CBN ANNOUNCES THE FIRST WINNERS OF ITS HUB AWARDS

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), according to CBN Vice-President and Awards Chair Grant Walsom.

“’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,” added CBN President Eric Pringle.

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.

2016 CBN HUB Award winners (left to right): Michel Poirier (Pillar award), Janet Bobechko (Foundation award), Stéphanie Bohdanow (Vision award) and Alan McCammon (Pillar award).

“We’re proud to announce the inaugural award winners,” said Pringle.  “They 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.”

“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 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, and well represents the diversity of the sector.

BIOGRAPHIES OF 2016 HUB AWARD WINNERS

2016 FOUNDATION AWARD

Janet Bobechko, Partner, Norton Rose Fulbright LLP, Toronto, ON

Janet Bobechko has extensive experience dealing with a broad range of environmental issues including environmental compliance, strategic advice on environmental impact assessments, mergers, acquisitions, financings and environmental management systems.

She provides assistance regarding environmental approvals, importation of new substances into Canada, as well as emergency planning and spills response.  Ms. Bobechko advises clients on corporate social responsibility and sustainability matters. She advises boards of directors regarding environmental compliance, corporate reporting strategies and risk mitigation.

Ms. Bobechko is certified by the Law Society of Upper Canada as a specialist in environmental law and is recognized by Lexpert as a repeatedly recognized practitioner in environmental law.

As an inaugural member of the Canadian Brownfields Network National Advisory Panel, a member of the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing Brownfield Stakeholder Group and co-chair of ONEIA’s Brownfield Subcommittee, Ms. Bobechko continues her active involvement in developing strategies for clean-up of legacy contaminated sites, including brownfield development, and environmental indemnity and insurance issues.

2016 PILLAR AWARDS

Michel Poirier, Remediation Engineer, New Brunswick Department of Environment and Local Government/Atlantic PIRI

Michel Poirier is a Remediation Engineer with the New Brunswick Department of Environment and Local Government (DELG).  In 1998, he obtained his bachelor degree in Civil Engineering from the Université de Moncton and in 2007, completed a Public Service Management Program at the University of New Brunswick.  In the last 16 years, he has been involved with the department’s Remediation Program in collaboration with regional offices.  He oversees the regulatory review of environmental site assessments and remedial action plans submitted by qualified Site Professionals in accordance with DELG’s Guideline for the Management of Contaminated Sites, for which he was a contributor during its development. 

For nearly 10 years, 6 of which he co-chaired, he has been a member of Atlantic PIRI (Partners In Risk Based Corrective Action Implementation); contributes to the Province’s implementation of a Comprehensive Plan for Brownfield Redevelopment, and participates on other regulatory committees, most notably the Canadian Council of Ministers of the Environment Soil Quality Guidelines Task Group and the Intergovernmental Forum on Brownfields. 

Michel works to bring together stakeholders in a collaborative approach to developing workable guidelines, science-based analytical tools and brownfield redevelopment strategies and policies.  These efforts, among others, highlight Michel’s ongoing expertise, leadership and commitment in coordinating the Province of New Brunswick’s efforts to develop a new brownfield remediation regulation.

Alan McCammon, MSc., P.Geo, Manager, Remediation Assurance & Brownfields, Land Remediation, BC Ministry of Environment, Surrey, BC

Alan McCammon is a member of the management team for the Land Remediation (Contaminated Sites) Section of British Columbia's Ministry of Environment. His primary responsibilities focus on the areas of brownfield remediation and redevelopment, compliance/enforcement, high-risk contaminated site management, and environmental assessments involving remediation. Alan is currently leading the Province’s review of BC’s Brownfield Strategy which focuses on increasing certainty in economic and environmental outcomes, development of partnerships across the stakeholder spectrum, and delivery of a range of educational and capacity building initiatives. Alan is a registered professional geoscientist specializing in contaminant hydrogeology.

2016 VISION AWARD

Stephanie Bohdanow B.Sc., MPlan, Knowledge Services Advisor, Federation of Canadian Municipalities – Green Municipal Fund, Ottawa, ON

Stephanie is a Knowledge Services Advisor at the Federation of Canadian Municipalities' Green Municipal Fund. She produces tools, resources and learning activities to help Canadian municipalities achieve their sustainability goals. In 2013, she launched a peer learning pilot program to help municipal brownfield practitioners better understand, navigate and reduce the barriers to brownfield redevelopment; this led to the creation of the Leadership in Brownfield Renewal (LiBRe) program in June 2015. Through this program, Stephanie develops and delivers free learning activities and materials for over 25 municipalities in six provinces to help them become better facilitators of brownfield redevelopment. Through her work at the Green Municipal Fund, Stephanie hopes to reduce barriers to brownfield redevelopment and encourage more sustainable, compact development. Stephanie is actively involved in the Canadian Brownfields Network and Réseau Environnement, and has been a member of the judging panel for the Canadian Urban Institute's Brownie Awards. She holds a Bachelor of Environmental Science from McGill University and a Master of Planning from Dalhousie University.