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Brownfields 2004: Turning Up the Heat
Although the brownfield market in Canada is approximately 10% that of the U.S., a growing number of organizations are beginning to work on brownfields within select provinces, making more transactions happen. However, the market has hit a plateau, and provincial legislation that offers liability relief and incentives is required to move the market to the next level.
This was the underlying theme of the “Brownfields 2004: Turning Up the Heat” conference held October 21, 2004 at the Liberty Grand Entertainment Complex in Toronto, Ontario. More than 250 people attended the Canadian Urban Institute (CUI) fifth annual conference, which has many parallels to the annual U.S. EPA Brownfield Conference.
The majority of the attendees came from the provinces of Ontario, Quebec and British Columbia to share their experiences, compare provincial brownfield policies and discuss how to overcome financial and liability barriers. The CUI, a nonprofit organization dedicated to enhancing the quality of life in urban areas across Canada, was one of the first organizations to begin hosting events in the province of Ontario on the topic of brownfields.
Unlike the U.S. EPA conference held in the U.S., the CUI event lacks federal government funding and program support and has fewer attendees, presenters and exhibitors. And although it is billed as a national event, most of the focus and attendees come from Ontario. Like the U.S. EPA event, many of the attendees at the CUI conference represent the public sector and transaction support sectors of the market, with few developers and property owners in attendance.
The CUI believes that brownfields are a key part of making cities better, so five years ago, in 2000, it held its first brownfield conference in the City of Toronto. With the purpose of bringing different disciplines together and giving them information to inspire them to be innovative, this event has grown over the years, much like the U.S. EPA Brownfields Conference.
Unlike the longer format of the U.S. EPA Brownfield Conference, this is a day-long
event with a small exhibit hall (about 20 exhibitors). This year a second day
was added to the program, which was held at a different location (the University
of Toronto). There, two concurrent workshops focused on Ontario’s new
brownfield legislation and how to develop a municipal brownfield program were
offered.