Speakers

	Krista Barfoot, Ph.D., C.Chem., QPRA, Infrastructure Sector Leader, SLR Consulting A Brownfield Redevelopment Specialist with SLR Consulting, Dr. Barfoot has over 25 years of industry experience and expertise in strategic site planning, risk assessment, vapour intrusion assessment, and risk management. Dr. Barfoot’s technical expertise additionally extends to excess soil management, emerging contaminants (including per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances [PFAS]), non-aqueous phase liquid, risk mitigation measures, and stakeholder communication. View Full Bio +/- Dr. Barfoot is a qualified person for risk assessment (per Ontario Regulation 153/04), chair of the Ontario Environmental Industry Association (ONEIA) PFAS Committee, an ONEIA Excess Soils and Brownfields Committee member, and Vice-President of the Canadian Brownfields Network. She has actively led the development of the strategic approach for revitalizing a number of large, high-profile brownfield sites in Ontario, and is based in SLR Consulting's Guelph, Ontario office.
	Stéphanie Bohdanow, Lead, Land Use Sector Development, Green Municipal Fund, Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM) As the Land Use Lead for FCM’s Green Municipal Fund, Stephanie works to encourage the adoption of sustainable land use planning practices across the municipal sector. She develops funding programs and knowledge resources to foster municipal innovation and the replication of best practices. Stephanie has been working to promote sustainability at the local level for over 15 years. Prior to joining FCM, Stephanie was a Partner Relations Advisor at the Société de transport de Montréal. She holds a Bachelor of Environmental Science from McGill University and a Master of Urban Planning from Dalhousie University.
	Paul H. Cheung, M.Env.Sc, QPRA, Environmental Risk Assessor, Terrapex Environmental Ltd. Paul H. Cheung is an environmental risk assessor at Terrapex with over 10 years of environmental consulting experience. Specialising in risk assessment, vapour intrusion assessment, and risk management, Paul uses his technical skills to assist clients navigate the regulatory, municipal conveyance, and transactional due diligence processes. He has a keen interest in brownfield management and development strategy and regularly consults for a broad range of public, residential and commercial real estate, and industrial clients.
	Paul Cope, Senior Director Development, Dream Unlimited As Sr. Director of Development at Dream, Paul is responsible for the planning and execution of development projects within Dream’s Canadian portfolio. Paul has broad and extensive experience executing on the development of complex mixed-use communities, with a focus on urban locations that require innovative design solutions and careful planning. Paul is part of a team delivering over 2,000 residential units, 2 million square feet of commercial floor area and 8 acres of parks at the Zibi community in Ottawa and Gatineau. ‘Zibi’ is the Algonquin Anishinabe word for ‘river’ and is a site of great important to the First Nations people of the area. The lands were used for various industrial activities for many years and were accordingly inaccessible to the public for decades. View Full Bio +/- Upon completion Zibi will be home to over 5,000 people and will create over 6,000 jobs. Zibi adheres to all 10 principles of the One Planet Living framework developed by Bioregional and the World Wildlife Fund, and is served by an innovative district energy system providing net-zero carbon heating and cooling to residents and tenants in the 34-acre riverfront community. In 2015 Zibi was awarded the Pierre L’Enfant International Planning Achievement Award by the American Planning Association, and in 2016 received the Canadian Institute of Planners Annual Award for Planning Excellence in the Neighbourhood Planning category. Paul is also part of the partnership team delivering the Brightwater community and is specifically responsible for the development and leasing of the commercial component within all phases of the development. Brightwater is a 72-acre waterfront property located in Mississauga’s Port Credit neighbourhood, being developed in partnership with Diamondcorp, Kilmer and FRAM+Slokker. The Brightwater lands were historically used as a brickyard from 1891-1927, and subsequently an oil refinery which was closed in 1985. Accordingly, extensive remediation was required prior to the commencement of any construction activities. Brightwater is planned to contain nearly 3,000 residential units, over 300,000sf of retail and commercial space, as well as 18 acres of new public parks. The first phase of development, which includes 310 condominium units, approximately 100,000 sf of retail and commercial floor area, as well as 150 affordable housing units is expected to be completed in early 2024. Brightwater was recognized with the Canadian Institute of Planners Award of Planning Merit in the Healthy Communities Category (2020), and Best New Community at the BILD Awards. Prior to joining Dream, Paul worked at Tridel as Sr. Development Manager, and intimately understands the challenges in entitling and delivering market condominium projects in an urban context. While at Tridel Paul worked on a number of award-winning projects, including the Alexandra Park Redevelopment in partnership with Toronto Community Housing Corporation, and The Well, delivered alongside RioCan, Allied and Diamondcorp.
	Heather Dubbeldam, OAA, FRAIC, LEED AP, WELL AP – Principal, Dubbeldam Architecture + Design Heather Dubbeldam is the principal of Dubbeldam Architecture + Design, a multi-disciplinary architecture practice in Toronto with a diverse portfolio of built work including hospitality, workspaces, residential, adaptive reuse and mixed-use projects, as well as, installation and landscape design. Recipient of over 80 awards including the Professional Prix de Rome in Architecture, Heather’s studio has also been widely published. View Full Bio +/- Heather is known as a leading advocate for sustainable design and the betterment of our built environment in Canada. Through her practice and ongoing research in both Canada and Scandinavia, she is an advocate for more progressive design and planning that exemplifies best practices in social and environmental sustainability, climate-positive developments, and urban resilience. She is regularly invited to speak as a thought leader on the subject at public and industry events.
	John Georgakopoulos, B.Sc. (Hons.), M.Sc., LL.B., Partner, Willms & Shier Environmental Lawyers LLP & President, Canadian Brownfields Network John Georgakopoulos B.Sc. (Hons.), M.Sc., LL.B., is a Partner at Willms & Shier Environmental Lawyers LLP and is a Certified Specialist in Environmental Law by the Law Society of Ontario. John resolves complex environmental legal issues for clients, uniquely drawing on his technical knowledge as a former senior environmental scientist with Ontario’s environmental regulator. View Full Bio +/- John has particular expertise advising property developers, REITs, industrial manufacturers, and municipalities about managing environmental risks and liabilities associated with brownfields and contaminated sites. John provides strategic advice to help protect clients against corporate and personal environmental liabilities including civil claims, regulatory orders, prosecutions and fines. John is called to the Bar in Ontario and Alberta.
	Greg Gilbert, Vice President, Planning, Fitzrovia Greg is responsible for overseeing the urban planning and project design of new projects, sourcing new opportunities and managing community relations for Fitzrovia’s rental portfolio. He is a passionate city builder with 14 years of experience working for various cities, consultants and developers including the City of Melbourne, WSP Group and Trolleybus Urban Development. He has completed a Masters of Urban Planning from the University of Calgary and is involved in several industry groups and community organizations relevant to his field.
	Daria Hasselmann, Senior Manager, Community Affairs, Woodfibre LNG Vancouver Daria Hasselmann is a stakeholder engagement and community impact professional with over 25 year of experience. The majority of her career has always been with the energy industry, including Shell Canada, Shell Wind Energy, LNG Canada, Fluor as part of the JGC-Fluor joint venture building the LNG facility, and is now the Senior Manager, Commute Affairs for Woodfibre LNG. She believes that successful projects begin with a strong commitment to building relationships with communities and stakeholders that are built on trust and transparency.
	Dylan Hemmings, M.Sc., P.Geo (Limited), Vice President and Regional Leader, Ontario, Stantec Dylan is a Vice President and the Regional Leader for Stantec in Ontario focused on growth and integrating climate solutions for public and private sector projects. He is based in Ottawa and has over 18 years of experience on site assessment, remediation, spill response and design projects. Before his role as Regional Leader, Dylan led Stantec’s Canadian Climate Solutions Team and continues to support the evolution of Stantec’s design culture to design with climate in mind. Recent projects have focussed on assessing climate change risk for contaminated sites and developing a climate vulnerability screening approach to identify sites at highest risk within a 33-site portfolio.
	Keith Hirsche, President, RenuWell Energy Solutions Inc. Coming from a farming family background, and after a geoscience research career in the oil and gas industry, Keith recognized the potential of using land that had been previously disturbed for oil and gas production as an alternative to removing additional agricultural land for Greenfield solar project development. Since early 2016, this Renuwell Project has slowly developed and matured through on-going discussions with the oil and gas industry, renewable energy developers, landowners, municipalities, and Alberta’s regulatory agencies. Currently, with support from Alberta’s Municipal Climate Change Action Centre, IRRICAN (St. Mary River and Raymond Irrigation Districts) and the Municipal District of Taber, the first pilot projects have been completed and solar power generation is underway.
	Raeya Jackiw, Associate, Willms & Shier Environmental Lawyers LLP Raeya Jackiw, J.D., MES, B.Sc. (Hons), is an Associate lawyer at Willms & Shier Environmental Lawyers LLP. Raeya practices environmental law and litigation, as well as Indigenous and northern law. Raeya’s background in environmental science and biology helps her understand and facilitate the resolution of complex legal problems. Raeya assists clients in understanding and achieving compliance with federal, provincial, and municipal environmental laws. She also helps clients manage environmental liability arising from industrial operations and contaminated land. Raeya advocates for clients in environmental lawsuits, defence of regulatory prosecutions, and appeals of regulatory orders and approvals. Raeya is called to the Bar in Ontario, the Northwest Territories, and Nunavut. Raeya can be reached at (416) 862-4827 or by email at rjackiw@willmsshier.com.
	Matt Jamieson, MBA, ICD.D, President and CEO, Six Nations of the Grand River Development Corporation Matt Jamieson is a proud member of the Tuscarora Nation and resident of Six Nations of the Grand River. He holds a Post-Bachelor’s in Management, an MBA from Athabasca University and is a graduate of the ICD-Rotman Directors Education Program. Matt is the founding CEO and architect of the corporate governance model used by Six Nations of the Grand River Development Corporation (SNGRDC) - a model that since 2015 has successfully operated autonomously from the political structures within the community. View Full Bio +/- Matt leads SNGRDC strategy, operations, and investment decisions. Under Matt’s guidance, SNGRDC has deployed $60+ million of Indigenous equity and participated in the construction of $2.5 billion of infrastructure assets. In 2017, Matt was recognized as both a Delta Clean50 and Clean16 Winner. In 2018, SNGRDC was chosen as Development Corporation of the Year by the Canadian Council for Aboriginal Business. In 2019, 2020, and 2021 SNGRDC has been selected as Canada’s Best Managed Companies by Deloitte.
	Tom Li, P.Eng., M.A.Sc., M.B.A., Ontario Business Operations and Development Manager, Parsons Mr. Tom Li is a Principal Environmental Engineer and the Operations Lead for Parsons’ Environment and Energy team in Ontario. He is a Qualified Person (ESAs) Under Ontario Regulation 153/04. He is an experienced remediation engineer having managed 100s of environmental site assessment and remediation projects for various private and public sector clients. He has 20+ years of experience studying, designing, managing and contract administering various remediation solutions that meets the client’s technical and business objectives. View Full Bio +/- His remediation experience includes dig and dump, pump-and-treat, enhanced bioremediation, ISCO, duel phase extraction, surfactant assisted product recovery, soil capping and colloidal activated carbon injection. Tom is also experienced in providing environmental support multi-disciplinary projects including environmental and excess soil management for roadway and pipeline projects and infrastructure installations and upgrades. He has a Master of Applied Science degree from University of Waterloo in the Department of Chemical Engineering where he conducted a cross disciplinary project with the Earth Sciences department to inject supersaturated liquids into groundwater to assist in mobilizing LNAPL and to enhance bioremediation.
	Tammy Lomas-Jylha, Executive Director, Canadian Brownfields Network & President, Lomas-Jylha Consulting Tammy has over 30 years of experience in brownfields and contaminated sites and is recognized as a dynamic and adaptable leader with the ability to coordinate complex multi-partner initiatives and interact effectively with private and public stakeholders. As an executive-level consultant, her work focuses on co-creating visions, strategies, implementation plans, performance measurement tools, and knowledge mobilization approaches to guide decision-making and actions of government and the private sector. View Full Bio +/- Some highlights: Tammy sat on the Green Municipal Fund Council (The Federation of Canadian Municipalities) from 2005 - 2011 where she represented the brownfield and contaminated site sector providing strategic direction for the $550 Million fund and encouraged municipalities to initiate sustainable projects with significant environmental benefits; She is the recipient of the 2009 Canadian Urban Institute’s Brownie Award for Individual Achievement and 2019 HUB (Heroes Underpinning Brownfields) Award from the CBN; and Tammy is one of the founding members of the Canadian Brownfields Network and has been involved in the organization in various ways since its inception. Tammy is very excited to be taking on the role of Executive Director for the CBN and is looking forward to working with the Board, Committees, members, and stakeholder partners.
	Andrew Macklin, Media and Public Affairs Specialist - Canada, WSP
	Joe Mancini, Director, The Working Centre Joe and Stephanie Mancini established The Working Centre in the spring of 1982 as they were completing university. They made a long-term commitment to develop a community-based response to unemployment and poverty. Rooted in downtown Kitchener, the project areas of The Working Centre include employment and financial problem solving, meal production and distribution, St. John’s Kitchen and outreach, affordable and supportive housing, emergency shelters, and social enterprises. The Working Centre has purchased and renovated 14 commercial buildings and multiplex houses which the 30 projects of The Working Centre operate out of. View Full Bio +/- In 2018 The Working Centre received the Ontario Architectural Conservancy’s A.K. Sculthorpe Award for Advocacy, for leadership in retaining the heritage of historic buildings, while renovating and repurposing them for public benefit. In July 2016, Joe and Stephanie were made Members of the Order of Canada for their commitment to the homeless and marginalized of the Kitchener-Waterloo Region, notably for the creation of the Working Centre.
	Reese McMillan, M.Sc., QPRA, Head of Risk Assessment, DS Consultants Ltd. Based out of DS Consultants’ new Hamilton office, Reese has over a decade of experience in brownfield development including risk assessment, vapour intrusion assessment, remediation, environmental compliance and risk management. Reese is the co-chair of the Ontario Environmental Industry Association (ONEIA) Brownfields Committee and a member of the Qualified Persons Community of Ontario (QPCO) RA working group. She holds undergraduate and Masters degrees in Ecology, both from the University of Toronto.
	Dev Mehta, B.A.S., M.Arch., OAA, LEED GA – Principal, BDP Quadrangle Dev is equal parts creative and pragmatic which leads to inspired and functional designs.He pursued his architectural studies at Carleton University, where he received his Bachelor of Architectural Studies and Masters of Architecture. View Full Bio +/- Since joining the Studio in 2013, Dev has continued to grow his career and lead teams on increasingly complex and demanding projects such as the Bata Shoe Factory, a conversion of a historic factory building into a contemporary mixed-use commercial and residential property in Batawa; 7800 Jane Street, an iconic mixed-use development in the Vaughan Metropolitan Centre; and Indigo Phases I, II and III, a series of mid-rise buildings that define a transit-oriented development. Dev is well respected for his articulate communication and design strategies by team members and clients alike and is known for his leadership within the Studio, strong design sensibilities and the attention he devotes to project management.
	Suvish Melanta, Associate, Grounded Engineering Ms. Suvish Melanta is an Associate at Grounded Engineering with over a decade of experience in environmental engineering services. As a licensed Professional Engineer in the Province of Ontario, she has managed numerous greenfield and brownfield development projects involving risk assessments, remedial excavations, soil management activities, environmental compliance monitoring. Suvish has worked on York’s vivaNEXT project and currently works with many leading provincial developers, providing strategic guidance on environmental and hydrogeological aspects for high-rise developments, and the application of Ontario regulations and regional development policies. Suvish holds undergraduate degree in biological engineering from the University of Arkansas and a graduate degree in civil and environmental engineering from the University of Maryland.
	Cherilyn Mertes, M.Sc., P.Geo (Limited), Senior Scientist, Geosyntec Consultants Cherilyn Mertes is a Senior Hydrogeologist at Geosyntec Consultants, and registered Professional Geoscientist in Ontario. Her practice is focused on soil and groundwater investigation, development of conceptual site models, and in-situ groundwater remediation. Cherilyn has more than 15 years of environmental consulting experience, managing sites contaminated with chlorinated solvents, nitroaromatics, perchlorate, PFAS, and polychlorinated biphenyls. She has been involved in the design, implementation, and management of engineered phytoremediation systems and enhanced in-situ bioremediation remedies at Sites across Canada and the U.S.
	Monisa Nandi, Senior Environmental PM, Soil and Groundwater Quality, City of Toronto Monisa Nandi has over 20 years' experience in Environmental Site Assessment, Environmental Assessment and Environmental Compliance in Ontario and British Columbia. Monisa has designed and managed all stages of Environmental Site Assessment investigations and remediation projects and led large multidisciplinary teams on major projects such as Toronto-York Spadina Subway Extension, and the West Don Lands/Pan Am Athletes Village. Prior to joining the City of Toronto, Monisa worked for Crosslinx Transit Solutions on the Eglinton Crosstown LRT project for three years in the roles of Environmental Quality Manager and Environmental Director. View Full Bio +/- In her role as Environmental Director, Monisa was responsible for various sustainability initiatives including the Environmental Management Plan, Sustainability Plan and LEED Silver certification for the Maintenance and Storage Facility. In her role as Senior Environmental Project Manager at the City of Toronto, Monisa provides subject matter expertise on excess soil management including greenhouse gas emissions and circular economy initiatives. Monisa completed a Bachelor of Science in Environmental Science at the University of Waterloo and a Master of Applied Science in Environmental Applied Science and Management at Ryerson University. Monisa completed the Centre for Sustainability and Excellence's Advanced Certified Sustainability (CSR) Practitioner Training certificate in 2017.
	Stefania Sottile, B.E.S., E.M.P.D., EP Director, Environmental and Occupational Health & Safety, Choice Properties REIT
	Bruce Tunnicliffe, M.A.Sc., P.Eng., President, Vertex Environmental Inc. Bruce Tunnicliffe is President and founder of Vertex Environmental Inc., and founder and organizer of the SMART Remediation Technical Seminar Series. Mr. Tunnicliffe has more than 20 years of experience designing and implementing remediation programs for contaminants such as petroleum hydrocarbons, chlorinated solvents, and heavy metals. View Full Bio +/- Having worked on more than 500 Sites, Mr. Tunnicliffe has extensive experience with in-situ remediation options and approaches in both soil and bedrock environments. Mr. Tunnicliffe holds a Master’s degree from the University of Waterloo he is a Professional Engineer, a Qualified Person in Ontario, and acts as senior reviewer for Vertex’s complex remedial designs and deliverables.
	Kyle VanderMeer, Environmental Engineer, Engineering and Transportation Services, Development and Environmental Engineering, City of Guelph Kyle VanderMeer is an Environmental Engineer for the City of Guelph with 10+ years experience in project management, contamination assessment and remediation, and more recently excess soil management, electronic data management, and climate resiliency planning. Kyle has been honored to receive a 2022 Brownie Award in the Reprogram category for his work on the City of Guelph’s Guidance for On-Site and Excess Soil Management. Previously, Kyle worked as a consultant implementing Phase One and Phase Two Environmental Site Assessments; Operation, Maintenance, and Monitoring programs; as well as construction oversight and involvement in Emergency Spill Response programs including initial deployment.
	Jennifer Volpato, District Engineer for the Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks Jennifer Volpato is the District Engineer for the Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks’ Guelph District Office and has over 20 years of experience specializing in Contaminated Sites, Brownfields, Environmental Risk Assessments and Water Resources Engineering. She is both a Licensed Professional Engineer and a Professional Geoscientist in the Province of Ontario as well as a certified Project Management Professional. Jennifer also holds a Bachelor of Science degree and a Master of Engineering degree, both from the University of Guelph.
	Melissa Walker, Development Director, Kilmer Group Melissa Walker is the Development Director, responsible for providing strategic direction throughout the redevelopment cycle of the Fund’s real estate portfolio. Her responsibilities include investment analysis and acquisition due diligence, project design, negotiating municipal approvals and agreements, and stakeholder engagement. Prior to joining Kilmer, Ms. Walker provided planning and development consulting services for a broad range of commercial, residential and industrial clients across Ontario. View Full Bio +/- Ms. Walker holds a Master of Planning from the School of Urban and Regional Planning at Queen’s University and an Honours Bachelor of Arts in Architecture and Geography from the University of Toronto. She is a Registered Professional Planner and a member of the Canadian Institute of Planners.
	Lenta Wright, Project Development and Operations Manager, Alternative Resource Energy Authority (AREA). As the project developer for AREA’s Community Solar projects, Lenta works to bring community solar projects to life, breaking down barriers to create greater access to solar energy in our communities. She connects project teams with their communities and makes a difference with her work by managing community engagement, facilitating communication and ensuring people stay informed, bridging the gap between projects and their stakeholders through meaningful connections. Lenta's passion lies in creating a network of people invested in each other's success and making the goal of achieving net zero emissions a reality.
	Lavinia Zanini, M.Sc., P.Geo, Senior Contaminated Sites Officer, Land Remediation, Ministry of Environment and Climate Change Strategy Lavinia graduated with her Masters of Science Degree from the University of Waterloo in 1996. Before joining the BC government in 2006, Lavinia worked for both private industry and the federal government as a hydrogeologist. Lavinia has worked for over 17 years helping to regulate the contaminated site industry with the BC Ministry of Environment and Climate Change Strategy.