Canada’s capacity for brownfield redevelopment is currently patchy and inconsistent. As a federation, there are three orders of government dealing with the issue—federal, provincial and municipal —with differing levels of expertise and authority. In addition there is a fourth important institution—the financial system—that plays a major role in promoting and financing redevelopment.

Chief among the federal shortfalls is a lack of a brownfield “champion” or even a coordinating office to bring together the different aspects of where federal actions could make a difference in fostering brownfield redevelopment. At present the pieces of the puzzle fall in disparate departments or ministries with no overall guiding strategy. Secondly is the long-held belief that brownfields are an environmental issue and environmental matters have not been near the top of government priorities for the past decade. The recent National Brownfield Remediation Strategy released by the National Round Table on the Environment and the Economy (NRTEE) (www.nrtee-trnee.ca) showed that the issue is first and foremost economic, with social and environmental co-benefits. Interestingly enough, the strategy was requested by the then Finance Minister, now Prime Minister, Paul Martin so perhaps this perception will change. ...

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