The Canadian Brownfields Network (CBN) presented its first annual HUB Awards at its national conference in Toronto on June 14. The awards acknowledge individual contribution to the redevelopment of brownfields (also known as contaminated sites), said CBN vice-president and awards chair Grant Walsom.
The awards are presented in three categories, Foundation, Pillar and Vision, relating to the brownfielders’ career stages.
Winners are Janet Bobechko of Norton Rose Fulbright LLP (Foundation); Michel Poirier of the New Brunswick Ministry of Environment and Local Government and Alan McCammon of the BC Ministry of Environment (Pillar); and Stéphanie Bohdanow of the Federation of Canadian Municipalities (Vision).
“Each of them has made, and continues to make, important contributions to brownfield redevelopment in Canada,” said CBN president Eric Pringle.
“‘HUB’ stands for ‘Heroes Underpinning Brownfields’; the winners of the awards as a group really are the hub for the ongoing redevelopment of brownfield sites, and their work does underpin increasing re-use of these sites,” said Walsom.
“Brownfield redevelopment is an important part of Canada’s economic and environmental future, and we thought it was time to recognize the people who are making that happen,” Pringle said.
“Each winner will receive, instead of the usual plaque or trophy, a unique award made from a piece of reclaimed equipment,” said Walsom. “We felt this really symbolizes what re-use of brownfields is all about — taking something that has been rejected and re-purposing it in a meaningful way.”
CBN is Canada’s only national non-profit organization dedicated solely to brownfield redevelopment. It provides input to regulatory agencies on identifying and overcoming challenges to brownfield redevelopment, resources to developers and owners of brownfields, and information to participants and stakeholders in the brownfield sector. Founded in 2004 as a result of the Canadian Council of Ministers of the Environment’s National Roundtable on the Economy and the Environment, CBN recently celebrated 10 years of service to the sector and the country. CBN’s board is made up of members from a wide variety of disciplines engaged in brownfield redevelopment, and well represents the diversity of the sector.
For additional details see the CBN announcement.
