Are you taken aback by the amount of construction occurring in Toronto? Residents, commuters and visitors can’t help but notice the high volume of cranes and excavators popping up around the city. In fact, Toronto dominated a 2024 crane index covering 14 North American cities. The number of cranes counted in Toronto was 221 — almost four-and-a-half times more than the second-place city, Los Angeles (50 cranes). Seattle came in third (38 cranes) and Calgary came in fourth (20 cranes).
It’s an exciting amount of progress, with all the cranes and excavators helping us achieve better infrastructure and higher property values, though it’s easy to get grumpy about the construction traffic. But how often do you think about the natural materials that make any of this possible? Specifically, the soil!
Our land surface is such an important life-support system that connects us all. The biologically diverse macro- and micro-organisms in soils process water, nutrients and even contaminants, providing an environmental filter that buffers and transforms —enabling essential services for life as we know it.
Yet we are not doing enough to maintain this life-supporting, non-renewable resource. Sure, environmental regulations play a critical role in protecting soils and providing circular solutions. Environmental learning opportunities also play a role.
“Regulations are in force, but the number of cranes and construction projects in progress does not seem to be reflected in the Excess Soils Registry.”
As an organizer of the annual Excess Soils Symposium, I’m proud to be a part of a hard-working team that carefully curates a variety of leading experts to provide critical updates and valuable insights about how to better care for soils involved in construction and cleanup projects. We cater to an enthusiastic community of industry stakeholders, government representatives, and environmental experts who never fail to dig into the tough issues. It’s an honour to bring together the speakers and panels, provide networking opportunities and help facilitate connections that make a positive difference.
However, there are many mountains to climb and several holes we still need to extricate ourselves out of. We need to do better to recover resources and enable circular solutions. We need to make more of the industry aware of the latest rules and regulations. And, let’s be honest; regulations are in force, but the number of cranes and construction projects in progress still does not seem to be reflected in the Excess Soils Registry. There is a lack of consistent participation and compliance.
While we can share an appreciation for the progress of much needed communities and housing opportunities, we can’t afford and shouldn’t be allowed to have a cavalier attitude about how certain sites are doing business. The federal and provincial governments have offered many carrots to encourage compliance, but what about the sticks?
The history of the environment tells us that regulations are essential, and educational events are helpful, but unless infractions and prosecutions are a reality, and until there’s a court case to point to, some might not get the message.
To read about the 2024 Excess Soils Symposium, click here.
To submit a nomination for the 2025 Excess Soils Symposium, click here.
Connie Vitello is editor of Environment Journal. Join the conversation by clicking here.
This article initially appeared in the Fall edition of Environment Journal, available here.
Featured image credit: Getty Images
