Friday, March 21, 2025
Who doesn’t love a before-and-after show? There’s something so satisfying about the state of a cluttered and dilapidated home getting cleaned up and turned into something that serves its homeowners better and leaves them beaming with gratitude.
While brownfield redevelopment projects may take a bit longer, they deliver unparalleled satisfaction by tackling contaminated or under-utilized sites and transforming private and public spaces into revitalized residences, important infrastructure and vibrant, multi-purpose communities that increase property values and tax revenues for municipalities.
Think about Toronto’s waterfront development and the Distillery District, which is where my husband and I opted to host our wedding ceremony many moons ago. Or the evolving LeBreton Flats community by the Ottawa River. Or the Cartier-Brébeuf National Historic Site of Canada in Quebec City. Or the Esquimalt Harbour in Victoria.
Often steeped in history, these brownfield gems are truly remarkable — and there are so many more to be discovered. According to the Federal Contaminated Sites Action Plan (FCSAP), there are tens of thousands of sites on the to-do list.
The FCSAP was established in 2005 as a 15-year program with funding of $4.54 billion from the Government of Canada. The program was renewed for another 15 years (2020 to 2034) with $1.16 billion. The Federal Contaminated Sites Inventory (FCSI) currently lists 23,663 sites, including 4,980 active sites (which includes 2,496 priority sites for remediation) and 1,838 suspected sites.
The program eligibility criteria have been expanded to improve program efficiency by leveraging technology, nurturing new partnerships and allowing more sites to be addressed that may impact Indigenous people living on reserves or in Northern communities. The next renewal is scheduled for April 2026.
In the meantime, are you curious to know which projects are making their mark?
The best in brownfields were recently recognized at the Brownie Awards, presented in partnership with the Canadian Brownfields Network and Actual Media Inc., parent company of Environment Journal. I’m proud to be a part of the organizing committee and serve on the jury as the communications liaison. The winners are all profiled in the Cover Story of our Winter 2025 edition.
At this year’s ceremony, which marked the 25th anniversary of the annual awards, Toronto Deputy Mayor Jennifer McKelvie emphasized that brownfield projects are a great way to achieve more desperately needed affordable housing in the city and beyond.
“We will be welcoming 700,000 new residents by 2051 here in the City of Toronto,” said McKelvie, who is also chair of Toronto’s Infrastructure and Environment Committee. “Brownfields will help solve the city’s land use needs for housing and the important infrastructure of tomorrow. Rethinking how our land can be used in new and innovative ways is the key to getting more housing built here and in any city.”
So why haven’t more brownfields been developed in Toronto and across the country? Unfortunately, barriers such as liability risks and cleanup costs are still a burden to prospective projects and project teams compared to greenfield projects.
This edition aims to raise awareness about how we can work together to support prospective projects, provide innovative solutions and strategies available from brownfield practitioners, and inspire more politicians and municipal leaders to enable policy that transforms real estate trash into treasure.
The Distillery District will always have a special place in my heart. What’s your favourite brownfield project? Let me know and we’ll consider sharing your before-and-after story on our platform.
Connie Vitello is editor of Environment Journal. Join the conversation by emailing connie@actualmedia.ca.
Featured image credit: Getty Images
To read the complete Winter Edition focused on Brownfields, please click here.
Mark your calendars! The next Brownie Awards will be held on November 13, 2025 and the deadlines for nominations is September 5, 2025. For further information, click here.
