Sending Love to St. Thomas, ON

St. Thomas, you’re doing it again! 

The City is kicking off a collaborative planning process with a private development team to unlock the 28-hectare Railway Lands Area, a prime piece of land near the heart of the city.
St. Thomas Mayor Joe Preston says:

“This is a great big piece of property in the middle of our city that has to become something. It can’t just stay as a contaminated piece of land with some rails running through it.” (Penticton Herald, July 30, 2025)

And that’s not all!  St. Thomas has also approved the temporary use of approximately 13 hectares of open land at their water reclamation facility for visionary uses like:

·       multi-sport courts
·       expanded trails
·       dog parks
·       outdoor fitness zones
·       playgrounds
·       farming
·       parking
·       material storage.

This reflects the growing interest in interim brownfield uses that can activate space, build momentum, and lay the foundation for future capacity when the time is right.

CBN and the Toronto Metropolitan University are currently researching these interim uses of brownfield sites. Check out our early findings in this presentation by Dr. Chris de Sousa.

Keeping Track of St. Thomas here

And read more coverage here