mass flux calculations at petroleum hydrocarbon and chlorinated solvent sites. The findings underline the need for rigorous monitoring, methodological consistency, and clear communication of results to stakeholders. The document concludes with recommendations tailored for British Columbia’s regulatory context, focusing on local hydrological and geological considerations.

While this document was prepared specifically for the B.C. market, it is highly applicable to other Canadian provinces and territories. It lays the groundwork for understanding best practices for containment plume stability assessments in different environments, informing brownfield stakeholders on the best investments to make in remediation efforts or monitoring networks, to provide the greatest overall value.

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Project Team: WSP Canada, Contaminated Sites Approved Professional Society

REMEDIATE

Technological Innovation

Location: Contrcoeur, Quebec

This project represents a landmark application of innovative thermal desorption technology to address a unique and challenging waste stream: over 80,000 tonnes of oil-impacted mill scale, a by-product of steel manufacturing traditionally destined for costly disposal. Instead of relying on conventional “dig-and-dump” methods, which transfer environmental liability to landfills and eliminate potential resource recovery, NELSON applied a technologically advanced thermal desorption system to remediate the material directly and sustainably.

The mill scale was treated to strict criteria, enabling the client to recover the ferrous content for reuse in steel fabrication—a critical step in supporting circular economy practices within Canada’s industrial sector. Simultaneously, the oil content was successfully recovered and marketed as recycled fuel oil, demonstrating the value of resource recovery in reducing waste, conserving natural resources, and creating new revenue streams.

This project exemplifies how technological innovation in remediation can deliver benefits far beyond environmental cleanup. By transforming a large-volume industrial waste stream into reusable raw materials, the project supported industrial regeneration, reduced the demand for virgin resource extraction, and minimized disposal liabilities. The approach also eliminated the need for thousands of truckloads to landfills, reducing greenhouse gas emissions and community impacts from transportation.

Ultimately, this project demonstrates the leadership role that innovative remediation technologies can play in driving sustainable regeneration. It provides a replicable model for other brownfield and industrial waste challenges, proving that contaminated materials can be remediated, revalued, and reintegrated into productive use within the economy.

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Project Team:

1- NELSON Environmental Remediation – Project lead providing project management and deploying mobile thermal desorption technology to deliver cost-effective, innovative, and sustainable remediation.
2- Steel Manufacturing Client – Strategic partner and beneficiary of the circular economy approach, re-integrating recovered ferrous content into steel fabrication and marketing recycled fuel oil, creating long-term value from waste.
3- Analytical Service Providers – Delivered rigorous testing and validation of treated mill scale and recovered oil to ensure compliance with reuse specifications and environmental standards.
4- Engineering & Environmental Consultants – Provided technical oversight, permitting guidance, and environmental compliance, ensuring safe and sustainable project delivery.
5- Sustainable Logistics & Transportation Partners – Reduced truck movements by eliminating over 5,500 landfill trips, optimizing material handling, and directly supporting project cost savings and carbon footprint reduction.

Location: Stoney Creek, Ontario

The project involves the redevelopment of a CVOC impacted brownfield in the bustling heart of Stoney Creek. The site, slated for redevelopment with a mix residential/commercial 8 storey building, is of former industrial/commercial works, including that of an historical dry cleaning operation, this property hosted a number environmental challenges including an historical heating oil UST, poor quality fill, soils heavily impacted with BTEX, CVOCs, PHCs, and metals and most troubling; chlorinated solvents in the groundwater at depth. The shallow soil impacts were easily managed through straightforward excavation works; the groundwater impacts at depth, however, they represented a unique opportunity for innovation. With vertical delineation at greater than 10 m below grade and tight soil conditions, standard remedial approaches became either too costly or not practical. In collaboration with Green Infrastructure Partners Inc. and the University of Toronto, Pinchin developed and successfully implemented a staged in-situ ZVI/GAC soil mixing strategy to capture and remediate the difficult deep dissolved impacts.

The results of post-remediation performance sampling completed to date reveal non-detect dissolved phase CVOCs within the treatment zone, effectively indicating full remediation of target contaminants. This program was innovative because it combined excavation and advanced soil mixing technology, optimized through scientific study, to remediate both soil and groundwater impacts efficiently and sustainably. It minimized environmental footprint, reduced costs, and supported redevelopment, while ensuring regulatory compliance and robust data quality. At this time, the Client’s development team is working on finalizing the development plans and obtaining the required permits that will allow them to break ground.

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Project Team: Casatank Realty Inc., Pinchin Ltd., Green Infrastructure Partners Inc., University of Toronto

Location: Mississauga, Ontario

The project involves the redevelopment of a hazardous brownfield that’s lain dormant for decades in the heart of the growing and active industrial and commercial community in Mississauga. With PCBs, chlorinated solvents, PHCs, potential off-Site migration and free product – the Site has a varied and storied past, complete with several ultimately unsuccessful remedial efforts and the well-intentioned but unfortunately mismanaged handling of hazardous levels of PCBs. However, through the implementation of a robust property boundary control with PRBs, hotspot remediation and free-product isolation, and vapour intrusion mitigation and management, this 14.6 acre diamond in the rough is being polished into a safe and profit generating asset.

This project involved the installation >1000 ft. long funnel-and-gate style permeable reactive barrier. This innovative boundary control, completed in early 2024, represents the first of its kind to use a catalyzed zero valent iron (ZVI)-impregnated engineered carbon-based reactive media as the primary treatment amendment while also including an ‘Encapsulation Zone’ that hydraulically isolates and contains free-phase PCBs and VOCs located in fractured bedrock. The whole purpose of which is to manage impacts onsite safely to allow for redevelopment of the property while at the same time prevent the requirement of off-site disposal of thousands of tonnes of impacted soils.

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Project Team: Montcrest Asset Management, Pinchin Ltd., Green Infrastructure Partners Inc., VEI Contracting Inc.

  

REMEDIATE

Sustainable Remediation

Location: Port Hope, Ontario

The Chemetron Lagoon (CL) project is a significant example of brownfield remediation and regeneration, showing how contaminated industrial land can be transformed into safe, productive community space. Located on the southern shore of Port Hope, Ontario, adjacent to Lake Ontario and Sculthorpe Marsh, the 20,000 m² site had long posed serious environmental and public health risks from hazardous waste left behind by Chemetron of Canada Ltd. Since the plant’s closure in the early 1980s, the lagoon at the center of the site had remained fenced off and vacant, containing industrial wastewater contaminated with toxic substances, including polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and 1,4-dichlorobenzene (1,4-DCB).

The cleanup process presented complex challenges, including algae blooms that clogged the water treatment system and the need to protect the surrounding marsh ecosystem. To ensure compliance with Provincial Water Quality Objectives (PWQO) and avoid further harm, the project team adjusted operations and transported treated water off-site for final processing. Once dewatering was complete, contaminated sludge and soils with hazardous concentrations of PCBs and 1,4-DCB were carefully solidified, excavated, and removed under strict safety measures, eliminating the risks of leaching, exposure, and continued contamination.

This comprehensive remediation directly addresses the challenges of brownfield redevelopment by converting a toxic site into land that can be safely reused. Beyond the environmental gains, the project’s transformation of the lagoon into public parkland provides long-term social and economic benefits to Port Hope, creating new green space, enhancing the waterfront, and supporting urban renewal, environmental stewardship, and community revitalization.

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Project Team: ECC Services British Columbia ULC, Canadian Nuclear Laboratories, WSP in Canada, EXP Services, YORK1 Environmental

 

Location: Varennes, Quebec

En 2008, après la cessation des opérations pétrochimiques de la société Pétromont, la compagnie souhaitait réhabiliter son site d’exploitation à Varennes. Après le démantèlement de son usine, plusieurs secteurs présentant des enjeux environnementaux importants ont été identifiés. Ce projet de décontamination mené par Englobe, un des plus importants du genre l’histoire de la province, a permis de convertir un terrain contaminé de 85 000 m2 en un développement résidentiel et commercial effervescent et durable. Englobe a privilégié une approche technologique et conceptuelle unique et novatrice fondée sur le traitement sur site, l’utilisation de microorganismes indigènes et des technologies de traitement de l’eau, de l’air et des sols développées à l’interne. Ainsi, 701 665 m³ de sols contaminés furent traités sur place, évitant le transport massif de matériaux. Cette approche durable a permis de remplacer les engrais chimiques, permettant à la nature de se régénérer elle-même tout en restaurant l’intégrité environnementale du site. Les différents inconvénients reliés au transport des matériaux (bruit et trafic) furent significativement réduits, préservant de surcroit le quotidien et le bon déroulement des activités des résidents de la collectivité desservie. La réhabilitation progressive du site a favorisé l’implantation d’entreprises majeures comme Costco, Enerkem et Pélican sur les terrains traités, créant des emplois et renforçant les services locaux. Ce projet a aussi stimulé l’économie régionale en s’appuyant sur un réseau robuste de fournisseurs locaux pour les matières résiduelles. S’étant échelonné sur 10 ans, le projet a contribué à offrir une certaine garantie de revenus et d’optimiser leur croissance.

[English Translation below]

In 2008, after the cessation of Petromont’s petrochemical operations, the company wanted to rehabilitate its operating site in Varennes. After the dismantling of its plant, several sectors with significant environmental issues were identified. This remediation project led by Englobe, one of the largest of its kind in the province’s history, has converted an 85,000 m2 contaminated site into a vibrant and sustainable residential and commercial development.

Englobe has taken a unique and innovative technological and design approach based on on-site treatment, the use of native microorganisms, and in-house developed water, air and soil treatment technologies. Thus, 701,665 m³ of contaminated soil were treated on site, avoiding the massive transport of materials. This sustainable approach has replaced chemical fertilizers, allowing nature to regenerate itself while restoring the environmental integrity of the site. The various inconveniences related to the transportation of materials (noise and traffic) were significantly reduced, preserving the daily life and smooth running of the activities of the residents of the community served.

The gradual rehabilitation of the site has encouraged the establishment of major companies such as Costco, Enerkem and Pelican on the treated land, creating jobs and strengthening local services. This project also stimulated the regional economy by relying on a robust network of local suppliers for residual materials. Spread over 10 years, the project helped to provide a certain guarantee of income and to optimize their growth.

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Project Team: Englobe – Project management, Design and Engineering, Field Team, Direction and Administrative teams.

Location: Geraldton, Ontario

The 133-hectare Greenstone Mine serves as a powerful example of how smart remediation can support sustainable redevelopment of legacy mine sites. Decades of historical mining activity had left the site environmentally impaired. The project team took on the challenge of transforming a cluster of 1940s-era mines into a modern, environmentally responsible operation.

To make this happen, the team developed integrated soil and historical tailings management plans tailored to the site’s unique contamination issues. The team is carefully managing and staging nearly 15 million cubic metres of impacted soil and 4.4 million cubic metres of historical tailings and associated soil onsite. This will remove a significant source of contaminants from reaching groundwater and nearby surface water.

A major innovation in the redevelopment of the legacy Mine was the on-site treatment of 30,000 cubic metres of hydrocarbon and PCB-impacted soil using high-temperature thermal desorption—the first of its kind permitted in Ontario. This met strict environmental standards, allowing the materials to be managed on site and thereby eliminating the need for thousands of truckloads of offsite disposal and reducing emissions.

Beyond environmental benefits, the redevelopment of the brownfield site into the Greenstone Mine has allowed economic development and diversification and job creation. Ultimately, at the end of mine life, the new Mine will be closed in accordance with an approved Closure Plan developed under current legislative requirements, which call for more stringent environmental controls than those in place when the previous mines closed in the 1950s and 1970s.

This comprehensive approach—applied across the entire lifecycle of the Mine—is helping to reduce the legacy impacts of historical mining while mitigating the environmental footprint of current operations. Through this forward-thinking strategy, a contaminated brownfield is being transformed into the Greenstone Mine, a model of sustainable redevelopment.
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Project Team: Equinox Gold Greenstone Gold Mine, Stantec Consulting Ltd.

RESTRATEGIZE

Partnerships and Community Engagement

Location: Bedford, Quebec

The Bedford Heritage Park is a transformative example of large-scale land reclamation and regeneration in Quebec. Situated on 32 million tonnes of black shale byproduct from decades of limestone extraction, the project turned a former industrial byproduct site into a resilient, multi-season regional park that allows adjacent quarrying operations to continue uninterrupted.

Driven by collaboration between Graymont, three municipalities, and local citizens, the park embodies 13 years of planning, feasibility studies, pilot testing, and environmental remediation. Measures included the construction of vegetated hills using inert waste material, the creation of new watercourses with fish weirs and riparian buffers, and a conservation easement to offset wetland loss with Nature Conservancy Canada.

The park demonstrates how ecological reclamation, economic resilience, and active industry can co-exist in a single, community-driven framework: Now, the site offers year-round recreation, culture, and tourism while reintroducing biodiversity through 9,000 trees and extensive planting. Its design integrates energy-efficient lighting, natural runoff systems, and native plantings to support the local ecosystem.

Beyond environmental renewal, the project catalyzes long-term economic regeneration by attracting residential development, allocating funds to support local arena operations and park maintenance, and strengthening Bedford’s tourism potential.
A model rural example, the Bedford Heritage Park shows how brownfield regeneration need not be confined to urban cores, and sets a precedent for similar regions that lean on their industrial legacies while looking to the future.

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Project Team:

  • Graymont Limited (client)
  • Lemay (Landscape architecture, Architecture, Wayfinding, Graphic Design)
  • City of Bedford (Consultation)
  • WSP (Civil, structural, mechanical/electrical, environmental engineering)
  • Beaudoin, Construction Richelieu, Macogep (Contractors/Project managers)

   

Location: Coral Harbour, Southampton Island, Nunavut

Tucked away in a remote Inuit community, in Nunavut’s Kivalliq region, sits Salliq, Coral Harbour. For decades, the community lived under the shadowed history of the Cold War, between the 1940s and 1950s, when its land served as a staging site for a joint radar network developed by Canada and the U.S. This project tells a powerful story of community engagement in remedying a complex brownfield site in one of Canada’s most remote and ecologically fragile regions.

The site included fuel storage, infrastructure, and support buildings. After its decommissioning in the 1970s, it was abandoned, leaving a complex brownfield burdened with environmental liabilities that included hydrocarbon-impacted soils, fuel tanks, asbestos and lead materials, and deteriorating structures. It remained compromised for decades and was identified for remediation under the Federal Contaminated Sites Action Plan (FCSAP) through Crown–Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada (CIRNAC).

The multi-year remediation was awarded to Sudliq Developments Ltd. (SDL), which subcontracted with Milestone Environmental Contracting Inc. and later partnered to form Salumaq Environmental Contracting Inc., a wholly Inuit-owned joint venture.

This team did more than clean up a toxic brownfield site—they put reconciliation into action through leadership, training, and meaningful community engagement. Community feedback was actively gathered with respect to Inuit traditions and land use, and an Inuit Benefits Plan ensured inclusive workforce development and meaningful Indigenous participation.

The past was not just cleaned up – it was reimagined, by the community, for the community.

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Project Team:

  • Sudliq Developments Ltd. (SDL)
  • Public Works and Government Services Canada
  • Crown–Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada (CIRNAC)
  • Milestone Environmental Contracting Inc.
  • Local Inuit workforce and community members via SDL

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Location: Fraser Valley, British Columbia

Brownfield regeneration is increasingly linked to climate resilience and long-term stewardship. In the Sumas River Watershed, within the traditional territory of the Sema:th (Sumas) First Nation in British Columbia’s Fraser Valley, a catastrophic atmospheric river flood in 2021 devastated the watershed and surrounding agricultural, industrial, commercial, and residential communities.

In response, the Wochmel Milestone Joint Venture – a partnership between Sumas and Milestone Environmental Contracting Inc. and in collaboration with the Ministry of Transportation and Transit (MOTT) delivered a series of integrated restoration projects to restore and build climate resilience in the area.

East Lonzo Creek was realigned to restore damaged riparian zones, revive fish habitat, and remove invasive species in a corridor shaped by agriculture and industry. At Marshall Creek beside Hwy 11, habitat restoration was integrated with transportation infrastructure, creating safe aquatic passage for salmon and other native species.

Sumas also undertook an important brownfield regeneration project remediating the Kilgard/Sumas Clay Products Brick Manufacturing Plant, a sense of pride for the community as it was owned and run by Sumas and generations worked there. This brownfield has been transformed into safe, usable land ready for community-focused redevelopment. Plans include a commemorative park honoring its cultural and industrial heritage, with future potential for elders’ housing, a community centre, and commercial space.

These projects show Indigenous-led brownfield remediation and watershed regeneration can be integrated into climate-resilient land use planning. By restoring ecosystems, reducing environmental risk, and enabling community-focused redevelopment, they offer a replicable model for transforming industrial legacies into a sustainable future.

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Project Team: 

  • Province of British Columbia
  • Ministry of Transportation and Transit
  • Wochmel Milestone Joint Venture (Sema:th (Sumas) First Nation in partnership with Milestone Environmental Contracting Inc.)
  • Shxwhá:Y Village Soil Management Facility

   

Location: Picton, Ontario

Picton Base31 is a 304-hectare redevelopment site located in Prince Edward County comprised of a preserved assemblage of former World War II British Air Force buildings and runways. The Area Concept Plan developed to guide its transformation offers a groundbreaking vision to honour the site’s history while creating an economic engine for Prince Edward County and affordable housing options to meet the region’s most pressing needs.

To achieve this, redevelopment starts in the creation of a cultural and tourism hub in the Revitalization District, home to the former hangars and barracks of the base. Programming in this area includes a music venue, aviation museum, art galleries, retail, and food & beverage options.

Extending outward from the Revitalization District is system of ‘green fingers’ that preserve key natural elements while connecting wetlands, forested areas, and nearby points of interest. The linear greenspaces will introduce bicycle and pedestrian pathways, public recreational amenities, agricultural, and creative programming, while supporting a thriving natural environment for the enjoyment of all who reside, work, and visit the area.

Between these green fingers will be a network of mixed-use “villages” providing housing and daily amenities. In total, the plan accommodates up to 7,500 units of new housing in a range of forms and levels of affordability and creates an abundance of amenities, including cafes, grocery stores, small businesses, and healthcare facilities all within a short walk or bike.

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Project Team: 

  • Biglieri Group (planner)
  • Urban Strategies (planner)
  • Sasaki (urban design)
  • TYLin (transportation)
  • SCS (servicing)

REBUILD

Project Development at the Building Scale

Location: Kitchener, Ontario

Charlie West is a brownfield redevelopment that transformed a once-contaminated and underused site in the heart of downtown Kitchener, Ontario. Located at 60 Charles Street (formerly 24 Gaukel Street), the condominium community sits on land that previously housed manufacturing operations, a dry cleaner, a mechanic shop, a gas station, and other commercial uses. These activities left behind contamination both on and off-site, requiring extensive environmental cleanup. The project followed Ontario’s Record of Site Condition (RSC) process and was supported through financial incentive programs from the City of Kitchener and the Region of Waterloo, which were critical to making the redevelopment possible.

A defining feature of Charlie West is its connection to the community. The project helped spark the transformation of Gaukel Street into a pedestrian-friendly promenade that now serves as a vibrant gathering space for community events and local arts. This reimagined corridor improves walkability between City Hall and Victoria Park while supporting Kitchener’s thriving arts community with a venue for public programming and cultural celebrations.

Steps from Victoria Park and beside the Ontario light rail system, Charlie West promotes smart growth and climate resilience by encouraging transit use, walkability, and higher-density urban living.

The project demonstrates how strong partnerships and thoughtful planning can turn contaminated properties into valuable community assets, delivering both environmental sustainability and cultural vitality.

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Project Team: 

  • Momentum Developments – Co-Developer
  • Zehr Group – Construction Manager and Co-Development
  • MTE Consultants Inc. – Engineering and Environmental Consultant
  • ABA Architects – Architectural Design
  • City of Kitchener & Region of Waterloo – Municipality partners and Brownfield Financial Incentive Providers

 

Location: Toronto, Ontario

The redevelopment of 2 Tecumseth Street exemplifies urban regeneration through the transformation of a historically industrial brownfield site into a vibrant, inclusive, and sustainable mixed-use community. The Site is steeped in ecological and industrial history. Located adjacent to the Wellington Destructor with landscape defined by the buried Garrison Creek, it was once home to an auto repair garage and the Quality Meat Packers abattoir. The project reimagines this legacy by integrating adaptive reuse elements—such as retaining the original smokestack and repurposing salvaged materials from the abattoir—into the landscape design. The development prioritizes pedestrian connectivity, active transportation, and public realm enhancements, including a multi-use trail and widened laneways that internalize vehicular movement. With 1,225 residential units, including affordable units, and retail spaces, the project supports inclusive growth. It is also targeting Tier 2 of the Toronto Green Standard and LEED BD+C Gold, Fitwel, Rick Hansen certification, and CaGBC’s Zero Carbon Building Design standard. Through phased construction and collaboration with community stakeholders, the project accelerates regeneration while honoring the site’s heritage and ecological context.

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Project Team: TAS, Woodbourne, EnVision Consultants Ltd., Adamson Associates Architects, Public Work

Location: Ottawa, Ontario

The uOttawa development demonstrates how contaminated, post-industrial lands can be transformed into a hub of sustainability, education, and community connection. Historically used for heavy industry, and eventually acquired by the uOttawa in 2007, the site was contaminated with coal tar, incinerated waste, and landfill material. Instead of abandoning the project due to prohibitive remediation costs, the design team implemented cost-effective strategies to minimize soil disturbance, use strategic foundations to avoid excavation, remediate contamination, cap with risk assessment and protect from vapour intrusion. Over 90% of construction waste was diverted from landfill, furniture was reused/refurbished, and FC-certified/recycled content materials were used.

Completed in 2023, the 240,000 sq. ft. Faculty of Health Sciences is a LEED Platinum-certified facility accommodating 4,000 students and 700 staff. With advanced energy modeling, roof top solar PV and high-performance systems, it uses 57% less energy and produces 58% fewer GHG emissions than typical institutional buildings. Truly in a class of its own, it is one of Canada’s lowest-energy university buildings. Over 33% of the site is restored as wildflower meadow and forests, enhancing biodiversity with drought-tolerant native plantings. The property is night-sky compliant and bird friendly.

The project exemplifies regeneration by reconnecting the site to the river, LRT, and public trails, while reflecting Indigenous design that honour the cultural and natural heritage of the area. By consolidating five academic units, the building fosters interdisciplinary collaboration, knowledge transfer, and professional training to strengthen the Faculty’s ability to respond to scientific advances and emerging health system changes.

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Project Team:

  • University of Ottawa, Facilities Services , Construction Management
  • Geosyntec Consultants – Environmental and Geotechnical Engineering
  • PCL Constructors Canada – Builder
  • WSP Canada – Engineering services
  • Architecture49 – Architect and landscape architect partner

Location: Toronto, Ontario

Leslie Lookout Park is a landmark example of brownfield regeneration, transforming nearly two acres of under-utilized contaminated industrial land into a vibrant public destination in the Toronto Port Lands. The park includes a public beach and forested dunes, recycling an industrial landscape into a recreational hub with new topographies providing opportunities for ecological restoration, reforestation, and naturalization.

The site is surrounded by heavy industrial users to the north and south, and the Ashbridges Bay Wastewater Treatment Plant to the east. Results of extensive soil testing indicated that contaminants that exceeded Ministry of Environment Conservation and Parks standards for park and recreational uses were present in the soil throughout the area from former industrial tenants. A comprehensive remediation strategy was implemented, including capping and adding clean topsoil to ensure the park’s safety for public use.

The park features a Miyawaki-inspired mini-forest consisting of approximately 5,000 plants representing 45 species, including 2,470 trees, 2473 arborescent shrubs, and 1260 forbs and grasses enhancing biodiversity, accelerating reforestation, and providing stormwater management. As a sponge park, the site is equipped with porous asphalt, filtering runoff water and allowing the park to operate independently from the City’s sewer system.

Funded through a partnership between the City of Toronto, CreateTO, and the federal government, the project highlights how strategic investment can inspire future redevelopment. By recycling an industrial landscape into a resilient, inclusive recreational hub, Leslie Lookout Park demonstrates how brownfield regeneration can create ecological, cultural, and social value, setting a precedent for comprehensive neighbourhood transformation.

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Project Team: 

• CreateTO, on behalf of The City of Toronto – Landowner and developer
• CCxA – Landscape architects
• Arup – Engineers
• Dougan & Associates – Ecology
• gh3 – Architects

  

RENEW

Project Development at the Neighbourhood Scale

Location: Britannia Beach, British Columbia

This unique brownfield redevelopment project is located on the alluvial fan of Britannia Creek on the edge of Howe Sound in BC. The community of Britannia Beach, located near sea level, was part of the historical Britannia Mine that extracted copper, zinc and precious metals between 1905 and 1974. This mixed commercial and residential development involved the investigation and remediation of a 3.1 ha area of the fan. This area was historically used primarily for residences and bunk houses for the miners and commercial activities such as a hotel, recreational facilities, and stores, while the southern part of the fan housed a mill, shops, and other industrial facilities. The Site and surrounding areas are subject to area-wide contamination, and the site is classified as a high risk.

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Project Team: Macdonald Development Corporation, BC Ministry of Environment and Parks, LEGACY Environmental Ltd.

Location: Toronto, Ontario

The Galleria Shopping Centre, located at Dufferin and Dupont Streets, opened on August 15, 1972 as one of Toronto’s earliest enclosed malls. For decades, it served as a vital community hub—a place to shop, socialize, and access local services. Despite its proximity to vibrant neighbourhoods like the Junction and the Annex, and to the Wallace Emerson Community Centre, the mall gradually declined due to reduced foot traffic, store closures, and outdated infrastructure.

While often labeled a “greyfield”—a developed urban site suitable for redevelopment—the property also qualifies as a brownfield due to its industrial legacy. Prior to the mall’s construction, the site hosted manufacturing operations dating back to 1909, including aircraft and automobile production. These activities left behind environmental concerns that persisted into the mall era.

Further contamination risks stem from infilling practices during mall construction, which reportedly involved fly ash and construction debris used as backfill. Additionally, the presence of a gas station and dry cleaning businesses on-site contributed to subsurface contamination. These factors underscore the site’s brownfield status and the importance of environmental remediation in its redevelopment.

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Project Team:

  • Almadev – developer
  • Urban Strategies – Planning and Engagement Consultants
  • Core Architects – Architects (Galleria 01 & 02)
  • Perkins & Will – Architects (new Wallace Emerson Community Centre)
  • Terrapex – Environmental, Geotechnical, and Hydrogeological Consultants

 

Location: Toronto, Ontario

The Sugar Wharf Condominiums project, spanning 4 distinct city blocks, exemplifies community-scale brownfield regeneration on Toronto’s waterfront. Developed in Toronto’s East Bayfront neighbourhood, including the former LCBO lands, this transformative initiative reimagines a historically industrial and underutilized site into a vibrant, mixed-use neighbourhood supporting up to 8,000 residents and providing employment space for 4,500 people. The 11.5 acres development integrates residential towers—including affordable housing units—an elementary school, daycare, a two-acre park and direct PATH system access, creating a cohesive urban fabric for families, workers, and future generations.

Environmental reclamation addressed legacy contamination from lake infilling, fuel storage, printing operations, and PCB handling. The remediation strategy prioritized on-site treatment and risk-based approaches, minimizing off-site disposal and reducing carbon emissions, in line with best practices for brownfield redevelopment. Public realm improvements include the dedication of 10,000 m² of new parkland and the creation of a new public road (Downes Street), enhancing pedestrian and transit connectivity.

Stakeholder engagement was central to the project, with collaboration between Menkes, architectsAlliance, city planners, and community stakeholders. Public consultations and feedback sessions informed the design, especially for building heights and public space features. By aligning with provincial growth policies and embracing adaptive reuse of the historic LCBO warehouse, the project inspires landowners and investors to engage with the community, support a shared vision, and promote integrated redevelopment. Sugar Wharf is a model for how brownfield sites can be reborn as inclusive, resilient, and thriving neighbourhoods.

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Project Team: Menkes, EnVision Consultants Ltd., architects—Alliance, RV Anderson Associates Ltd., Stephenson Engineering

Location: Toronto, Ontario

Biidaasige Park converted 20 hectares of an underutilized brownfield in Toronto’s eastern waterfront into the largest park to open in Toronto in a generation. The park is bisected by a newly constructed extension of the Don River, the construction of which has alleviated flood risk to over 174 hectares of land in the Port Lands and eastern waterfront. Creation of the new river involved the excavation and remediation of 1.4 million cubic metres of impacted soils, which were managed under a Community-Based Risk Assessment developed in consultation with project stakeholders and the Ontario Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks. Biidaasige Park is the first public space to open on the new island, Ookwemin Minising, which was created through the realignment of the Don River mouth. Brownfield lands have been converted to a vibrant naturalized environment with over 5,000 trees, 77,000 shrubs and two million herbaceous plants, as well as accessible trails and recreational facilities. Beyond its role as a park, this naturalized area and its critical flood protection role will serve as the catalyst for the development of a new mixed-use community on Ookwemin Minising that will eventually be home to 15,000 residents and 3,000 new jobs. Construction of the park has unlocked an additional 39 hectares of brownfield lands for residential development to help alleviate Toronto’s housing challenges.

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Project Team: Waterfront Toronto, Michael Van Valkenburgh Associates, Jacobs, Geosyntec, EllisDon

Location: Halifax, Nova Scotia

This project involved one of the largest site remediation undertakings within Nova Scotia. Encompassing almost five acres, the former Acadian Bus Lines terminal on Almon and St. Albans closed to make way for Richmond Yards, a development of Westwood Group. This neighbourhood now includes a mosaic of public spaces, residential, commercial, healthcare, and recreational uses in the north end of Halifax.

During the preparation of the Richmond Yards site, 68,500 tonnes of impacted soil, 31,000 tonnes of contaminated bedrock and 58,000 litres of water/free product were transported to approved disposal facilities, while 205,000 tonnes of surplus acidic slate was removed to local marine sequestration facilities.

In addition, this bus terminal and associated sheds and parking facilities left a significant area of Halifax’s urban core impenetrable to people. Richmond Yards stitches the community back into the grid of the city. Various building types provide different scales of dwelling to meet diverse household needs in a central neighbourhood that is walkable, with connections to bike lanes and public transit. Retail, restaurants, commercial space, and live/work studios also facilitate space for small and new businesses to thrive in the development.

Richmond Yards facilitates both everyday life and special events in Halifax while providing much-needed public and green space. King Square forms a multi-purpose plaza framed by retail and restaurants, and Clifton Green creates a pocket park among low-rise housing and studios. Rooftop gardens overlook these spaces, while the permeability of the site encourages walking and cycling connections to adjacent communities.

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Project Team: FBM, Westwood Group, Bird Construction, Englobe, BMR

  

REFOCUS

Vision of Alternative Benefits to Brownfield Remediation

Location: Fort Frances, Ontario

The Fort Frances paper mill, established in 1912, was once the town’s economic engine before closing in 2014. In 2019, BMI acquired the site and began demolition and remediation activities.

The mill had stood on the bank of the Rainy River, occupying a significant portion of the town and disconnecting it from the waterfront. In partnership with Scatliff Miller Murray, BMI developed a Master Plan to restore this vital link, envisioning precincts for recreation, business, health and wellness, and the U.S./Canada gateway.

The project for this application focuses on the South Block—3.3 hectares bounded by Sinclair Street and the Rainy River—part of the Wellness Precinct. Historically used as a rail and log handling yard, the site underwent a Phase One and Two Environmental Site Assessment, soil and groundwater sampling, and targeted remediation overseen by MTE Consultants. A Record of Site Condition, filed for residential use, was acknowledged by the MECP on April 30, 2025.

In 2025, BMI redeveloped a portion of a building in the South Block, the Portage Warehouse, into a modern office for Giishkaandago’Ikwe Health. This Indigenous-led organization provides culturally grounded health care guided by the elder teachings of the Anishinaabeg. Serving ten Southern Treaty 3 communities, they bring forward a vision of wellness that supports knowledge, empowerment, and lifelong Mino ayawin (good health). The Portage Warehouse is now positioned as a hub for health services and Indigenous community initiatives, transforming a legacy industrial site into a place of healing and renewal.

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Project Team: 

Top 5 Teams are the following:

  • The BMI Group
  • MTE Consultants
  • Giishkaandago’Ikwe Health Services
  • Scatliff Miller Murray
  • George Armstrong Co. Ltd.

Location: Louis Bull First Nations, Alberta

The remediation of over 140,000 tons of hydrocarbon-contaminated soil from a legacy fuel retail station exemplifies how brownfield projects can extend far beyond environmental clean-up to deliver long-term community, social, and economic benefits. Traditionally, projects of this scale would rely heavily on excavation and disposal, creating significant offsite liabilities and ongoing risks. Instead, NELSON implemented an on-site thermal desorption solution that treated the impacted soils to regulatory standards, restoring the site to productive agricultural land.

By eliminating more than 7,600 truckloads of contaminated soil and reducing project costs by 40%, the project not only minimized the carbon footprint and transportation-related emissions but also demonstrated how remediation can be integrated into broader climate resiliency strategies. The restored land has was used to build a rest stop and major casino. The project contributed to local food systems, regional economic stability, and healthy community growth for the Louis Bull First Nation.

The project also reflects regeneration by showing how contaminated sites can be re-envisioned as assets. In addition to the environmental gains, this remediation aligned with community values, reduced disruption to local First Nations residents, and provided an outcome that directly supports sustainable land use. With one year saved in project completion, the initiative demonstrated efficiency, innovation, and the ability to accelerate land restoration for beneficial reuse.

This project highlights how remediation, when viewed through broader social and community lenses, can deliver more than environmental benefits—it can restore livelihoods, strengthen community resilience, and serve as a model for sustainable brownfield regeneration across North America.

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Project Team: 

Top 5 Teams Involved in the Project

1- NELSON Environmental Remediation Ltd. – Provided project management, thermal desorption equipment, and operational oversight, ensuring all contaminated soils were treated to meet remediation criteria.

2- Louis Bull First Nation – Played an essential role through engagement, local participation, and knowledge-sharing, fostering collaboration and ensuring the project aligned with community values and regional priorities.

3- Consulting Engineers and Environmental Specialists – Delivered technical expertise in site assessment, remediation planning, and compliance with regulatory frameworks.

4- Analytical Service Providers – Conducted rigorous sampling and verification to confirm that all soils met regulatory and client specifications.

5- Client/Project Owner – Provided strategic direction, oversight, and integration of the remediation into long-term land-use planning, enabling the successful restoration of the site to productive agricultural land.

Location: Ottawa, Ontario

Dow’s Lake in Ottawa, Ontario, created in the early 1800s by flooding a former swamp during the Rideau Canal construction, was historically situated in an industrial area. Sediment contamination related to its industrial history was perceived to be a limitation for its use for public swimming, which had been a desired activity for decades. The National Capital Commission (NCC) spearheaded an initiative to reinvigorate Ottawa’s waterways and expand safe, inclusive public access to this unique downtown resource.

NCC commissioned a multi-disciplinary team to complete a sediment resuspension study, comprehensive sediment and surface water sampling program, and a Human Health Risk Assessment. These efforts characterized potential contaminants, evaluated swimmer exposure, and guided project design and risk management decisions. With an ambitious project timeline of <1 year, the team adopted a minimally invasive, sustainable approach that safeguarded aquatic ecosystems while prioritizing public safety. The results demonstrated negligible risks from exposure to contaminated sediments under a deep-water swimming scenario. A floating dock was selected to facilitate access to a deep-water swim area, preventing swimmer contact with shoreline sediments. The approach to contaminated site management spearheaded by the NCC led to the successful opening of the swimming area in June 2025. This exciting development meant that, for the first time in nearly a century, Dow’s Lake has reopened for public swimming! The Dow’s Lake initiative revitalizes a historic UNESCO waterbody, reconnects communities to their waterfront, and stands as a model of sustainable redevelopment with enduring environmental and social benefits. The area is now a recreational haven with parks, trails, pavilions, restaurants and boat rentals. More than 75,000 visitors have enjoyed the dock this season.

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Project Team: National Capital Commission, SLR Consulting (Canada) Ltd., Baird Consulting Group, Carleton University (Dr. Sean Landsman, PhD), Parks Canada

Location: St. Catharines, Ontario

The 320 Geneva Street project highlights the redevelopment of both a brownfield and an underutilized property to meet urgent community needs. Since being deemed surplus in 2020, the industrial legacy of the site posed problems in securing affordable housing grants made available by the province. However, through a multi-phased approach, redevelopment was made possible, whereby a portion of the property was redeveloped while remedial efforts were undertaken to address historic contamination. In addition, this approach allowed the pursuit of additional provincial funding to further support the redevelopment. The regeneration of the property not only addresses legacy contamination but also creates a healthier and more inclusive community that provides essential services and support to the vulnerable population. Ultimately, the project is not just environmental regeneration but also social and economic, as well, which is poised to serve as a catalyst for community renewal and vulnerable population support.

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Project Team:  Niagara Regional Housing, Niagara Region, City of St. Catharines, Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing, Grounded Engineering Inc.

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