November 3, 2009

The Southeast False Creek project was the winner of best overall project at the Brownie awards.

Environmental engineering

Vancouver waterfront reclamation dominates Urban Institute awards

Olympic site takes top prize

JEAN SORENSEN

correspondent

VANCOUVER

Ontario brownfield reclamation projects — followed by B.C. and Quebec — came away with the most Canadian Urban Institute (CUI) Brownie Awards presented at the 9th annual Canadian Brownfields Conference held here recently.

Waterfront developments took three of the major awards and were also winners in other Brownie categories.

Best overall project went to the City of Vancouver for its B.C. Southeast False Creek (the 2010 Olympic Village portion has been developed).

Ontario’s Collingwood Shipyards Redevelopment — which also creates a mixed-use waterfront community by FRAM Building Group — CSL Equity Investments, and Terraprobe Consulting Engineers, was given accolades for best large-scale project. The Jury’s Choice Award went to La Promenade Samuel-De Champlain by the Commission de la Capitale Nationale du Quebec and included marshland restoration and greening of the waterfront.

The CUI Brownie Awards, sponsored by Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC), are given out to projects that reflect innovation and leadership in brownfield redevelopment. CUI President and CEO Glen Murray said the developers engaged in these leading-edge projects are “the architects of our new Canada” and “the architects of our new cities.”

Other Ontario winners:

• Best Small-Scale Project with Grey Bruce Health Unit by Salter Pilon Architecture Inc., of Owen Sound, one of two joint winners. The LEED gold building was designed to set new sustainability development along the city’s underdeveloped waterfront area.

• Category 3 (Financing, risk management and partnerships) with the redevelopment of Hamilton General Hospital by CH2M Hill of Hamilton winning.

The initiative involved Hamilton Health Sciences rehabilitation of a five-acre derelict industrial site for hospital expansion.

• Category 6 (Communications, marketing, and public engagement) saw joint winners.

The Niagara Economic Development Corporation and Region of Niagara, Ontario received honors for its an in-depth an inventory of brownfield sites across 11 local municipalities to be used as a marketing tool for developers, investors, and realtors.

Sharing the award was OCETA with the Canadian Petroleum Products Institute (CPPI) for its Redevelopment Framework for Former Service Stations in Ontario, which is a user-friendly, online and free decision-support tool which clarifies and streamlines the rehab process for old service station sites in Ontario.

• Category 7 (Brownfielder of the Year) was won by Tammy Lomas-Jylha, OCETA’s vice-president of sustainable remediation and brownfield services, for individual achievement over a 25-year career. Her recent work focuses on connecting private and public stakeholders and green technology together for brownfield redevelopment. She has participated in numerous federal, provincial, provincial, and municipal committees.

Other B.C. projects award winners are:

• Category 1 (Legislation, policy and program development) with the B.C. Ministry of Agriculture and Lands BC Brownfield Renewal Strategy receiving the award for its innovative focus that looks at reducing risk and uncertainty in brownfield development.

• Category 5 (Excellence in project development: neighorhood scale) award went to the E & N Roundhouse by Hotson Bakker Boniface Haden Architects in Victoria.

Other Quebec projects receiving Brownies are:

• Category 2 (Sustainable remediation technologies and technological innovation) for the sustainable remediation of a former petroleum products depot by Golder Associates Ltd. in Victoriaville, Que.

New Brunswick’s Brownie winner was:

• Best small-scale project won by Commercial Properties Ltd,’s Somerset Square, a former brownfield now housing a thriving business complex bringing people to a formerly underutilized area in Saint John, NB.

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