CBN ANNOUNCES THE 2018 WINNERS OF ITS HUB AWARDS

The Canadian Brownfields Network (CBN) presented its third annual HUB (Heroes Underpinning Brownfields) Awards at its national Conference in Toronto on June 13.  The awards are given in recognition of individual contributions to the brownfield industry, according to CBN Vice-President and Awards Chair Grant Walsom.

“The HUB Award winners have gone above and beyond the call of duty to promote and facilitate brownfield reuse and redevelopment in Canada.  Through their actions, they’ve helped deliver on CBN’s vision that brownfield property reuse be the preferred solution by developers,” said Grant Walsom, CBN President.  “As we saw at this year’s Conference, brownfields continue to have an important role to play in Canada’s economic well-being,” he added.

The awards are presented in three categories, relating to the career stages of brownfielders:

• Foundation:  Presented to a contributor to the Brownfield industry in Canada who has had a profound impact on how things are done today.  Their work has provided a Foundation upon which the current practices and policies have been based.  This is a “career achievement” award
• Pillar:  Presented to a recipient who has proven to be a Pillar of Strength in a significant aspect of the Brownfield industry in Canada.  They continue to provide valuable expertise and influence into the policies and practices that we are employing.  The Pillar award is a mid-career award
• Vision:  Presented to a relative new-comer to the Brownfield Industry in Canada and who is providing valuable insight into programs, policies or practices that will be improving how Brownfield redevelopment in Canada is completed.

“The 2018 award winners are, once again, outstanding group,” said Walsom.  “They are Angus Ross of L & A Concepts, a founding member of CBN, Chair of our original Advisory Panel, member of the National Round Table on the Environment and the Economy (NRTEE) and Chair of its Brownfields Task Force (Foundation); Meggen Janes of Waterfront Toronto (Pillar); and Reanne Ridsdale of Ryerson University (Vision), who developed, administered and analyzed the survey which was the core of our Brownfield Summit.  Each winner has, in a variety of ways, made important contributions to furthering the Canadian brownfield agenda.  Angus Ross, in particular, has been instrumental in the progress made since the 2003 NRTEE report.”

“The HUB Award hardware is made from a piece of reclaimed equipment, and each individual award is unique,” said Walsom.  “This serves a double purpose - as a reuse of something that had been regarded as unusable, it's a metaphor for brownfields themselves, and the uniqueness of the award mirrors the uniqueness of the contributions each of our winners has made.”

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 NRTEE, CBN recently celebrated ten 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 across the country, and well represents the diversity of the sector.

BIOGRAPHIES OF 2018 HUB AWARD WINNERS

2018 FOUNDATION AWARD

Angus Ross, Chairman, L & A Concepts, Picton, ON

Born in India and educated in the Channel Islands and England, Angus semi-retired in June, 2000 after 36 years in the reinsurance industry, ending as President of the Canadian operations of Sorema – then a major French reinsurer. 

He has been a tireless advocate for the environment for many decades, ranging through pollution and contamination to climate change, where he was unofficial spokesman for the Canadian insurance industry.

In 1995 he was appointed by the Prime Minister to the National Round Table on the Environment and the Economy and chaired two task forces on brownfield redevelopment, including the one that created the National Brownfield Redevelopment Strategy for Canada in early 2003. 

In 2004 he became the first Chair of the Canadian Brownfields Network’s Advisory Panel and in 2005 was the recipient of the CUI “Brownfielder of the Year” Brownie award. Formerly the Spokesperson for the CBN and a member of the board he is now a board advisor and a member of its Finance and Insurance Committee.

He lives with his wife at Lake on the Mountain in Prince Edward County where he enjoys canoeing, sailing, cycling and the many wineries in the area and he continues to give public presentations on climate change and on brownfields.

2018 PILLAR AWARD

Meggen Janes, Director, Soil and Groundwater Management and Brownfield Approvals, Waterfront Toronto, Toronto, ON

Meggen Janes’s career includes over 20 years of investment in multiple aspects brownfield redevelopment, including site characterization, risk assessment, remediation, risk management, and environmental compliance efforts. Her experience through the whole range of brownfield activities enables her to support redevelopment from cradle to grave – understanding the importance of strategic planning at the outset, and incorporating exit strategies for longer-term elements at the back end: both elements being critical to the successful delivery of brownfield projects.

Of particular note is that Meggen has focused her efforts on the redevelopment of brownfields for public realm spaces. She was a core team member in developing the strategy for, and completing the delivery of, several large public brownfield programs in Ontario including notable sites in Toronto and Brantford. Her work expanded into the Toronto Port Lands, inevitably leading her away from consulting to work directly for a public agency, Waterfront Toronto, on their innovative projects.

Meggen’s commitment to brownfields doesn’t stop with her strong technical delivery and ability to develop innovative solutions; she is also an educator and advocate. Meggen has instructed a graduate course in Soil Remediation for Ryerson University’s Environmental Science and Management program, and acted as a lecturer for Seneca College’s Remediation program. Meggen is dedicated to advancing policy and evolving new practices in the industry through the development of both strong relationships and advanced technical solutions. She additionally serves on the board of the Canadian Brownfields Network.

Meggen is a mentor and role-model to other professionals in the brownfields arena. She is known for working seemingly tirelessly to not only deliver smart, innovative solutions that align with client and project needs, but also to support the professional growth and development of her co-workers and colleagues. She exemplifies commitment and dedication to both her work, and the people attached to it.

2018 VISION AWARD

Reanne Ridsdale, Ryerson University, Toronto, ON

Reanne Ridsdale is PhD student at Ryerson University, receiving a Ryerson Graduate Fellowship for 2016-2018. She currently holds a Mitacs Accelerate Grant in partnership with the Canadian Brownfields Network. This grant enabled her to conduct the recent survey updating the NRTEE 2003 report; she presented her analysis at this year’s Conference.  Her research focus is on brownfield revitalization, community rejuvenation, and contaminated land management, and is being supervised by Dr. Chris De Sousa. 

Reanne completed her Master’s from the University of Saskatchewan. Her thesis, titled Assessing Sustainable Remediation Using Sustainability Discourse, is focused on how sustainability contributes to sustainable remediation, and its efficacy in decision-making. Her research also included looking at the components of a sustainable framework; these include robust stakeholder involvement, maintaining intergenerational goals, and achieving a socio-ecological balance. Reanne presented some of her findings at the 2017 CBN Conference.

She interned with the Saskatchewan Research Council (SRC) through a Mitacs Accelerate Grant.  She assisted with stakeholder engagement and comprehensive community as a planning intern at PrairieWild Consulting. She is an active member of SuRF Canada, and co-authored an article with the international SuRF Initiative Team.