contents · by mark bourgeois 21 asset management six important considerations on the path to...

CoverStory:tranSportation12 theBattleforFunding Afteryearsoflobbyingforincreasedfundingfor

Canada’shighways,thechangeofgovernmenthasbroughtwithitachangeofheart.By John Leckie

16 Urbantransit Publictransitneedsaregrowingatanalarmingrate.

By Michael Roschlau

20 transportationinfrastructure Publictransportationsatisfiesafundamental

basicneedforCanadians.By Nancy Schepers

FeatUreS: 9 Canada’sinfrastructureFocal

pointofnewroundtable SecondmeetingoftheNRTSIanotherstep

forwardinsustainability. By Mark Bourgeois

21 assetManagement Siximportantconsiderationsonthepath

tosustainability.By Ian Woodbury

23 integratedrevitalization Restorativedevelopmentintegralpartof

socioeconomicrevitalization.By Storm Cunningham

36 GreenGlobes–theother‘LeeD’ Anonlineassessmenthelpsbuildingowners

identifyenergyinefficiencies.By Laura Ruddock

SpeCiaLSeCtion:BUiLDinGBritiSHCoLUMBia

26 theWestCoasttideisGreen Vancouver2010willbe“greenestgames”

ever–let’sgetstarted.By Mark Holland

30 integratingSustainabilityintoCapitalDesign GreaterVancouverRegionDistrictisconsidering

socialandenvironmentalconcernsintheirapproachtocapitalprojects.By Kevin Brady

33 BCLeadsCanadainp3s BritishColumbiahasnineprojectsworth$3billionon

thego–andthat’sjustthebeginning.By Suromita Santani

34 public-privateSuccess IncludingP3inlegislationisabigpartofBritish

Columbia’sP3success.By Owen Pawson and Soo Yin Woo

DepartMentS: 4 editor’snote Thesplitpersonalityofpublicinfrastructure.By David Dehaas

5 LettersJohnBairdandDavidSuzukiweighin.

6 reBuildTheGreaterGoldenHorseshoeneedsaNatural City-approachwhenplanningforgrowth.By Hon. David Caplan

10 openingShots

22 reMediateAnewmethodologyforclassifying brownfields.By Edwin Tam and Philip Byer

37 LeeDList ManitobaChapterLEEDingtheWay.By Pamela Gramiak

41 re:theLawQuebec’sHighway25.By Angelo Noce

May/June2006renewCanada 3

Contents

the$600millionSea-to-SkyHighwayimprovementprojectwilllinkcommunitiesfromvancouvertoWhistlerwithcompletionpriortothe2010Winterolympics.

Photo: Partnerships BC

6 23

16

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MAY/JUNE 2006

4 renewCanada May/June2006 www.renewcanada.net

May/June2006volume2number3

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ContriBUtorS DavidCaplanJohnLeckieMichaelRoschlauNancySchepersStormCunningham

renewCanadaispublishedsixtimesayearbyWeCommunicationsinc.

GrapHiCDeSiGn AshleyLoudon

proudmembersof:

Public infrastructure has a fascinating splitpersonalitythatgoestotheheartofthepoliticsof its planning and execution. The currentmodestfloweringofinfrastructurerenewalinCanadagivesuspausetoexaminetheperilsandpitfallsofnotrecognizingthatdichotomy.

Ontheonehand,infrastructureistheposterchildoffreeenterprise.Spendingmoneyoninfrastructure creates wealth throughouttheeconomy–first,thoughmostmodestly,intheactualjobsandinvestmentsinvolvedin itsbuilding;second, inthedownstreamripple effect at secondary suppliers; andthird – and by far the most important –in the increased economic activity thatinfrastructuregenerates.

Ontheotherhand,infrastructure,givenitsimpactandtheself-evidentneedtoplanitfarahead,isthehoneyplatethatattractseverysocial-engineeringflyfromacrosstheland.Theopportunitytotinkerwiththestructureofsocietyisjusttootemptingtopassup.

Freeenterpriseandsocialengineeringareutterlyantagonistic,mutuallyexclusiveandfundamentallyirreconcilable.

Theeffectivedifference isnot somuchideological–it’snotthatonesetofpeopleisbetterorsmarterormorelikelytoberightthantheother.Nineoutof10ofthegrandschemesandbrightideasfromeithergroupturnouttomissthemark.Buttheninedumbenterpriseideasfailinthemarketplaceandareneverheardfromagain,whiletheideasfrom the social engineering people, good,badorindifferent,havenosuchmechanismtoweedthemout.

Takeurbantransportationasanexample.Thefree-enterprisepeoplelookat,say,publictransitandsay,“Allthese peoplewantpublictransit.Let’sbuilditforthem.”Thesocialengineerslookatthesamepictureandsay,“Wethinkallthosepeopleoughttotakepublictransit.Let’smakethem.”

Free enterprisers see public transit as amarket need. People in urban areas haveidentified public transit as something theywant, the enterprisers say, something theyare willing to pay for and something theywilluse.Thereisanimplicitassumptionthat

peoplehaveademocraticrighttodoso,ornot,astheyplease.Theresponseistomakemorepublictransitavailabletothepeoplewhowantit.Whenthedemandappearstobesatisfied,theresponseistotrytoattractmoreusersbymakingtheservicebetter,faster,moreconvenient,moreresponsiveandmoreattractive.

This approach responds quickly to thereal needs in the economy – and almostinstantly if there is competition betweenalternativesuppliers.(Thinkofourcellulartelephonenetworks,apurelyenterprisedrivendevelopment,thathavebuiltanunbelievablysuccessful, trillion-dollar industry in thespaceofbarely20years.)

Thesocialengineersseepublictransitasatool forchangingpeople’sbehaviour.PeopleinurbanareashaveastrongneedtogetfromPointAtoPointB,theplannerssay,andthiscanbeusedtomakethemgowherewewantanddowhatwewantwhen theyget there.There is an implicit assumption that wiserandmorepoliticallycorrectplannershavetherighttoimposetheirprioritiesonthepublic.Theresponseistomakepublictransitavailableaccordingtosocialpriorities.Ifpeopledon’tuseitasmuchashopedfor,theresponseistotrytoforcepeopletodoso,bysuchmeansas increasing taxation on non-users, or byrestrictingaccesstoalternativessuchasroads.

Whenthisapproachcreatesanythingatall, it creates boondoggles like Montreal’sMirabelle Airport. (Remember whenMirabellewasgoingtobethe“gatewaytoandfromCanada”thatwasgoingtoremakeMontrealintoCanada’seconomichub?)

Fortunately,theeffectsofbothvisionsarestronglymoderatedbythereal-worldeconomicsthat sees so many grand visions witheraway,andbythetumultofpartisanpoliticsthattendstoweedoutthemoreoutrageousplansfromeithercamp.

artDireCtion&DeSiGn

DonnaEndacott

editor’snote

By David Dehaas

Mutually Antagonistic Visions

“Free enterprise and social

engineering are utterly

antagonistic, mutually exclusive

and fundamentally irreconcilable.”

LetterstotheEditorToexpressyourpointofviewortocommentonthecontentofthismagazine,[email protected]:ReNew Canada,9PrinceAndrewPlace,Toronto,ONM3C2H2.Alllettersmustincludenameandfullcontactinfoandaresubjecttoediting.DeadlineforthenextissueisJune23,2006.

www.renewcanada.net

ContriBUtorS

DavidCaplanThe Honourable David Caplan is the Minister of Public Infrastructure Renewal in Ontario. pg.6

JohnLeckieJohn is a freelance writer and editor who has written extensively about construction for a variety of newspapers and magazines. pg.12

MichaelRoschlauMichael is president & CEO of the Canadian Urban Transit Association. pg.16

NancySchepersNancy is the project director for InfraGuide. She is also former director-general of Environmental Affairs for Transport Canada. pg.20

StormCunninghamStorm is executive director of Revitalization Institute and author of TheRestorationEconomy. pg.23

Letters

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2 MillerThomsonLLP

7 CanadianBrownfields2006

7EarthTech 11Gowlings 14Macquarie 15 Blake,Cassels

&Graydon 17Autodesk 18Stantec 18 Turtle

IslandRecycling 19 Infraguide 19Goodmans 22RivaOnline 23 Decommissioning

ConsultingServices 23SenecaCollege 24ASI 25GartnerLee 25ECOCanada

27 MarshallMacklinMonaghan

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28TSH 29 Abcott

Construction/REC 31 PricewaterhouseCoopers 33 JacquesWhitford 33 Sustainable

BuildingsCanada 35GreenBuildingFestival 35RVAndersonAssoc. 36HOK 39XCG 39 Infrastructure2006 40 RevitalizationMagazine 43NaturalCity2006 44 FederationofCanadian

Municipalities

It’s great to see amagazine devoted toseriousconsiderationofCanada’sinfrastructure.

Sustainabilityisoneofthebiggest issues facingCanada.Astudyreleasedlast year found that

Canadaranked28thoutof30industrializedcountriesinenvironmentalperformance.Wecandobetter.Wemust.

The majority of Canadians live inurbanareas,andourdailyactivitieshaveatremendouseffectonnature.Howweheatourhomes,whereourwatercomesfrom,howwetransportourselves—alloftheseissuestakeatollonourenvironment.There’samistakenbeliefthatnatureissomething“out there”—faraway fromoururbandailylife.Butwearenature.Weallneedcleanairandwater,regardlessofwherewelive.

Sustainability means doing better, notdoing without. As previous articles inReNewshow,wecanhavegreenbuildings,greenroofs,bettertransportationsystems,andcleanenergysourcesthatenhanceandimproveCanada’scities.Unlikemostthings,thebeautyofsustainablebuildingprojectsisn’twhatyousee,it’swhatyoudon’tsee.

Iinviteallyourreaderstovisitthewebsiteofmy foundation,www.davidsuzuki.org,and download our report Sustainability within a Generation. It contains ideasand policy recommendations on localinfrastructurethatwouldimprovethehealthofallCanadians,protectournaturallegacy,andprotectourqualityoflifeforthefuture.

Ihope that sustainableoptionswillcontinuetobeaddressedinfutureissuesofReNew.

DavidSuzukiwww.davidsuzuki.org

On February 6, PrimeMinister Stephen Harperappointedmeasthefederalminister responsible forthe Toronto WaterfrontRevitalization Initiative(TWRI).Evenpriortobeingappointedtofederalcabinet

andacquiring this responsibility, I alreadyhadasolidgraspofthisinitiative.DuringmyyearsasaMemberofProvincialParliamentIfollowedtheprogressoftheTWRI.WhileworkingatQueen’sPark,Icametoknowandappreciate theexcellent infrastructureandvastgreenspacesthattheCityofTorontohastooffertoitscitizensandvisitors.

What I have come to learn morerecently is that the tri-level initiative isa great success. It has brought threelevelsof government together to focuson the common vision of creating aninfrastructurealongthewaterfrontwherethepubliccanenjoyparks,publicspaces,cultural institutions and diverse andsustainablecommercialandresidentialcommunities. The Government ofCanada is committed to working inpartnershipwith theGovernmentofOntario and the City of Toronto torejuvenate the Toronto waterfrontthrough investments incity-buildinginfrastructureandurbandevelopment.

The innovative partnership that hasbeenforgedtobuildthisinitiativeisbasedonopennessandtransparency,onsoundmanagementandaccountability,notonlytoTorontoniansbutalsotoallCanadians.

At the federal level, I was honoured tointroduce on behalf of the Governmentof Canada the Federal Accountability Act,delivering on our commitment to makegovernmentmoreaccountabletoCanadians.ThroughthisActanditsaccompanyingActionPlan,theGovernmentofCanadaisbringingforwardspecificmeasurestohelpstrengthenaccountabilityandincreasetransparencyandoversightingovernmentoperationsinordertoearnbackthetrustofCanadiansintheirgovernment.

I am committed to incorporatingthe overall principles of the Federal Accountability Act for the TorontoWaterfront Revitalization Initiativeand to striking an appropriate balancebetween the flexibility this initiativeneeds to proceed successfully, and thenecessary oversight that will ensurevalue for money in every project weundertake. Together, we can makethis initiativeamodelofaccountableregionaldevelopment,basedonactivecitizen participation and innovativetri-governmentcooperation.

Toronto’swaterfrontisauniqueandvitalassetthatshouldbeenjoyedbythepeopleof Toronto and whose re-developmentis important to all of Canada. Thisrevitalization is a shared vision and I,as federalministerresponsible for thisinitiative, am working energetically toensureitssuccess.

JohnBaird,presidentofthetreasuryBoardwww.tbs-sct.gc.org



TheOntarioGovernmentisintroducingthefirst-evergrowthplanfortheGreaterGoldenHorseshoe,adocumentthatsetsouthowandwheregrowthwilloccurintheareastretching

fromFortEriethroughtheNiagaraPeninsulaandacrosstheGreaterToronto Area to Peterborough. The initiative is called Places toGrow:BetterChoices,BetterFuture.

TheunderlyingprinciplesoftheplanmatchtheobjectivesoftheNaturalCitiesConference,beingheldMay31-June2inToronto,buttheplangoesalittlefurther:itoutlinesanumberofpoliciesthatshowhowwehopetoachievethoseobjectives.

TheGreaterGoldenHorseshoeistheengineofOntario’s–andCanada’s–economy.Itaccountsfor70percentofOntario’s(and30percentofCanada’s)GDP,andisthecountry’slargesturbanregionbyfar.Abouttwo-thirdsofOntario’speople livetherenow.Theregionalpopulationwas7.8millionin2001,andisprojectedtogrowbyanadditional3.7millionby2031,whichmakesitthethirdfastest-growingurbanregioninNorthAmerica,afterDallas-FortWorthandAtlanta.

Thereisnoquestiontheregionwillgrow.Theissueishowitwillgrow,andwhatkindofcommunitieswillemergeasaresult.Undertheplan’spolicies,theresultwouldbecomplete,livable,andtransit-friendlycommunities.Effectiveplanningforgrowthalsocreatesanenvironmentthatattractsinvestors.

Intheabsenceofagrowthplan,wecanexpectmoreofwhatwehadinthepast:increasingurbansprawlandrelatedenvironmentaldegradation;car-dependentcommunitieswithlongercommutestowork;asuburbanmono-culturethatlacksdiversity;andexcessivecosts for both the infrastructure needed to support this kind ofgrowthandfordamagetopublichealtharisingfromincreasedairpollutionandmoresedentarylifestyles.

ResearchpreparedinconjunctionwithPlacestoGrowshowsthatbusiness-as-usual development in the Greater Golden Horseshoewouldresultina42percentincreaseinautoemissions;a45percentincreaseinaveragecommutingtimesarisingfromincreasedtrafficcongestion;about20percenthigherinfrastructurecosts,addingsome$12.2billiontoinfrastructurecostsintheGreaterTorontoAreaalone;andthelossofmorethan1,000squarekilometresoffarmland.

InOntariowewanttoreplacebusiness-as-usualwithavisionofthefuturethatwouldbeinstantlyrecognizabletoanyproponentoftheNaturalCity:moredenselysettledcommunitieswithrevitalized,convenientdowntownareasthatofferarangeofjobs,cultureandpublicamenitiesclosertohome;convenienttransit;agreaterrangeofchoicesinhousingtomeettheneedsofpeopleatallstagesoflife;completesuburbsthatprovideeasyaccesstorecreationandemployment;andabalancedapproachthataccommodatesgrowth,whileminimizingourenvironmentalfootprintandenhancingeconomicprosperity.

Creating the natural City by mAnAging growth

By David Caplan

For north america’s third-fastest growing

urban region, the time to plan for growth

in Ontario’s greater golden horseshoe is now.

reBuild

(continued on page 8)


FeDs increAse inFrastruCture Funding

Indeliveringtheirfirstfederalbudgetsincetheearly90s,thenewlymintedConservative government followed

throughonacampaignpromisetoincreaseinfrastructurefundingthroughto2010.

Finance minister Jim Flaherty saidhis government recognizes the needto be competitive and productive“while sustaining the quality of life ofCanadians,”andprovidingmorethan$5.5billioninnewfederalfundingshowsthegovernment’scommitmentto“providingstableandreliablefundingtoprovinces,territoriesandmunicipalities.”

ThebudgetwaswellreceivedbytheFederationofCanadianMunicipalities(FCM).

“ThisbudgetdeliversgoodnewsforCanada’s municipal sector and for allCanadians,”GloriaKovach,presidentofFCM,saidinastatement.“Itlaysoutablueprintforrelationsamongallordersof government that is both pragmaticandrespectfulofjurisdictions.”

Intotal,Flahertydeliveredmorethan$16.5 billion to the existing CanadaStrategic Infrastructure Fund and theMunicipal Rural Infrastructure Fund.Healsoannouncedthecreationof twonewprograms:theHighwaysandBorderInfrastructureFund(HBIF)andCanada’sPacificGatewayInitiative(CPGI).

Improvements to Canada’s highways,includingtheTrans-Canada,willbefundedby$2.4billioninacost-sharingprogramwiththeprovincesandterritories.

“Additionalinvestmentsinhighwayswillresultinamoreefficient,andsafer,system,”Flahertysaid.

RecognizingtheneedtoimproveCanada’smajorlandbordercrossingsandports,$591million over eight years will go towardsimprovements tobridgesand roads,withsomefundingdirectedtoborderservices.

TheFCMcelebratedtheincreasedfundingandcommitmenttoexistingprogramsandsaid the budget goes a long way towardaddressingmunicipalpriorities.

“Fromourvantagepoint,thisbudgetlays out a roadmap for resolving oneof the most intractable issues in ourcommunities: the chronic fundingimbalance,”Krovachsaid.“Wethereforeapplaudthegovernment’sreiterationofitsdeterminationtotackle(theissue).”

By Pamela Gramiak

www.renewcanada.net

www.renewcanada.net� renewCanada May/June2006

reBuild

expansionofexistingsettlementareas.New criteria must be met before rural oragricultural lands can be converted tourbanuses,sothattheexpansionwillnotunderminetheachievementofdensityandintensificationtargets.

employmentlands.Municipalitieswillberequired toprotect largeparcelsof landsuitableforemploymentusefromconversiontootheruses.

environmentalprotection.Theprovincewill identify natural systems and primeagricultural areas not part of the existinggreenbelt and develop policies to protectthemasneeded.Municipalitieswilldeveloppolicies in their official plans to supportwaterandenergyconservation,protectairquality,supportintegratedwastemanagementandprotectculturalheritage.

Thoseare someof thekeypoliciesof theGrowthPlanfortheGreaterGoldenHorseshoe.(Therearemoredetailsatwww.pir.gov.on.ca.)

Investments in public infrastructure —especially in transit and transportationsystems—arebeingused to support this

The growth plan uses a series of keypoliciestoachievetheseresults:

intensificationpolicies.By2015atleast40per cent of annual new residential units ineachupperorsingletiermunicipalitywillbeconstructed in already built-up areas.Municipalitieswilldevelopandimplementplansandstrategiestoachievethistarget.Brownfieldredevelopmentprojects,suchastheWestDonLandsprojectontheTorontowaterfront,willbeakeyelementinthosestrategies.

Higher density and mixed use indesignated greenfield areas. A densitytargetof50residentsandjobsperhectarewillbeestablishedfordesignatedgreenfieldareas.Newgreenfielddevelopmentwillalsooccurinamannerthatcreatescompletecommunitiesandallowsforthesustainabilityoftransitservice.

Urbangrowthcentres.Twenty-fiveurbangrowthcentresareidentifiedinthegrowthplan as focal points for intensificationandinfrastructureinvestment,andarangeof minimum density targets has beenestablishedforthem.

plan.Morethan$8.3billionwillbeinvestedto improve infrastructure in the GreaterGoldenHorseshoeoverthenextfiveyears.

Thegrowthplan sees transit as the toppriorityformovingpeople,whilehighwayinvestments will focus on moving goods.Improved transit is vital to ahealthyandprosperous province. Move Ontario, aninitiative announced in the March 2006budget,providedmorethan$830millionthatmunicipalitiesintheGreaterTorontoArea-includingToronto,YorkRegion,BramptonandMississauga-canuseforpublictransit.Forthefirsttime,Toronto’ssubwaysystemwillbeextendedbeyondthecity’sborders,aspartofaninitiativetodevelopanintegratedtransitandtransportationsystem.Anotherpartofthatinitiativewasalsoannouncedinthebudget:thecreationofaGreaterTorontoTransportation Authority to promote theseamless movement of people and goodsacrosstheGTA.

LeSSonSLearneD:WecanrealizethegoalsoftheNaturalCity—orinthiscasetheNaturalRegion—onlybychangingthefuture,notbyrevisitingthepast.Wewantdiverse,vibranturbancentres,healthierpeople,preservationofthenaturalenvironment,agreatersenseofcommunity,andaprosperouseconomy.TherapidgrowthprojectedfortheGreaterGoldenHorseshoeisamajorchallenge,butitalsogivesustheopportunity to achieve those goals, and tocreateanewvisionofwhatcouldbe.

Implementingthatvisionrequiresustobuildsupportthroughcollaborationandcooperativeaction, until the outcomes we want areperceivedfirstasdesirable,thenasessential,thenaspossible,andfinallyasinevitable.

InOntario,wehavebuiltaconsensusontheprovince’svisionforgrowth;butgettingthisfarhastaughtussomelessonsthatmaybeusefulinotherjurisdictions.

First,wehadtolearntolisten.Municipalities,developers, environmentalists and residents

CanaDa’s inFrastruCture FOCal pOint OF new rOunD tableBy Marc Bourgeois

MarcBourgeoisisthedirectorofcommunicationsattheCanadianCouncilofprofessionalengineers.

Canada’sinfrastructureandpublicsafetywasattheheartofdeliberationsasrepresentativesfrom the infrastructure community, FirstNations and all orders of governmentgatheredinMontrealonMay4,2006,forthesecondmeetingoftheNationalRoundTableonSustainableInfrastructure(NRTSI).ThismeetingrepresentsanotherstepforwardinestablishingtheNRTSIasanationalresourceoninfrastructuredevelopmentinCanadafordecision-makersandstakeholders.

Government,expertpractitioners,managersand users of public infrastructure agree thatthere is a need to address Canada’s failinginfrastructure. Innovative approaches, bestpracticesandincreasedcollaborationcombinedwithamoreefficientuseofexistinginfrastructurewouldprovidesupportforlong-termeconomicgrowth,improvedcommunityinfrastructureandenhancedqualityoflifeandenvironment.

TheNRTSIproposestobeanindependent,multi-stakeholder, non-partisan advisorybodythatwillfacilitatetheunderstandingofsustainableinfrastructurecapacitiesandneeds,andhelpdefineissuesofnationalpriority.

Asaresult,itwillbringtotheinfrastructuredebateacoordinatedapproachtoanalyzinginfrastructureissuesandprovidingsolutionsby calling on the expertise and advice ofstakeholdersfromacrossthenation.

“TheNRTSIwillprovideamuchneededforumtobringtogetheranimportantyethighlydiverse,diffusedandcomplexcommunitytogenerategreaterunderstandingandsynergiessoastosupportthecommunity’soptimaluseof available resources,” says Marie Lemay,P.Eng.,ing,andchiefexecutiveofficeroftheCanadianCouncilofProfessionalEngineers.

“Thefocusinitiallywillbeonpublicworksandsustainableinfrastructure,”saidLemay.“Thisinitiativebelongstotheinfrastructurecommunity,wherethepublic’sbestinterestisatthecentreofitsactivities.Itisnotafederalgovernmentinitiativealthoughwedoexpectthemtoplayanimportantpart.”

CCPEtooktheleadin2005inprovidingtheimpetusforcreatingtheNRTSIandmaking

itsinauguralmeetinginDecemberhappen,atwhichtimefiveworkinggroupswerecreated.

The generous support through in-kindcontributions of the stakeholders made itpossiblefortheworkinggroupstocontinuetheirworkinpreparationfor theMontrealmeeting,supportedbyInfrastructureCanada.

Lookingforward,theNRTSImustdependonlongtermcommitmentsintheformoffinancial support to meet its mission ofdeveloping, analyzing and sharing data,trends,forecasts,technical,andmanagementinnovationandtools,Lemaysaid.

Themeetinghighlightsfocusedontheactivitiesoftheinitialfiveworkinggroupsthatweretostartworkonthemostpressingissues.

•Infrastructurefinancingtohighlightfindingsonfinancinginfrastructurewithexamplesofbestpractices, listofpractitionersandreferencelinks.

•Innovationasasolutionwithoneoftheobjectivestodevelopaweb-basedmessageforumtodiscussinnovativepractices.

•Smaller community infrastructure toexaminewaysforsmallercommunitiestodeveloptheircapacityforself-relianceandtodevelopaforumfocusedonissuesthatimpactsmallcommunities.

•National asset management to provideaconsistentstructureandapproach foruse by the various professions andjurisdictions that are responsible foraspectsofassetmanagementdirectlyorindirectlyincludingplanners,accountants,auditors,engineers,etc.

•Inaddition,thegovernanceworkinggroupwas assigned the task of developing agovernance and financing model for theNRTSIthatwillgarnersupportfromthediversegroupofstakeholders.

TheNRTSIwilldependontheirnewlydevelopedwebsiteatwww.nrtsi.catosharetheirworkwithgovernmentandindustrydecision-makers and the general publicfollowing an official launch in the fallof2006.

“Looking forward, the nrtsi must depend on long term

commitments in the form of financial support to meet its

mission of developing, analyzing and sharing data, trends,

forecasts, technical, and management innovation and tools.”MarieLemay

Andwhilethismaybearevolutionarychange, in the sense that it changesalmost everything about planning inthispartofOntario, it isarevolutionthatdemandsalong-termcommitment.Theplanninghorizonistwo-and-a-halfdecades, longer thanmostdemocraticgovernments can expect to remain inpower.Fortheplantobeeffectiveithastohavethekindofgrassrootssupportthattranscendsthetransitorynatureofelectoralpolitics;ithastobeacceptedbyeveryoneassoobviouslybeneficialthatimplementationisinevitable.

PeopleintheGreaterGoldenHorseshoearewellawareoftherapidgrowthintheregion,andtheyunderstandtheneedforalong-termplantoavoidthepotentiallynegativeeffectsoftrafficgridlock,longcommutes, poor air quality and lossof green space, while embracing thepositive effects: new jobs, revitalizedneighbourhoodsanddynamiccommunities.They want realistic goals and a clearplantoachievethesegoals.That’swhatPlacestoGrowprovides—andthat’swhyIamoptimisticitwillimprovethequalityoflifeherefordecadestocome.

May/June2006renewCanada 9www.renewcanada.netwww.renewcanada.net

theHonourableDavidCaplanisontario’sministerofpublicinfrastructurerenewal.

haveallbeencallingontheprovincetotakealeadershiproleinplanningforgrowth.Thisgovernmentheededthatcall.

Second,wetookthetimetogetitright.Weembarkedonatwo-yearprocessofconsultationandcollaboration—morethan 1,000 official submissions, andmore than 40 public and stakeholdermeetings—tobuildaconsensusthateveryonecansupport.

Third,werecognizedthatonesizedoesnotfitall.PlacestoGrowsetsstandardsthat will guide municipal planning,while allowing local governments tomakeplanningdecisionsthatmeetlocalneedsandreflectlocalcircumstances.

Overall,thelessonwelearnedisthatthis typeof revolutionary changehasto grow from the ground up, not beimposedfromthetopdown.

“the growth plan sees

transit as the top priority

for moving people, while

highway investments will

focus on moving goods.”


Opening Shots is a regular section with bits and bites of infrastructure news in Canada. If you have relevant and current news you’d like included, please contact [email protected]

WAA Seeking LeeD CertifiCAtionThe Winnipeg Airports Authority will bethe firstCanadianairport toachieveLEEDcertifications for an air terminal building,thanksinparttoasustainabilitygrantprovidedbytheManitobagovernment.StanStruthers,conservationminister,announcedinApriltheprovincewillprovidea$75,000grantfromtheSustainableDevelopmentInnovationsFundtosupportthefacilityinbecomingaleaderamongNorth American airports. Construction ofphaseoneoftheterminalbuildingisexpectedtobeginthisfallandwilltakethreeyearstocomplete.Details at www.waa.ca.

SoniC grAnteD ontArio MiniStry ApprovALThe Ontario Ministry of Environment(MOE)hasprovidedacertificateofapprovalto Sonic Environmental Solutions for itsTerra-Kleen solvent extraction process as awastemanagementsystemforthetreatmentof contaminated soils. The Terra-Kleenextractionprocesshasmorethan12yearsofoperationsexperienceintheUnitedStatesandisapprovedbytheEPA.ThecompanyplanstoimplementtheprocessatitsBritishColumbiaoperationssitetoreducematerialhandlingandgainadditionalregulatoryapprovals.Details at www.sonicenvironmental.com.

$500 M for provinCiAL infrAStruCtureUrbanandruralmunicipalitiesinAlbertawillreceivea$176million investment inpublicinfrastructurebythegovernmentsofCanadaand Alberta, and rural and small urbancommunities in Ontario will receive $235millionunderasimilarprogram.Thefundswillgotoavarietyofprojects,includingwaterandsewagetreatment,solidwastemanagement,public transit, and energy improvements tomunicipalbuildings.Thefederalandprovincialgovernmentswilleachcontribute$88milliontotheCanada-AlbertaMunicipalInfrastructureFund(CAMRIF)–ajointinitiativetoenablecommunities to improve local roads,drinkingwatersystemsandothermunicipalinfrastructure.Details at www.camrif.ca.

CAWiC offiCiALLy LAunCheDThe Canadian Association of Women InConstruction(CAWIC)heldareceptioninTorontolastmonthtocelebratethelaunchof theneworganization.TheCAWICwasfounded23yearsagobyagroupofToronto-area professional women working in theconstructionindustry.Originallyachapterof the National Association of Women inConstruction,themandateoftheCAWICistofacilitatethelong-termsuccessofwomenin the Canadian construction industry byidentifyingcareerandbusinessopportunities,organizing networking events, developingmentoring programs and reaching out toelementaryandhigh-school students, saidAngelaWilson,presidentoftheorganization. Details at www.nawic.org.

CoCA WeLCoMeS neW WSiB ChAirThe Council of Ontario ConstructionAssociations said the nomination of SteveMahoneyasthenewchairoftheWorkplaceSafety&InsuranceBoardistimelybecausetheWSIBisinneedofstrongleadershipwhocan“bringgreateraccountability.”DavidFrame,presidentofCOCA,saidmembersCOCAarelookingforwardtoworkingwithMahoneyinidentifyingandachievingcommongoalsthatwillsupporteffectiveprogramsandoccupationalhealthandsafetyfortheconstructionindustry.Details at www.coca.on.ca.

CAnADiAn AMong top ten At ApWAKees Schipper, retired commissioner oftransportationandworksfortheRegionalMunicipality of York in Newmarket,Ontario,wasamongthetop10publicworksprofessionalspresentedwiththe2006TopTenPublicWorksLeadersoftheYearawardspresented by the American Public WorksAssociation. Schipper will be recognizedwith theotherwinnersduring anawardsceremony held as part of the APWA’sInternational Congress and Exposition inKansasCitythisSeptember.Nowinits47thyear,theawardisamongthemostcovetedandprestigiouspresentedbytheassociation.Details at www.apwa.net.

interSeCtion WiLL reDuCe trAffiC CongeStionConstructionbeginsthismonthonthreemajorintersectionimprovementsinFortMcMurray,AlbertathatwillreducetrafficcongestionbyfallandimproveaccesstoandfromHighway63. In addition to new turning lanes andrampimprovements,anewbypasslanewillbe constructed for southbound motorists,allowingthemtoavoidthedowntowntrafficsignalsandkeepingthrough-trafficflowing.The improvements will cost $18.5 millionandareexpectedtopbecompletedthisfall.Details at www.gov.ab.ca.

okotokS houSing DeveLopMent to uSe SoLAr energyAlbertaEnvironmentawardeda$500,000grant to support solar technology at ahousing development in Okotoks, AlbertathatwillsaveAlbertansandindustrymoneyonenergybills.The52homesintheDrakeLanding Solar Community will be heatedusinginnovativetechnologythatharnessessolar energy to supply 90 per cent of itsheatingrequirements.Energyconsumptionwill be reduced by 30 per cent and 260tonnesofgreenhousegasemissionsperyearwillbeeliminated.Details at www.gov.ab.ca.

Winnipeg LookS to p3 MoDeLSamKatz,mayorofWinnipeg(picturedabove),sayseventhoughhiscityhasn’tdonealotofP3projects,he’scometotheconclusionthatpublic-privatepartnershipsarenothingtobeafraidof.“Theyaren’tevil,theyaren’tscary,”hesaid.“Weneedanewwayofthinking.”ThecityisconsideringtheP3modelforworkona$900millionsewagesystemoverhaul,acapitalprojectintheshadowofanewultra-violetwatertreatmentplantthatsomesaycouldbe$100millionoverbudgetbythetimeit’scompleted.Other capital projects Katz said could beconsideredgoodcandidatesforP3arerepairstotheDisraeliBridge,estimatedtocost$65million,andthefour-districtpolicemodel.

ontArio’S BuDget inveStS in infrAStruCtureThe government of Ontario’s 2006 budgetprovides opportunities to pay down thatprovince’s infrastructure deficit with itsinvestmentintransportationinfrastructure.Under the Move Ontario program, theMcGuintygovernmentisinvesting$1.2billioninOntario’spublictransitsystems,includingproposednewlegislationtocreatetheGreaterToronto Transportation Agency (GTTA),whichwillsee,amongmanyinitiatives,thecreation and implementation of the GTAFare Card System, enabling commuters totravelonpublictransitfromDurhamRegiontoHamiltonusingasinglecard.Ifpassed,theGTTAcouldbe inoperationbySeptember2006.Thebudgetalsoincluded$400millionforroadsandbridgesinmunicipalitiesoutsidetheGTAand$670milliontoallowTorontoandYorkRegiontoextendthesubwaytotheVaughan Corporate Centre at Highway 7.Details at www.ontariobudget.ca.

openingShots

May/June2006renewCanada 11www.renewcanada.net

Formorethan20years, thebattleto increase funding for Canada’sroadsandbridgeshasbeenwagedwith limited success. Recently,

however, the tidehasbegunto turn.Moremoneyisavailable,morefundingsourcesareopeningupandmorelong-termcommitmentshavebeenmade.Allofthisisgoodnewsforthosewhohavespentdecadesonthefrontlines.Notallarecompletelysoldbutmostarewillingtoconcedethesituationismuchbetterthanitwasonlyafewyearsago.

Atthefederallevel,thechangesstartedunderPaulMartin’sLiberalgovernmentwiththeNewDeal for Canadian Cities and Communitieswhich promised to transfer a portion of thefederalexcisetaxongasolinetomunicipalities,rampinguptotheequivalentoffivecentsperlitrein2009-10.TheprojectsunderthisprogramweresupposedtobesustainableinfrastructureandtheLiberalswereadamantthatmunicipalitieswithapopulationmorethan500,000couldnotspendanyofthefundsfromthisprogramonroadsandbridges.TheConservativeshavepromisedto continue theprogramwhile removing therestrictionsonlargermunicipalities.ThiswaswelcomenewsforcitiessuchasWinnipeg,whichcannowdevotemoreresourcestorepairingacrumblingroadnetwork.

TheConservativeshavealsosaidtheywillmaintainthe$800millionforpublictransitinfrastructureoverthenexttwoyearsthatwaspromisedbytheLiberalslastyear.

Programs like the Border InfrastructureFund, the Canada Strategic InfrastructureFund, the Municipal Rural InfrastructureFundandtheInfrastructureCanadaProgramwill all be retained, the Conservatives saidin a letter to the Federation of CanadianMunicipalities.Theyalsosaidtheywillstarta$2billionHighwaysandBorderInfrastructureFund, designed to upgrade the NationalHighwaySystemandimprovebordercrossings.When the program is fully in place, it willprovide$600millionayearfortheseprojects.

“That’ssomethingwehavebeenlobbyingfor for about 25 years, a permanentdedicated highway program,” says JeffMorrison,executivedirectorofTheRoadandInfrastructure Program of Canada (TRIPCanada)anddirectorofenvironmentfortheCanadianConstructionAssociation(CCA).

Neil Wither, president of Red RiverConstruction Company Limited inWinnipeg,remembersthoseearlyyearsoflobbyingwell.HewasTRIPCanada’sfirstprogramdirector,beginningin1983,freshoffhistermasCCAchairman.


CoverStory CoverStory

the BAttLe FOr Fundingelected officials and

those who vote for them

are finally recognizing

the need for transporta-

tion infrastructure fund-

ing. the question now is:

when, and how much?

By John Leckie


“We thought it would be a two-yearprogram,”hesays.

Inthoseearlyyears,TRIPuseddataprovidedbytheprovincialtransportationministriestoproducereportsontheconditionoftheroadsineachoftheprovinces.Later,itproducedreports on sewer and watermain systemsandmunicipalroads.

Theinformationcontainedinthosereportshasbeenusedinavarietyofformsovertheyears to make the case for infrastructurespending but the results were not alwayswarmlyreceivedatthetime.

Wither recalls being thrown out of theBritishColumbiatransportationminister’sofficeafterpresentingaparticularlydamningreport on the province’s roads. He alsorecallsbeingaskedifhewasondrugsbyaCBCreporterinPrinceEdwardIslandwhoquestionedhowanyonecouldfindfaultwiththeisland’sroads.

TRIP’s reports always pointed out thediscrepancy between the vast amount thefederalgovernmentwastakinginthroughthegastaxandrelativepittanceitwasspendingonroads.Overtheyears,othergroups—theTransportationAssociationofCanadaandprovincialroadbuildergroupsinparticular—haveechoedthecallforalinkbetweenthegastaxandroadspending,butitwasnotuntil recently that the federalgovernmentstartedtobuytheargument.

Stable, long-term funding is one of thegoalsproponentsofroadinfrastructurehavebeenlookingfor.Thereareindicationsitisstartingtoappearatvariouslevels.

Ontario’soverallprovincialhighwayfundinghasseldombeenanissueintheprovince.EvendatingbacktoBobRae’sNewDemocratsandMikeHarris’sConservativesthecapitalbudgetforroadswasrelativelystrong.Inthepast,however,theprogramwasalwaysforanindividualyear,withnocommitmentbeyondthat.Thisyear,Ontariohasa$1.2billionbudgetforhighwaybuildingandreconstruction,which is welcomed by the province’sroadbuilders. More important for them,Infrastructure Minister David Caplan hasindicatedthattheprogramwilltotalabout$7billionoverafive-yearperiod.

“That’s a commitment to a longer-termview,”saysRobBradford,executivedirectoroftheOntarioRoadBuilders’Association.

Another major step by Ontario wastheone-time$400millionitsetasideformunicipalitiestouseforroadsandbridges.

“Forme,thatsignalsthattheyhavefinallyacknowledgedthatthewholedownloadingexercisein1996wasalittleonerousonthemunicipalitiesandthattheydohavetocomeupwithsomemoney,”saysBradford.

That exercise transferred a number ofprovincialhighwaystomunicipalities,causingamarked increase in theirroad inventorywithoutprovidingfundingformaintenance.

Atypicalexampleofthedownloadingisasix-kilometrestretchoftheQueenElizabethWayonthewestsideofToronto.Fiveyearsaftertheprovincetransferredresponsibilityto Toronto, city officials put the cost ofrepairingtheroadat$80million.But,whilethe city spent about $1 million a year onminorpatching,themajorrepairshaveyettobecarriedoutandthebillhasnowrisento$87million.

Toronto has been battling with theprovinceoverwhowillpickupthetabfortheworksincetheroadwaywastransferred.Thisyear, itdecidedtobitethebulletandfundtherehabilitationonitsown,beginninga 10-year project to bring the stretch ofhighwaybackintoshape.

Municipalitiescanonlydrawonpropertytax to pay for these expenses, says PatVanini,executivedirectoroftheAssociationofMunicipalitiesofOntario(AMO).Iftheyraisethepropertytaxestoomuch,theywillgetamajorpush-backfromtheirratepayers.

Adding to the problem for Ontariomunicipalitiesaretheotherprogramsthatweredownloadedatthetime.Vaniniestimatesmunicipalities are paying more than $3million for social programs downloadedinthe’90s.Consideringthattheestimatedinfrastructure deficit for hard services —roads,bridges,sewerandwater—isabout$4billion,municipalitieswouldbeabletomake a substantial dent in that deficit iftheyweren’tloadeddownwiththecostofmandatedservices.

CoverStory CoverStory

“TRIP’s reports always

pointed out the discrepancy

between the vast amount

the federal government

was taking in through the

gas tax and relative pittance

it was spending on roads.”

“there are a lot of ways transit and roads can work together to ease congestion.”


Ontario’scurrentLiberalgovernmentcampaignedonimprovingtransitintheprovinceandeventuallydedicatedtheequivalentoftwocentsperlitreoftheprovincialgastaxtothatpurpose.Somefeel that indicatesthereisacompetitionforresourcesbetweenroadsandtransit.

Vaniniseesnothingwrongwithdedicatingthemoneyfortransit.Ofcourse,AMOwillbepushingthemtoexpandtheuseofthegastaxtotakeinroadsaswell.

Likewise,Bradfordisnotconcerned.“Thereisalotoftransitspendinggoingonrightnowthatisprobably

necessaryandtheyhaven’tbeentakingitoutoftheroadsbudget,”hesays.“Aslongaswehaveenoughmoneytodobothitisnotaproblem.”

MichaelRoschlau,president&chiefexecutiveofficeroftheCanadianUrbanTransitAssociation,saysroadproponentsreallyshouldn’tbecomplainingabouttheshareofprovincialtaxdollarsthattransitnowclaims.Itwasnotallthatlongagothattheprovincepickedup75percentofalltransitcapitalcostsand50percentoftheoperatingcostinOntario,hesays.Thefundingnowgoingtotransitpalesincomparison.

Therearealotofwaystransitandroadscanworktogethertoeasecongestion.(See article on page 16.)

“Ifyouhaveonelaneofroadwaydedicatedtotransit,100busestravellingonitwillcarrymorepeoplethan5,000cars,”Roschlausays.

ChrisLorenc,presidentof theManitobaHeavyConstructionAssociation,saysplannershavetogetawayfromthesiloapproachtotransportationandlookattheoverallsystem.

JackDavidson,presidentoftheBritishColumbiaRoadBuildersandHeavyConstructionAssociation,complainsthattheprovince’sTransLink, the authority responsible for arterial roads in theGreaterVancouverRegionalDistrict,andthemunicipalitiesinthatprovincehavenotmanagedtocomeupwithacoherentvision.

Somemunicipalitiesseemdeterminedtostaveoffgrowthatanycost,he says,andsituationsdevelopwherea four-lanearterialrunningthroughCoquitlamhitsasingle-laneBaileyBridgeattheborderofNewWestminsterbecauseNewWestminsterdoesnotwanttoexpandtheroad.

TransLinkhasrecentlycomeupwithanewsourceoffundingtoexpandonpropertytaxandtheonecentalitreitgetsfromtheprovincialgastax.Itisimplementingaparkingtaxoncommercialpropertiesinitsjurisdictionbasedonthesquaremetresofparkingavailableontheproperty.

Theplanhasgeneratedconsiderablecontroversy,Davidsonsays,andisstillworkingitswaythroughthesystem.

Municipalities shouldbe lookingat theirneedswell into thefutureandsettingupaplantomeetthemsaysMarvinStemeroff,aprincipalofconsultantsGartnerLeeLimitedofGuelph,Ontario.

“Amunicipalityshouldbethinkingaboutwhatitwilllooklike20to30yearsinthefuture,whatitwilltaketogetitthere,whatthatwillcostandhowisitgoingtopayforit,”hesays.

Afterthelong-termplanisdeveloped,futureprojectshavetobetiedtothelong-termvisioniftheyaretogoahead.

Planningforthelongtermcanbedifficultformunicipalities,saysStemeroff.

“Fundingfromotherlevelsofgovernmenttendstobesporadic,sometimesatrickle,sometimesafloodbutneverlong-term.”

CoverStory

“A municipality should be thinking about what

it will look like 20 to 30 years in the future,

what it will take to get it there, what that will

cost and how is it going to pay for it.”


Despite that, it is important formunicipalities to look furtherdowntheroadthanthenextyearorthenextelection,hesays.

Thatcanmeansomedifficultchoices.Hamilton,Ontario,startedonthepathtolong-termplanningfor

sustainabilityabout10yearsago.GerryDavis,Hamilton’sdirectorofcapitalplanningandimplementation,

saysthemunicipalitystartedwithsewerandwaterinfrastructure,whichisfundedprimarilybyutilityrates.Overthepastfiveorsixyears,increasesofbetween60percentand70percenthavebeenapplied tobring fundingup toarate thatwillmaintainexistinginfrastructure—notallowingforgrowth—andmaintainanacceptablelevelofserviceonanongoingbasis.

By2009,thecityhopestohaveitssewerandwaterinfrastructuretothepointthatrateincreaseswillonlybetherateofinflationorlower.

Withsewerandwateressentiallyundercontrol,thecityhasmovedontopropertytax-basedassetslikeroadsandbridges.

Davis said theyanticipate itwill take15years toget roads inthemunicipalitytoanacceptablelevel.Itisnotanovernighttaskand staff has to make sure they have the data to justify theirrecommendations.“Theplanneedstosayhereiswhatneedstobedone,hereiswhenweneedtodoit,hereishowmuchmoneyweneedandhereishowwearegoingtogetit,”hesays.

MarkMieto,chiefadministrativeofficeroftheCityofGreaterSudbury,agreesthatittakesalongtimetoestablishaneed.

Sudburystafftookalmostayeartodevelopanassetinventoryanddepreciationtableforthemunicipality’scapitalassetsbeforeitfullylauncheditsstrategicplanningexercise.

Thecityfoundtherewasa$40milliongapbetweenwhatitwasfundingandwhatitwantedtodo,soitestablisheda2.3percentlevyoverandabovetheregularpropertytax,especiallyforinfrastructure.

Thesituationacrossthecountryhasclearlychangedsignificantlyinthepast20years.

Now more than 10 years removed from the fray, Wither feelsthedecadehespentwithTRIPhelpedbuilduptheknowledgethatisbeginningtosurfacenow.“Peoplecanbothpronounceandspellinfrastructure,whichtheycouldn’tdowhenwestarted,”hesays.

Toomuchofhismessagethatunderfundingroadsatthattimewouldleadtoseriousproblems20yearsdowntheroadhascometopass,hesays.Nowthattheimpactisvisible,thepublicisawaresomethinghas tobedoneabout it. If thepoliticianshavebeguntopickupthatmessageaswell, theeffortsof thepastwillhavebeenworthwhile.

CoverStory

JohnLeckieisafreelancewriterandeditorwhohaswrittenextensivelyaboutconstructionforavarietyofnewspapersandmagazines.


CoverStory

urBAn trAnsit

By Michael W. Roschlau

MuchhasbeensaidinrecentyearsaboutthedeterioratingstateofCanada’sinfrastructure–inparticularthemunicipalinfrastructurethatgenerallyincludesbasicassetssuchaswater

andwastewater,roadsandbridges,andpublictransit.Aswithmostcomponentsofurbaninfrastructure,theinvestment

needsforpublictransithavegrownbyastartling140percentinthepastsixyears.Indeed,themostrecentupdatetoCanadianUrbanTransitAuthoritytransitinfrastructureneedsreporthasestimatedthetotalrequirementsoverthefive-yearperiod2006-2010at$20.7billion.Thesurveyof70municipalitiesacrossCanadawasstratifiedintwodimensions:replacementorrenewalversusexpansionontheonehand,andinvestmentscurrentlyplannedversusthosethatcanbemetonlythroughnewexternalfundingontheother.

Thereplacementorrenewalcategoryrepresents45percentofthetotalandamountstosome$9.1billion,consistingprimarilyofbusandrailcarreplacement, fixedguidewayorright-of-wayupgrading,andreplacementofgarageandmaintenancefacilities.Ofthe56percentofneedsidentifiedasexpansion-related,nearlyone-thirdcanonlybeaccomplishedwithnewexternalfunding.Includedinthiscategoryare$11.6billionworth of bus purchases, other rolling stock, fixed guidewayconstruction, stations or terminals, parking facilities, transitprioritymeasures,customeramenities,maintenancefacilitiesandadvancedtechnology.

Bycomparisontoprevioussurveys,thelatestinformationsuggests that needs have stabilized after rising constantlysince the late1990s.Furthermore, theproportionof theseneedsthatappearspossibleunderexistingfundingprogramshasincreasedfrom50to75percent.Thiscanbeattributedinlargeparttothefederalgovernment’sroleinprovidinggreaterinfrastructureinvestmentinrecentyears,andnowthroughthetransferofaportionofthefederalgastaxtomunicipalities.

increased and continued financing

is central to rebuilding Canadian cities.

“Investments in transit effectiveness and efficiency, such as signal priority,

reserved lanes, electronic fare payment and vehicle tracking systems that improve

performance without adding to fleet size, are important components of the equation.”

light rail train in edmonton, alberta

subway stop in toronto, Ontario

Vancouver trolley bus

Indeed, an increasing number ofmunicipalities are proceeding with majorinvestmentsonthestrengthofthefederalgastaxtransfer,includingmajorexpansionsoftherailtransitsystemsinEdmontonandVancouver,fleet rehabilitation in Toronto and subwayrefurbishmentinMontreal,aswellasbusrapidtransitprojects(BRT)incitiessuchasSaintJohn,NewBrunswick.MajorprojectsfundedinpartthroughtheStrategicInfrastructureFundincludecommuterrailexpansioninToronto,anewrapidtransitlineinVancouver,Ottawa’slightrailproject,andBRTinrapidlygrowingsuburbanmunicipalitiessuchasYorkRegionnorthofToronto.

Evensmallerfederalinitiatives,suchastheUrban Transportation Showcase Program,haveallowedformoremodestinfrastructureinvestments,suchastheintroductionofBRTsystemsinHalifaxandWaterloo-Kitchener-Cambridge.Butmanyotherprojectsarestillawaitingfunding.Rapidtransit linesthathavebeenonthedrawingboardforyears,suchastheWinnipegTransitway,Gatineau’sRapiBusprojectandtheQuebecCitylightrailplan,wouldbringrapidtransittomanyofCanada’sburgeoningsecond-tiercities.

Notsurprisingly,infrastructureneedsaregreatestinthelargesturbanareas.Seventy-fivepercentofalltransitinfrastructureneedsareinthethreelargestCensusMetropolitanAreas(CMAs),andtheneedsofthetransitsystemsinthecountry’s25CMAstogetheraccountforalmost99percentofthenationaltotal. Nonetheless, the mobility needs ofsmallercommunitiescannotbeneglected.

Whilethecostsaresmall,thebenefitsatalocal level can be enormous. For example,the launch of the new transit system inCharlottetownsixmonthsagowasamilestoneforpublictransitinCanada.ThePEIprovincial

capitalwasuntilthenthelargestcityinCanadawithout a bus system and, with a regionalpopulationexceeding50,000people,thearrivaloftransitinCharlottetownwaslongoverdue–andthefederalgastaxprogramwasamajorcatalystinmakingitpossible.

Canada’surbantransitinfrastructuredeficitisperhapsmostpoignantlydemonstratedbytheaverageageof thecountry’smunicipaltransitbusfleet,whichin2005stoodat10.3years. This compares to an average age of6.9yearsintheUnitedStates–afleetthatis made up of vehicles largely built by thesame Canadian manufacturers that supplyvehicles to our cities. Indeed, Canada’s

transitvehiclemanufacturingindustry–beit the bus plants in Ontario, Quebec andManitobaoperatedbyNovaBUS,NewFlyerandOrion,ortheBombardierrailcarplantsinOntarioandQuebec–exportsthemajorityofitsproductiontotheUnitedStates,buttheviabilityoftheplantsinCanadaisincreasinglyunderquestionwiththeinabilityofthehomemarkettorenewitsfleets.Whilethisishavingan impacton industry, ithashadanevengreaterimpactonourcommunitiesasfartoomanyold,polluting,inefficientbusesarestilloperatingonourstreets.

The very fact that Environment Canadahasresortedtoamufflerretrofitprogramtoequip10-to15-year-oldbuseswithcatalyticconverters to dramatically reduce dieselemissions, is testimonytotheagingnatureof the fleet. New vehicles that operate oncleandieselorhybridelectrictechnologywillsignificantlyreduceemissions,andlow-floordesignsareenhancingaccessibilityforpersonswithdisabilities,parentswithstrollersandpeoplewithluggageandshoppingcarts.

Whilethebusreplacementchallengeisthemostacute,similarissuesfacesomeofCanada’s

1� renewCanada May/June2006 www.renewcanada.net

CoverStory

source: april 2006 summary report titled “transit infrastructure needs for the period 2006-2010” prepared by the Canadian urban transit association. to download, visit www.cutaactu.ca

expansion/ridership growth needs by type

rehabilitation/replacement needs by type


urbanrailfleet,suchastheMontrealMetro,whoseoriginaltrainsarenow40-years-oldandoverdue for replacement.As for thebricks-and-mortarcomponentofthetransitinfrastructure puzzle, tunnels, stations,terminals and maintenance facilities areanintegralpartoftheneeds,which–whilethey have a longer lifespan than rollingstock–areinmanycasesindireneedofinvestment.BeittheTorontosubway–theoriginalpartofwhich isnowmore than50-years-old–ordowntownbusterminalsandroadwaysincitiesacrossthecountry,upgrading the infrastructure will have amajorimpactontheefficiencyofoururbantransportationsystemsaswellasontheirphysicalappearance.

Notallurbantransitinfrastructureisinthemega-dollarcategory,however.Investmentsintransiteffectivenessandefficiency,suchassignalpriority,reservedlanes,electronicfarepaymentandvehicletrackingsystemsthatimproveperformancewithoutaddingtofleetsize,areimportantcomponentsoftheequation.

Thestabilizationoftransitinfrastructureinvestmentneedsfortheperiod2006-2010isapositivesign inthat it indicates thatprogressisfinallybeingmadeinaddressingthelong-standinginfrastructuredeficit.Thedecliningproportionofneedsthatcannotbeaddressedbyexistingfundingprogramsfurther suggests that new commitmentsfromprovincialand federalgovernmentsarehavinganimpactontheplanningandinvestmentbymunicipalitiesforthecomingfive-yearperiod.

Whiletheseareoptimisticsignals, it isalsoclearthatthenewinvestmentstreamsremaintenuousanddelicate innature.A sizeable share of the needs remainunfundedandtheconceptofalong-term,reliablepublictransitinvestmentprogramforcommunitiesacrossCanadacontinuestobeaworkinprogress.

MichaelW.roschlauispresident&CeooftheCanadianUrbantransitassociation.Formoreinformationvisitwww.cutaactu.ca.

“not surprisingly,

infrastructure needs

are greatest in the

largest urban areas.”


trAnsPortAtioninFrastruCturethe most Visible AssetsBy Nancy Schepers

ThinkingaboutMaslow’shierarchyofneeds,it’sinterestingtonotethefoundationofhispyramidincludes

the satisfaction of physiological needs —basicelements suchas theneed forwaterandfood,andtheneedtodisposeofwaste.Maslow’stheorycontends,aswemeet“basicneeds,”weseektosatisfysuccessively“higherneeds”thatoccupyasethierarchy.

Maslowincludessafetyasthesecondstepinhispyramid.Basiccommunityinfrastructure,bydesign,fundamentallysupportsthephysiologicalneedsinMaslow’shierarchy—cleandrinkingwater,transportationforfood,andwastewatertreatment. A properly functioning societyprovidesadegreeof security to its citizens.Maslow acknowledges the desire for safetysometimes outweighs the requirement tosatisfyphysiologicalneedscompletely.

Althoughsocietycannotfunctionwithoutbasicinfrastructureservicesthatsatisfyphysiologicalneeds, communities often focus on “higherneeds”attheexpenseofbasic infrastructureneeds.Aslongasinfrastructurecontinuestoprovideuninteruptedservicestothecommunity,Iwouldarguethisroutinewillpersist.However,when failures that threaten safety occur,communitiesandtheirgovernmentstakeaction.Thisreactiveapproachiscostly,andfurthermore,can compromise the infrastructure’s abilityto be fully ultilized in meeting communityneeds.Canadahasrecentlyexperiencedsomenotablefailures.

Arecognitionisemerging.Communitiesmustadoptcomprehensivelifecycleassetmanagementto improve the overall condition, reliability,andfunctionalityoftheirinfrastructureassets.Oncecondition,reliabilityandfunctionalityoftheseassetsareinhand,communitiesshouldmaximizetheserviceoutputtheseassetsprovidebefore building additional infrastructure.Maximizingservicecan,andshould, includeexploringboththesupplyof,anddemandfor,servicedelivery.

Let’slookattransportationinfrastructureassets.Inmostcommunities,theseassetsarethemostvisiblepiecesoftheinfrastructure

puzzle. Transportation infrastructure isreliedoneverydaytomovepeopleandgoodsinsupportofcommunity life,much likeahumancirculationsystem.

Acongested transportationnetworkcostsacityeconomicallyandenvironmentally.ArecentTransportCanadastudyofthenation’sninelargestcitiesreportstheannualcostoftrafficcongestiontobebetween$2.3billionand $3.7 billion. A conservative estimateindicatesthatmorethan90percentofthiscostisattributedtotimelostthroughtraffic;sevenpercenttoadditionalfuelconsumed;andthreepercenttoincreasedgreenhousegasemissions.Worstofall,annualcostsaregraduallyrisingdue to intensified urbanization, increasedpopulation,andrelatedgrowthinthenumber

ofcarsandtruckshittingtheroad.Much of public transportation service is

providedontransportationinfrastructurethatissharedwithothermodesoftravelforgoodsandpassengers,suchasroadsandsidewalks.Furthermorethistransportationinfrastructureoftencoexistswithotherbasicinfrastructuresuchaswastewater,drinkingwater,andstormwater. Transit priority is one example of arelativelylow-cost,effectivesolutionthatcandramatically improve service often throughsimplemeasuresthatmakesmarterutilizationofthecommunity’stransportationinfrastructure.

While there have been strong advances inimplementingtransitpriorityinCanada,therehas not been a comprehensive look at boththe measures used to create priority and theimplementationprocessesusedtoputtheminplace.Withtherangeofissuesrequiringsolutionsfor reliable and competitive transit services,transitpractitionerscandefinitelybenefitfromunderstanding what other communities havedonetoaddressthevariousissuesathand.

Technical measures, however, are justonepartofthesolutiontoensuresuccessfulimplementation. A recently releasedInfraGuideBestPracticeonstrategic transitprioritiesreportsthatthrivingprojects,suchas Calgary’s signal priority on Route 3 andQuebecCity’sMetrobus,alluseamulti-yearstrategic plan for implementation, clearlyidentifying needs, evaluating options andassigningpriorities.Togainpublicacceptanceand valuable project experience, successfulcitiesengageinternalandexternalstakeholdersearlyonthrougheducation,consultationandactiveparticipation,andadopteasy-to-executemeasuresforfirst-timeimplementation.

Asuccessfultransitpriorityprojectdoesnot end with implementation. Ongoingdata collection, performance monitoring,and evaluation are also musts afterimplementation to maintain and improvethe service level. In addition, facedwith increasingly constrained resourcesand growing demand for all aspects ofinfrastructuresservices,communitiesmusttakeaholisticsystems-basedapproachtoitsinfrastructureassets.Publictransitisjustoneofthemanycomponentsofinfrastructurethatrequiresstrategicalignmentandleadershiptoproducesustainableservices.Recognitionof the interconnectedness of transit withdrinkingwater and stormwater is a starttoachievesystems-basedsustainabilityandreducecommunityinfrastructurecostsoverthelongrun.

Understanding interconnections,mixingtechnicalmeasures,ongoingdatacollection,andmonitoringperformanceiscrucialtothesupplyofcommunityinfrastructure.Allthesefactorscombineintoaprocessthatproducesthebestresultsandreducescommunityandenvironmentalrisksandcosts.

CoverStory

recognitionoftheinterconnectednessoftransitwithdrinkingwaterandstormwaterisastarttoachievesystems-basedsustainabilityandreducecommunityinfrastructurecostsoverthelongrun.

recognitionoftheinterconnectednessoftransitwithdrinkingwaterandstormwaterisastarttoachievesystems-basedsustainabilityandreducecommunityinfrastructurecostsoverthelongrun.

“Communities must take a holistic systems-based

approach to its infrastructure assets.”

nancySchepersistheprojectdirectorforinfra-Guide.Sheisalsodeputyenvironmentcommis-sionerfortheformerregionofottawa-CarletonanddirectorgeneralofenvironmentalaffairsfortransportCanada.

six steps to sustainabilityBy Ian Woodbury

Asset mAnAgement 101

When implementing assetmanagement systems in citiesacrossNorthAmerica,thesame

twoquestionskeepcroppingup:Whereshouldwestart?Whatdoweneedtodonext?

Assetmanagerswillfindtheanswertothesequestionsbyfollowingthesesixsteps:

inventoryWhatdoyouown?Whereisit?Answeringthesequestionsforthemunicipalityasawholeis the first step. Traditionally, inventoryinformationhasbeencollectedformaintenancepurposes in departmental silos with nooverall picture, and thus little chance forcomprehensiveplanning.

Often the inventory process acts as thespringboard formaintenancemanagementandalsodeterminestheattributescollectedforeachassettype.Asacityprogressestowardsustainability,theneedforadditionalattributeswillemerge,tohelpcalculatecondition,valueandrisk.Thesenewattributesmustbeidentifiedtotheoperationalareasandintegratedintostandarddatacollection.

ConDitionOnceyouknowwhatyouown,yournextstepistounderstandtheconditionitisin.Unfortunately,conductingphysicalinspectionsisanexpensiveandtime-consumingprocess.The other alternative is to estimate anasset’s condition based on its attributes;however,thismethod,thoughinexpensive,isimprecise.Thebeststrategyistocombinethetwoapproaches:useestimationtocalculateabaselineconditionforeachasset,andthenuse that baseline condition to prioritizephysicalinspections.

vaLUeThevalueanassetprovidestotheenterprisehas historically been calculated based ondepreciatedconstructioncost.Althoughthismeasurestillhasvalueforaccountingpurposes,itisimportantforassetmanagementtocalculatethecontributionassetsmaketotheenterprise.

Ataminimum,thevalueofanassetshouldberelatedtoitscostofreplacementanditscondition,not thecostofconstruction.Agoodstarttoimprovinguponthiscalculationistousethevalueoftheservicesprovidedthroughtheassets,suchascleandrinkingwater, and allocate a percentage of thatvaluetoeachassetinthesystembasedonitscontribution.Thesenumbersneednotbeaccuratetothedollar;instead,theyshouldgivearelativesenseoftheimportanceoftheassetstoservicedelivery.

Onceyouhavearelativevalueforassets,youcanstartprioritizingtheworkassociatedwiththembasedonvalueinsteadofmerelyonconditionorage.Thisapproachfocusestheenterpriseonmaintainingthevalueofitsassetinventory,andinadditionletsyoucalculate the return on investment frommaintenanceandrepair.

riSkKnowingwhatassetsareworthgivesyousomesenseoftheirimportancebut,unfortunately,nothowtheyexposetheenterprisetorisk.Foreachfailuremodeofanasset,youneedtoapproximatetheprobabilityoffailureandthecostoffailure,whichwillprovideyouwithadollarvaluefortheriskexposureintroducedbytheasset.Sincethisriskexposureisbuiltupontheconditionassessmentandvaluationof theassets, itwillallowyou to scheduleinspectionsand interventions tominimizetheexposureofrisktotheenterprise–whichstatisticallywill reduce theoperatingcostsdrivenbyemergencyrepairs.

LiFeCyCLeYoucanbeginmodellingthelifecycleofyourassetsatanypointinthisprocess,butthekeyistobuildupeachofthecomponentsasanaspectofthelifecycle.Startoutwithanageprofileoverthelifespanoftheasset.Addontothisaconditionprofile,avalueprofileandariskprofile,toseehoweachofthesefactorschangesovertime.Thesemeasurementsmake

itpossibletobuildbetterdecisionmodelsforschedulingeventsandmanagingassets.

inteGrationMost organizations focus on making thebestdecisions they canandon schedulingeventsforwhentheyaretheleastexpensiveto deliver the best value. However, localoptimization, within a department forexample, can sub-optimize the enterprise.Theuntappedbenefitofassetmanagementis itsabilitytoenableenterprise-optimizeddecision-making. These decisions exist atthe micro-level, such as coordinating pipereplacements and road resurfacing events,allthewayuptothemacro-levelofselectingcapital projects based on an enterpriseprioritybuiltup fromriskassessmentandvalue analysis. Integration allows you tobreakdownthesilosaroundyourassets.Toaccomplishthis,youneedmeasureslikevalueandriskwhichcanbecomparedequitably,aswellasbestpracticesthatspandepartments.

ConCLUSionEachstepalongthepathwayisimportant.However,themostcriticalstepistogetstarted.Byfollowingthesesteps,frominventorytointegratedplanning,anenterprisecanbeginmanagingitsassetssustainably.Ofcourse,the journey does not end there. Assetmanagementisnotaone-timeexercisebutanewwayofoperating.

Canadian Water Treatment is the only magazine dedicated to water quality in Canada. Published six times a year, Canadian Water Treatment is the ideal vehicle for targeting commercial, residential, bottled water, wholesale and retail water treatment professionals across Canada. visiT WWW.WeCommuniCaTions.Ca

For more inFormation: 1-800-344-7055, ext. 2

ianWoodbury,p.eng.hasmorethan10yearsofexperienceasanarchitectanddesignerofsoftwareapplicationsincludinginternet-basedsoftwaretoolsforlong-rangeassetmanagement.


researchers are developing a methodology to prioritize

sites for redevelopment

cLAssiFying BrownFieLds

By Edwin Tam and Philip Byer

TherearethousandsofbrownfieldsinCanadawhichhavethepotentialto stimulate economic growth,

community revitalization, and urbanrenewal. However, there are inadequatetoolstoassistsiteownersanddevelopersandthelocalcommunitiestounderstandthecomplexissuesthatmustbeaddressedinordertomakesounddecisionsonsiteredevelopmentinanyparticularsituation.

TheUniversityofWindsor,theUniversityofTorontoandSenecaCollegeresearchershavebegunaprojecttodevelopamethodologyforclassifyingbrownfieldsonthebasisofabroad

set of factors including site characteristics,alternative remedial actions, existing andproposed site uses, potential liability andcommunitysettings.Thiswillenableplannerstoprioritizesitesforredevelopment,identifyobstaclestotheirredevelopmentandserveasacommunicationstoolamongstakeholders.

The project is primarily funded by theOntarioCentresofExcellencewithassistanceand advice from the Niagara EconomicDevelopmentCorporation,AMECEarthandEnvironmentalandotherorganizations.Inthefirstphaseoftheproject,existingclassificationsystems by the CCME, the NationalRoundtableonEnvironmentandEconomy,theU.S.EnvironmentalProtectionAgencyandotherswerecriticallyreviewed,andmorethan200publiclyavailablebrownfieldsclean-upcasestudieswereassessed.Currently,inthesecondphase,theoverallframeworkforclassifyingbrownfieldsisbeingdeveloped.

A significant amount of effort is beingdirectedtowardsidentifyingthecharacteristicsorindicatorstobeusedintheclassificationsystem.Inadditiontotechnicalconsiderations,suchascontaminationandhealthriskfactors,socialandcommunityrelatedaspectswillplayacriticalrole.Inlaterphases,theclassificationsystemwill bevalidatedusing case studiesand input from stakeholders and experts.Oncevalidated,itwillbetransformedintoacomputerizedsystem.

Theclassificationsystemisnotintendedto further stigmatize contaminated sites.Instead,thesystemshouldhelpthevariousstakeholdersbetterunderstandthepotentialchallengesandbenefitsposedbydifferenttypesofbrownfieldsindifferentsituations,andpromotetheconceptsofsustainability.

Thelevelandtypeofinformationavailablewillvarywidely,especiallyfordifferentbrownfieldsatdifferentstagesofclean-upandredevelopment.Theclassificationsystemwillthereforeneedtoconsiderwhethercriticaldecisionpointshavealreadybeenreached.Inaddition,therewillbeawiderangeofinformationthatcouldbeused,rangingfromhighlyqualitativedata types totechnical,numericaldata.

Stakeholder perspectives on brownfieldsvarywidely.Ideally,theclassificationsystemshould incorporate the views of the fullrange of interested parties. Realistically,itwillhave to focuson theviewsof thosestakeholders, such as site developers,communityadvocacygroupsandmunicipalleaders,thatmostinfluenceredevelopment.

Formoreinformationontheproject,contactprof.edwintam,DepartmentofCivilandenvironmentalengineering,UniversityofWindsor,[email protected],orprof.philipByer,DepartmentofCivilengineering,Universityoftoronto,[email protected].

reMediate


integrated revitalization: when private

development defends the public realm.

by Storm Cunningham

roLe reVersals

Akeyroleoflocalgovernmentisrepresentingthelargerinterestsofthecitizenswhenprivatedevelopersproposeprojectsthathavenarrowagendas–whichnaturallyinvolvemaking

money.Theselargerinterestsofthecommunityincludesuchthingsasgreenspaceprotection,waterfrontaccess,heritagepreservation,supportoflocally-basedbusinesses,andcommunityhealth(bothecologicalandhuman).

I’ve been peripherally involved in a large, leading-edge urbanredevelopmentprojectforanumberofyearsnow.Aprivatedeveloperwasinvitedbythemayorofadistressed,medium-sizedcommunitytocreateanintegratedrevitalizationstrategyfortheentirecommunity.

Overaperiodofsomefouryears,thedeveloperassembledaworld-class teamofdesigners tobuild an economic recoveryplanbasedonrenewingallofthecity’srestorableassets:decrepitorobsoleteinfrastructure,derelictbuildings,contaminatedproperties,erodedurbanstreams,dyingwetlands,lackofpublicgreenspaceandsoon.Healsoaddressedthesocialsideofrevitalization:suchthingsascrime,racialtensions,andconcernovergentrificationviaalongseriesofpublicmeetingsinlocalchurchesandmeetinghouses.


Therevitalizationplancreatedbythisteamstartedachievingthedesiredresultsevenbeforethefirstshovelfulofdirtwasmoved:Propertyprices—evenoutsidethefootprintoftheplan—morethandoubledshortlyaftertheplanwasunveiled.Butnow,thepublicsideofthepartnershiphasbecomeproblematic.Thepublicsideoftheprojectthreatenstospinoffintomanyquestionabledealsinvolvingnewlyvaluablerealestate.Andneighbouringmunicipalities,whichwereatfirstverysupportive,arehavingsecondthoughts.

As a result, this private developer now finds himself in thepositionofdefendingthepublicfromtheirownelectedleaders,fightingtoprotecttheoriginalplan–thegreenspace,thehealthandbeautyoftheirnaturalareas,publicwaterfrontaccess–andfightingtogetthepoliticianstoliveuptotheiroriginalcommitments.

Inotherwords,theprivatedeveloperhasbecometheGoodGuy.Mostenvironmentalistsandhumanrightsadvocateswouldfindthatasomewhatshockingturnofevents.

Thisisn’tjustanisolatedincident:Astheworldmakesitsinevitableshiftfrompioneer-styleeconomicdevelopment(basedonconqueringnewlandsandextractingvirginresources)torestorativedevelopment(whichbaseseconomicgrowthprimarilyonrenewingthecapacityofthebuiltassetswe’vealreadydeveloped)privatedevelopersaremorefrequentlywearingthewhitehats,andmunicipalofficialsaremoreoftensportingheadwearofthedarkervariety.

Why?Becausedevelopersarerealizingtheultimatebuy-low,sell-highopportunitiesthesedaysareusuallyinremediatingbrownfields,reusingabandonedbuildings,regeneratinguglywaterfrontpropertiesand renovating obsolete infrastructure. In other words, they areshifting fromdestructivedevelopment to restorativedevelopment.Suchactivityisgrowingexplosively,andsomepublishedestimatessuggestitaccountsforsome$2trillionperyearworldwide.

Localgovernmentslargelyfailintheirroleofrepresentingthebest,long-terminterestsoftheircitizens.Thereasonsarevaried,butusuallyboildowntoincompetence,and/orlackofpolicysophisticationand,yes,theinfluenceofcompetinginterests.Exceptionstothisruleare

the author is working with several new Orleans-based institutions to apply the theory of integrated revitalization during rebuiling efforts in the shadow of hurricane Katrina.


usuallycommunitiesthatare largeenoughtodevelopthepolicysophisticationandlegalresourcesneededtopioneerandsupportmoreenlighteneddevelopmentpractices.

Public-privatepartnerships(P3s)haveevolvedinrecentdecadesasawayofcreatingbroaderstakeholderinvolvementindevelopmentandredevelopment,sometimeswithspectacularsuccess,butsometimesachievingquitetheopposite.Oneofthereasonsforthismixedbagofresultshasbeenageneralpaucityofrigor.P3sshouldbeseenasanemergingdiscipline,notsimplyatactic.WhiletherearesomeexcellenteffortstodevelopandshareP3bestpractices,truedisciplinesrequireanunderlyingstructureiftheyaretotrulyachievereplicableresultsandsupportongoingevolutionofknowledgeandpractices.

TheRevitalizationInstituterecentlyintroducedatoolthatcouldbeoftremendousvaluetomostP3s:TheIntegratedRevitalizationGuide(IRG).It’sahigh-level,generictool,designedtobeapplicableinanysituation,fromaruralrevitalizationprograminGhanatoametropolitanrenewalprogramforOntario.Itcomprisestwochecklists.Onehelpsintegratetherenewalofall12sectorsofrestorableassets,andtheotherismorefocusedonthelocal“climate”createdforrevitalization,andhelpswithintegratingthefourstakeholdergroups.Thissecondchecklistcanhelpcommunitieseliminatetheirsystemicsprawlsupports,andthusavoidbecomingthe“badguys”inaP3.

Oneofthemajorvaluesoftakingamoreintegratedapproachtoeconomicrenewalisthatitmakeseveryone’snarrowagendasrelevanttoeveryoneelse’snarrowagendas.Bymakingeachtypeof restorative development an integral part of socioeconomicrevitalization (which all stakeholders value), the historicpreservationists, ecosystem restorationists, urban planners,brownfieldsengineers,etc.allbecomerelevanttoeachother;eachcannowseetheroleoftheotherintheirsharedgoalofenhancingtheirlocaleconomyandqualityoflife.

StormCunninghamisexecutivedirector,revitalizationinstituteandauthorofThe Restoration Economy.Communities,schools,andnon-profitscandownloadandusetheirGfreeofchargefromwww.revitalization.org.

“As the world makes its inevitable shift from

pioneer-style economic development to restor-

ative development private developers are

more frequently wearing the white hats, and

municipal officials are more often

sporting headwear of the darker variety.”


oh yeAh, right. the oLymPics. It’scommonwisdomintheVancouverregionthatthewidespread

commitmenttosustainabledevelopmentandgreenbuildingswaskeytotheextrafewvotesthatgaveVancouverthe2010OlympicWinterGames,billedtobethe“mostsustainablegames”inOlympichistory.Whilenooneissureexactlywhatthatphrasemeans,fromawestcoastpointofview,theOlympicGamesinVancouverareseenbothassomethingpowerfulinthemaking,andatthesametime,asjustanother“moment”inatimelineofwhatisbecomingnotjustawavebutasurgingtideofsustainabledevelopmentinitiativesacrosstheVancouver-Whistlerregion.

FiFteen yeArs AgoThemovetoaddress“sustainability”inthisregiondatesbackto

partnershipsbetweenuniversityacademics,theCityofVancouverandothersthatweredevelopedimmediatelyafterthereleaseofthefamousBrundtlandreportonsustainabledevelopmentinthelate1980s.

Vancouver completed a study in 1990 entitled “The Clouds ofChange”thataddressedenergyandclimatechangeforthecity.Oneofthereport’srecommendationswasthatdiscardedindustriallandinthecity’sdowntownwaterfrontinSoutheastFalseCreek(SEFC)bedevelopedasa“modelsustainableurbanneighbourhood.”Citycouncilagreedandsaid“makeitso.”

Several years later, planning began in earnest for this 80-acrewaterfrontsiteandPandora’sboxofsustainabilitywasopened,nevertobeshut.Littledidtheyknowthatthissitewouldonedaybetheathlete’svillageforthemostsustainablegamesever.

ManyofuswhohavebeeninvolvedinSEFCsinceitsearlydays,andinthesustainabilitymovementprofessionallysince,oftensay,“ThemostimportantthingaboutSEFCiseverythingbutSEFC.”Wesaythisbecausetheprojectbecamealaboratoryfortheentiredevelopment industry, triggering an entire movement that willchangethisregionforever.

Inthemid1990s,simultaneouslywithSEFC,severalotherserioussustainability initiativesgotunderway in the region includingprojectssuchasSurrey’sEastClaytonneighbourhood,SimonFraserUniversity’sUniverCityproject,theUniversityofBC’sUniversityTown,andothers.

Inaddition,Whistlerstartedworkonitsnow-famousWhistler2020ComprehensiveSustainabilityPlan(CSP).Numerousplayers,includinggovernment, non-profit, academic, philanthropic and businessorganizations, began to gather around the sustainability agenda,commencingwhatwelookbackonnowashavingbeenthemostamazingdecadeofintensediscussions,studies,projectsandenergyonsustainabledevelopmentineverycorneroftheeconomyandsociety.

after years of talking about sustainability,

it’s time to get to work.By Mark Holland

the westcoAst tide isgreen

SpecialSection:BuildingBritishColumbia

todAyTodayinVancouversustainability isso

commoneveryoneislookingforadifferentword or collection of words to use todescribeit;noneseemtobeabletoreplacethetermquiteyet.

Everymajordevelopmentprojectinthecityisnowaddressingsustainabilitytothepointthatsomearedoingcomprehensivesustainabilitystrategiestomanagethemanyconsiderations.Thisfactisonlyevidenceofhowdeeptheintellectualvirusoftheword“sustainability”hasdrilledintoeveryaspectoftheVancouverregion.

Doesthismeanwelivealifeoflessimpactontheplanetthananyoneelse?No.Doesitmeanthattheconceptofsustainabilitynowshowsupineverymajordevelopmentproject and policy project in the region?Yes.Ourregioniswellintoits“soaktime”ofponderingthechallengesofthe21stcenturyandwhatitintendstodoaboutthem.Somuchso, infact,thatafewyearsagowerenamedourentireregionalstrategicplanthe“SustainableRegionInitiative.”

AcoregroupofprofessionalsinVancouvercreated LEED BC and brought LEED(Leadership in Energy and EnvironmentalDesign) to Canada. There are now green-building guidelines in play in numerousmunicipalities,includingVancouver,whichwasthefirstcityintheworldtocommittoLEED-Goldforeveryfuturecivicbuilding.Numerouscompaniesandgovernmentsintheregionnowhave sustainability managers, shifting entireorganizationsinhowtheythink.


“sustainable development is

about real projects and real

progress – and now the world

is watching Canada and its

west coast to see if we can

reach that to which we aspire.”



TheInternationalCentreforSustainableCitiesisnowholdingearly-morningbreakfastseverymonthforthe“professionalsustainabilitycommunity”andtheyarepackedby7:30.

Greenbuildingsinprojectsaresocommonnow,fewtalkmuchaboutthemanymore.WhileSEFCwasagovernmentdrivenproject,theVancouverbaseddevelopmentcompanyParklane isnowdrivingexactly the sameagenda into its emerging 14,000-personcommunity,EastFraserLands,inanentirelymarketdrivenproject.Andbeyondthisproject,theWindmillDevelopmentcompanyisbuildingDockside inVictoria,aproject thathaspromised a LEED-Platinum performanceforeverybuilding.

Eco-industrial networking is growing inpopularity,nowinfluencingtheentiredesignofneighbourhoodsandbusinessparksintheregion,includingsomeofitslargest.

Today, one is hard pressed to find anarchitecturalfirmthatdoesnothavenumerousLEED-accreditedprofessionalsonstaff,andmanymorewhoarefullyknowledgeableongreendesignapproaches.LEED-accreditedprofessionalsarenowcommoninallfirmsworkinginthedevelopmentindustrytothepointthatitwasrecentlyreportedthateventhesecretariesofonelocalengineeringfirmwereLEED-AP.

A green guideA recent UBC-led project to develop

a “Green Guide and Tour Map” ofsustainability-drivenprojectsintheregionwas snowedunderby submissions for itsfirstedition.Morethan200significantandcrediblesustainability-drivenprojectsweresubmitted to the team foranareawithinabouta50-kilometreradiusofVancouver.Thisgroupofprojects,duetotheirgeneralhighquality,wasdifficult toedit inordertofitintotheconstraintsoftheguideandmap,whichistobepublishedintimefortheWorldUrbanForumbeingheldinVancouverthisJune.

The list of green buildings, innovativeinfrastructure, transportation changeinitiatives,alternativeinfrastructuresystems,biodiversityinitiatives,educationalprograms,professionalgroups,socialchangeprojects,andrelatedthingsdrivingforwardonthesustainabilityagenda in theregionwouldtakehundredsofpagestodescribe.

Thebuildingofadeepandstrategicagendaforsustainabilityisdependentonitschampionsinaregionworkingindependentlyandwitheachotherineveryagency,groupandcompany–andthenonedaypeoplelookupandseea“tide”comingingreen.Thisiswhathappenedin10shortyearsintheVancouverRegion–amovementstrongenoughtogivethisrelativelysmalledgyregioninCanadathecompetitiveadvantagetowintheOlympicGames.

Astheoldproverbsays,becarefulwhatyouwishfor.WeinBCwishedfortheOlympic

Games and promised the world it wouldembodysustainabilityvaluesandexhibitthemineverywaytothebestofourability.

Wedidthisbecausewebelieveinit.Weweregrantedthatopportunityandnow

wehaveourworkcutoutforus.Sustainableprojects that are not realistic and cannotbebuiltareonlytheory,notdevelopments.Sustainabledevelopmentisaboutrealprojectsand real progress – and now the world iswatchingCanadaanditswestcoasttoseeifwecanreachthattowhichweaspire.

We’redonewiththe10percentofanygreatprojectthatistheidea–wenowhaveaheadofusthe90percentofthatprojectthatishardwork.Onlytimewilltellwhetherwe’llmeetourgoal,butwedohavethestrongestpossiblefoundationofsustainabilityexpertiseofanyregion in thecountryonwhichtobuild.Wedon’thavetohavetheconversationanymoreaboutwhythisisagoodidea–wejusthavetogetonwithit.

“an industrial contaminated brownfield in downtown Vancouver – the future home of the 2010 olympic Athlete’s Village – envisioned to be a world class sustainable high density urban community.”

MarkHolland,B.La.,M.Sc.,MCip,isaprincipalwithHollandBarrsplanningGroupinc.invancouver.



LeadingorganizationssuchastheGreaterVancouverRegionDistrict(GVRD)aremakingsignificantprogressinaligningtheirdecisionmakingwiththemultipleobjectivesofsustainabledevelopment–socialresponsibility,environmentalexcellenceandfinancialperformance–andtheGVRD

ismakingeffortstoensurethatenvironmentalandsocialimpactsaswellaslifecyclecostsareconsideredinthedesignandselectionofcapitalprojects.

Responsible for delivering utility services and protecting andenhancingthequalityoflifeinmetropolitanVancouver,theGVRDhasalong-standingcommitmenttoadvancingregionalsustainabilityandhasbeenworkingonavarietyoffrontstointegratesustainabilityintoday-to-daybusinessprocesses.

GVRDseniormanagementhasrecognizedthatdecision-supportprocessesandtoolsareneededtotakehigh-levelpoliciestotheoperationallevel.Akeyareainwhichtoolsandprocessesareneededisthedesignoflong-livedcapitalprojectssuchaswatersupplyandwastewatermanagement.

Becausethesetypesofprojectssignificantlyaffecttheenvironmental,socialandeconomicimpactofGVRD’soperations,andthegrowthanddevelopmentpatternsintheregion,theyhavebecomethescopeforthe

designofanewprocessandtoolsforbusinesscasingcapitalprojectsatGVRD.In2003,theGVRDbegantodevelopasustainabilitybusinesscasingprocessandthreeassociatedtools.Thepurposewastwofold:tohelpidentifymoresustainableoptionsintheearlystagesofcapitalprojectdesign,andtoincreasethetransparencyandconsistencyoftheinformationusedtomakedecisionsaboutcapitalprojects.

FiveWindsInternationalworkedwiththeGVRD’sDemandSideManagementGroupandBusinessCasingTaskGroup(madeupofseniorengineersandmanagers)todevelopatooltocompareprojectoptionsbasedonaconsistentsetoffinancial,environmentalandsocialmetrics.(SeeFigure1onpage32.)Summaryinformationprovidedbythetoolisusedtohelpprepareabusinesscaseforarecommendedproject option for detailed design and construction. To tap intoGVRD experience, the project team worked together with GVRDstaffthroughtwoworkshopstodetermineasetofkeysustainabilityaspectsforGVRD’scapitalprojects.Theseaspectswerethenrefinedto a manageable short list, and standardized metrics and scoringguidanceforeachmetricdeveloped.FurtherworkinvolvedrefiningthescopeofapplicationfortheSustainabilityBusinessCasingTool,andgatheringfeedbackfromend-usersonprototypeversionsoftheTool.

integrating sustAinABiLity intO cAPitAL designintegrating environmental, social and financial considerations into government and industry

decision-making processes is critical for moving society toward sustainable development.

“if we change the way we make decisions, we will change the decisions we make.”

Jim macneil, Secretary World Commission for Environment and Sustainable Development 1987


TheGVRDSustainabilityBusinessCasingToolisanExcel-basedapplicationusedbyprojectmanagerstoanalyzeandsummarizethe environmental, social and financialperformanceofup tosixoptions for thedeliveryofacapitalproject.Figure2showsthevariousstepsinvolvedinusingthetool,whichincludesthefollowingelements:

Step 1 includes a module to encourageandsupportTooluserstoidentifyprojectoptions with improved environmentaland/or social performance and a modulesummarizing related best practices. Thebest practices module includes practicescurrently implemented at the GVRD aswellthoseusedbyotherjurisdictionssuchas Internet links toLEEDstandardsandInfraGuidebestpractices.

In Step 2, users are provided with ascreening checklist for consideration ofpotentially relevant environmental andsocial aspects such as public health andsafety,energyandnon-energyrelatedairemissions,noiseandvibration.Inthisstep,users select all applicable aspects usingguidanceprovidedwithintheTool.

Thescreeningchecklist,inStep3,providesenvironmentalandsocialdata input tableswithguidanceonhowtomeasureandscoreeachoftheaspectsthataredeemedrelevantinthescreeningchecklist.Forsomecategories,such as the amount of fuel or electricity


“Initial experience with the Sustainability Business Casing Tool has revealed some interesting results.”


consumer, this is quantitative. For others,includingnegligible,verylow,low,ormediumrisktoworkersafety,it’smorequalitative.

AlifecyclecostingmoduleinStep4forallowstheusertoinputcostsforpre-construction,construction,operationsandmaintenance,and decommissioning of the facility orproject. The costing module also allowsforinputofanybenefitsandcostsavingsassociatedwithadesignoption.

Finally,aresultstableinStep5enablesacomparisonofthedifferentprojectoptionsonthebasisofcostandenvironmentalandsocialimpacts.Thebestperformingoptionfor each impact metric is highlighted toallowaquickvisualoverviewoftheresults(seeFigure3foranexampleoftheresults).InitialexperiencewiththeSustainabilityBusiness Casing Tool has revealed someinterestingresults.


SpecialSection:BuildingBritishColumbia SpecialSection:BuildingBritishColumbia

Figure 2. Process to use tooL

Figure 3. eXAmPLes oF the resuLts tABLe

1. consider creative solutions

initial options

2. identify relevant impacts

3. score metrics

4. Life cycle cost Analysis

5. interpret resultsselect Preferred option

tHeGvrD•Isapartnershipof21

municipalitiesandoneelectoralarea(approximatelytwomillionresidents)thatmakeupthemetropolitanareaofGreaterVancouver.

•Providesutilityservices–drinkingwater,sewagetreatment,recycling,andgarbagedisposal.

•Managesandplansregionalgrowthanddevelopment.

•Protectsairqualityandgreenspaces.

•Iscommittedtoadvancingregionalsustainability.

Figure 1. stePs in the tooL deVeLoPment Process

Brainstroming And

categorizing

Linear Projectsimpact workshop

Long List of environmental

and social impacts

criteria short List metrics

scoring guidance

Life cycle costmethodology

gVrd cAPitAL ProJect tooLFacility Projects

impact workshop

The project development and businesscasingprocessshouldbewelldocumentedand standardized to better integratesustainabilitythinking.

Decisionmakerspreferatoolthatsupportsdecisionmakingandallowsforexperienceand professional judgement rather thanatoolthatclearlyidentifiesthebestoptionbased on a set of previously-chosenperformancecriteria.

Engineeringandplanningstaffwelcomeastandardizedframeworkforconsideringcommonenvironmentalandsocialprojectimpacts.

Astandardizedsetofmetricswillcaptureonlyasubsetofaproject’simportantimpacts.Consequently,thebusiness-casingprocessmustbeflexibleenoughthatotherimpacts

andconsiderationscanbeeasilyintegratedintotheanalysis.

Decisionmakersappreciateconsistencyinbusinesscaseanalysisandpresentation.

OneoftheprimarybenefitsoftheToolisincreasedtransparencyandconsistencyofprojectevaluation.

eXPerience to dAte

CliveChappleisthesenioreconomistatGvrD.JaneComeaultp.engM.e.S.,isworkingwiththeGvrDtointegratesustainabilityconsiderationsintodecisionmakingprocesses.kevinBrady,B.Sc.M.e.S.,isapartnerinthesustainabilityfirmFiveWindsinternational.Duncannoble,MBa,p.eng.,-isaseniorconsultantwithFiveWindsinternational,wherehisworkfocus-es-onclimatechange,corporatesustainability,andlifecyclemanagement.

ABout the

gVrd

TheSustainableRegionInitiativeisGVRD’scommitmentto:•considerthefuturein

bothplansandactions•careforcommunity,

environmentandeconomyineverythingwedo

•nurturepartnershipsthatmakeourregiongreattodayandevenbettertomorrow

TheGVRDlaunchedtheSustainableRegionInitiative(SRI)in2001toidentifypublicvaluesregardingregionalsustainability,theprinciplesthatshouldguideregionaldevelopment,andthekeyactionsnecessary.

Today,theSRIistheoverarchingframeworkforallGVRDactivities.

the sustAinABLe region initiAtiVe


SpecialSection:BuildingBritishColumbia SpecialSection:BuildingBritishColumbia

PartnershipsBCfacilitatespartnershipsbetweengovernmentandbusinesstodeliverthebestfacilitiesandservicesforBritishColumbians.Wearecurrentlyworkingonprojects

withatotalvalueofmorethan$4.3billionwithmorethan$3billioncurrentlyintheformofprivate-sectorinvestment.

Todate,PartnershipsBChasreachedfinancialcloseonnineprojects:

Sierra Yoyo Desan Resource Road: built at no cost totaxpayers,allowsformoreoilandgasexplorationandproductioninnortheasternB.C.whichwillresultinincreasedroyaltiestotheprovincialgovernmentof$250millionperyear.

Academic Ambulatory Care Centre: to provide one-stopaccesstohealthcarediagnosticsandtreatmentatVancouverGeneralHospitalsitewhileimprovingopportunitiesforteachingUniversityofBCmedicalstudents.

AbbotsfordRegionalHospitalandCancerCentre:anewpublic hospital and cancer centre for B.C.’s fastest-growingregion,theFraserValley.

BritanniaMineWaterTreatmentPlant:tocleanuppollutedwaterfromthisformerminesiteandhelprevitalizethenaturalenvironment.

WilliamR.BennettBridge:afive-lanereplacementfortheexistingfloatingbridgeacrossLakeOkanagan.

Sea-to-SkyHighwayImprovementProject:improvementssuch as additional passing lanes and improved sightlines toimprovesafety,capacityandreliability.

CanadaLineRapidTransitProject:arapidtransitlinetoaddresscongestion,managegrowthandboostourcities’livability,sustainabilityandcompetitiveness.

KickingHorseCanyonProject:afour-lanehighwayandanewbridgetoimprovesafetyandreliabilityalongtheTrans-CanadaHighway.

GoldenEarsBridge:anewbridgeandroadnetworkthatwillcreatemorethan$1billiondollarsineconomicactivityand6,500person-yearsofemployment.

Each one of these projects is improving the workability,sustainabilityandlivabilityofcommunitiesallacrossB.C.

In all projects, government retains ownership, controland responsibility. By setting standards through contracts andlegislation,andbycloselymonitoringproductserviceanddelivery,governmentensuresthatthepublic’sneedsaremet–andthatthepublicinterestisserved.AndB.C.’sinfrastructureandeconomicboomisempoweredtocontinueandgrow.

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bC leaDs CanaDa in PuBLic- PriVAte-PArtnershiP MarKetBy Suromitra Sanatani

SuromitraSanataniisvice-presidentofcorporateandgovernmentrelationsforpartnershipsBritishColumbia.partnershipsBCstructuresandimplementspartnershipsolutionswhichservethepublicinterest.

academicambulatoryCareCentre,vancouver,BritishColumbia


TheestablishmentofPartnershipsBCInc.inthespringof2002wasoneofthekeyinitiativesoftheB.C.governmenttostimulateP3projects.Itsrole istodetermine whether or not an infrastructure need can best be met througha partnership with the private sector; to ensure an open and transparent

competitiveselectionprocessisundertaken;toreachthebestagreement,onbehalfoftaxpayers;andtobecomeacentreofexpertiseinmanagingthecompetitiveselectionprocess.

PartnershipsBCcurrentlyhas15projectsinvariousstagesofdevelopment.InOntario,initiativestopromoteP3sstartedearlierthaninB.C.,withthecreationof

SuperBuildCorporationofOntarioin1999,butappeartohavefallenbehind.SuperBuildwasintendedtocoordinateallgovernmentcapitalinfrastructureinvestment

andtospearheadthedevelopmentofP3projectsinOntario.ThenthecurrentLiberalgovernmentwaselected;ithadcampaignedagainstP3deliveryofpublicprojects,andthemomentumofP3deliveryofprojectsslowed.

However,therewasrenewedinterestin2005whentheministerofPublicInfrastructureRenewalannouncedOntario’splanstorebuildandexpandvitalinfrastructurethroughalternative finance and procurement (AFP), which was described as “a techniqueforencouraginginvestmentbyprivatesectorinpublicfacilities,togeneratelongtermbenefits…andpayingitoffoverthelifeofthepublicasset.”

InNovember-2005,theprovinceestablishedInfrastructureOntario,acrownagencythatwas taskedwithmanagingOntario’smajor infrastructureprojectsusingAFPmethods. Ontario also established the Ontario Strategic Infrastructure FinancingAuthority(OSIFA),whichofferslow-cost,long-termandfixedratefinancingtoassistininfrastructurerenewal.OSIFAraisescapitalfromindividualsandinstitutionalinvestorsbysellingbondsandlendsthosefundstofinanceinfrastructuredevelopments.

AsignificantfactortothesuccessofanyP3projectisthecostofprocurementandfinalizationofprojectprocurementandcontractdocuments.Infact,PartnershipsBC,initssubmissiontotheQuebecNationalAssembly’sCommitteeonPublicFinance,reportedthatacriticalsuccessfactorforasuccessfulP3agencyandaviableP3marketwasstandardization:

“A consistent and cohesive approach to P3s across the entire Canadian market is in the public’s best interest. Standardization will reduce transaction costs for government, reduce pursuit costs for proponents, increase market certainty and maximize appeal of both provincial and national markets. Relevant to this point is the need to recognize that the global P3 market does not look at provinces individually, and rather considers the country’s business climate as a whole. Unsatisfactory experiences in one province will impact the prospect of success elsewhere.”

PuBLic-PriVAte

suCCesswhile other provinces may have pioneered the development of public-private-partnership (p3) projects in Canada (such as the highway 407 in Ontario and the Confederation bridge in new brunswick), british Columbia has become a leader in the number of p3 projects that have been planned and implemented.

By Owen Pawson and Soo Yin Woo


ConstructionisatthemobilizationstageforthebridgeacrosstheFraserriverfortheCanadaLine.

Rendering courtesy InTransitBC.

theSea-to-SkyHighway

theSea-to-SkyHighway

www.renewcanada.net

B.C.hasdevelopedasetofstandardformdocumentsforitsP3transportationinfrastructureprojects.ThisisconsistentwiththeapproachtakenintheUnitedKingdom,whichhasstandardizeditsdocumentationforPrivateFinanceInitiatives(PFIs).

Inthetransportationsector,B.C.’s“concession”agreements,suchastheSea-To-SkyHighwayImprovementProjectfromWestVancouvertoWhistler,werebasedontheUKmodel.Bothweredesign-build-finance-and-operateprojects.Provisionsaddressingchangeinlaw,forcemajeure, compensationevents,anddefaultmechanisms inUKPFIcontractsaresimilar.ThisconsistencyassistsinternationalplayerswhoarelikelytobefamiliarwiththeUKmodel.

Another important factor to enhance implementation of P3projectsisasupportivestatutoryframework.Anyambiguityinthelegalandregulatoryframeworkwillcauseincreasedriskforpotentialprivate-sectorproponents.

In the transportation sector, B.C. enacted the Transportation Investment Act and theTransportationAct to support concessionhighwaysandtoaddresstypicalissuesinP3projects.Incontrast,Ontarioenactedspecificlegislation,suchastheHighway 407 Act andtheHighway 407 East Completion ActthatdealtspecificallywiththeseP3projectsasone-offs.ThelackofanoveralllegislativeframeworkinthetransportationareawillbeanimpedimentforOntario.

Inthehealthcaresector,B.C.enactedtheHealth Sector Partnerships Agreement Actin2003.ThatlegislationisintendedtofacilitatethedevelopmentofP3healthcareprojects.

ItappearsthatotherprovincesarepoisedtofollowtheleadofB.C.andOntarioinestablishingcoordinatingagenciesforP3projects.Forexample,theQuebecgovernmenthasadoptedasetofguidelinesforimplementationofP3projects.Ithasalsocreatedthe“Agencedespartenariatspublic-priveduQuebec”asitsP3coordinatingagency.AlbertahasalsoexpressedaninterestinP3deliveryofprojectsandhasdevelopedtheAlbertaInfrastructureGuidanceDocument.

ThedevelopmentofP3sinotherprovincesislikelytohaveanimpactonP3inB.C.Intheabove-notedsubmissionbyPartnershipBCtotheQuebec’sCommitteeonPublicFinance,itwasstated:

“Partnerships British Columbia recognizes that the international P3 market does not view provinces as individual markets. Given this reality, it is extremely important that Canadian agencies and/or Ministries responsible for the delivery of public private partnerships work together to maintain a consistent market advantage for Canada. Further, the value to the taxpayer and the public purse resulting from effective P3 implementation is considerable. Partnerships British Columbia encourages the growth and creation of a vibrant P3 market in all Canadian provinces.”

“It appears that other provinces are poised to follow the lead of B.C. and

Ontario in establishing coordinating agencies for P3 projects.”

owenpawsonisalawyerwithMillerthomsonLLpincorporatecommercialmatters,primarilyintheareaofconstructionlaw.HeisagraduateassociatewiththearchitecturalinstituteofBritishColumbiaandamem-beroftheBritishColumbiaConstructionroundtable.

SoyinWoopractisescorporatecommercialandbankinglawwiththefirmofMillerthomsonLLpinvancouver.priortoMillerthomson,shepractisedas

acorporatelawyerinkualaLumpur,Malaysia.




iriSkopek, founderofGreenGlobes–an onlinebuildingandmanagementenvironmental audit–believeshismethodologyforbuilding assessment increases the productivity ofbusinesses,providesahealthierworkplaceforemployeesandreducestheamountofgreenhousegasproducedbybuildings.

Taking a cue from the Building ResearchEnvironmentalAssessmentMethod(BREAM)intheUnitedKingdom,Skopekdevelopedhismethodforbuildingassessmentin1996withthesupportoffederalandprovincialministriesandpublicutilities.

AGreenGlobesassessmentisdonebyansweringan online questionnaire. The information isthenusedbyGreenGlobes toassess forvariousenvironmentalaspectssuchasenergyandwateruseandtheoverallproductionofwastesandpollutants.

Theresultscanbeusedtofindwaystoimprovebuildingandbusinessefficiency,savemoney,andincreaseoverallproductivity.

Sinceitsoriginalconceptionalmostadecadeago,GreenGlobeshasgoneontopartnerwithseveral organizations including the BuildingOwners and Managers Association (BOMA),TerraChoiceEnvironmentalMarketingandtheCityofTorontoBetterBuildingPartnership.

SkopekpartneredwithTerraChoicein1998todevelopGreenLeaf,aprogramthatassessestheproductivityofexistingbuildings.

Soonafter,hewasapproachedbythePublic

Works and Government Services of Canada(PWGSC) and asked to develop a method toassessbuildingsstillindevelopment.Thisway,Skopek could work with owners to build themostefficientbuildingspossible.

In 2001, the Green Globes questionnairebecameaccessibleonline.

“Thatopenedawholewrenchofpossibilitiesand suddenly we had an interactivequestionnaire,”Skopeksaid.

Afterfillingoutthequestionnaire,abuildingownercanchoosetohavethebuildingverified.ABOMAemployeewillexaminethebuildingandverify the informationgiven toGreenGlobes.Onceverified,abuildingbecomesagreenbuilding,astatusthatcanimprovebusinessfunctionsandearnrespect,acclaimandrewards.

OrganizationslikeGreenGlobesarepoppingupallovertheworld.SkopeksaidChina,JapanandAustraliaallhavesimilarenvironmentally-friendlyinfrastructurepracticesandprograms.

InCanada,LeadershipinEnergyandEnvironmentalDesign(LEED)hasjoinedthegreenbuildingmarket.

“LEED’sobjectiveistoreachthetop25percentofthemarket,”Skopeksaid.“TheobjectiveofGreenGlobesistomeetthemainstream.”

However, Skopek feels no need to competewithhismostobviouscompetitor.

“Themarketisjustenormousandthescaleofenvironmentalproblemsarehuge,”hesaid.“Ithinkthereisroomforeverybody.”

leeD isn’t the only way to ‘green’ your building.

By Laura Ruddock

green gLoBes

J

exchangetower,toronto,ontario

www.renewcanada.net

manitoba chapter Leeding the wayDon’tblink,youmightmissit.

TheManitobaChapteroftheCanadaGreenBuildingCouncil(CaGBC)isgrowingatanimpressivepacewithnosignofslowingdown.

“We’veheardfromthenationallevelthatwe’reoneofthemostactivechaptersinthecountry,”saidRodneyMcDonald,chapterpresident.

OfficiallylaunchedlastMaywith60peopleonane-maillist,McDonaldsaidmembershiphasnowreached300peopleandcontinuestogrowatarateofabout10percenteverymonth.Hesaidalotofthatgrowthisbecausethechapterisfillinganeedintheprovince.

“Therewasalotofpent-upinterest,”hesaid.“Whatalotofpeoplehavesaidisthattheyappreciatethesharingofinformationandmeetingofotherprofessionalsintheindustry.”

TheManitobachapterexists,saidMcDonald,tohelptransform the local market to green building and topromoteandsupportgreenbuildingpractices.Toachievethat,therearethreeareastheboardofdirectorsisfocusingon:networkingopportunities;educationalopportunities;andcollaborationwithgovernmentandotherindustries.

Thenetworkingandeducationalopportunitiescomeinallshapesandsizesandarearesultofthehardworkanddedicationoftheboardofdirectors,allofwhomarevolunteersandcanspendbetweenthreeto10hoursperweekonchapter-relatedactivitiesandcommunication.

Eachmonththechapterhostsaluncheonandfeaturesaguestspeaker.Twiceayearthere’saLEEDworkshop,one in the spring and again in the fall, for peoplepreparingfortheLEEDaccreditationexam.Therearealsohosttworeceptionsperyear,themostrecentbeingaChristmasreception.Thetheme?“GreenChristmas.”

Stan Struthers, conservation minister for theprovince, attended the “Green Christmas” event andannounced the establishmentof theManitobaRoundTableonSustainableDevelopment.Healsoannouncedhisgovernmentisworkingonagreenbuildingpolicy.

“There’slotsofmomentumforgreenbuildinghereintheprovince,”saidMcDonald.

More recently the chapter hosted Jim Hartzfield,vice-president of Interface Americas. “EcoJim” is theformer chair of the United States Green BuildingCouncil(USGBC)andasocialmarketingchampionontheNorthAmericanandinternationalscene.

AstheexecutiveandmembershipprepareforthefirstannualgeneralmeetinginJune,theywillalsocelebratethegrandopeningoftheirnewofficespacethisMay.Small on membership dues and long on dedicationandin-kinddonations,thenewspacewillbesharedwithanothereco-businessandhasbeendecoratedandrenovatedingreen–asinanenvironmentally-friendlyfloor,energy-efficientlightingandnon-VOCpaint.

TheManitobaChapteroftheCanadaGreenBuildingCouncilhasfoundanopportunitytobeabigpartof“growing”thegreenbuildingindustryandMcDonaldsaidthere’sstillmoreworktobedone.

“Fromthechapterperspective,wereallyseethatthefutureofallbuildingisgreenbuilding.”

theLeedListnew Leed certiFicAtions in cAnAdA

shenFieLd ciVic centreedmonton, Alberta • Leed certified-ncFeaturesincludewaterconservationthroughthesueofdroughtresis-tancevegetationandlow-flowfixturesandcommitmentto100percentgreenpowerforfiveyearswithafurthercommitmenttoextendinggreenpowerto20percentoftheSpruceGrove’sotherpublicbuildingrequirements.

rAdiAnce @ mintotoronto, ontario • Leed silver-ncFeaturesinclude:energysavingsthatrepresent34.5percentlessthanthe national benchmark code; market transformation through theinvolvementofmanufacturersinthedesignanddevelopmentofaheatrecoveryventilatorforresidentialapplication,andbypromotinggreenbuildingawarenessforoccupantsandthecommunity.

steeLcArehamilton, ontario • Leed gold-ncFeaturesinclude:energysavingdesignresultingin55.8percentbet-terperformancethantheModelNationalEnergyCodeforBuildingsthrough:upgradedbuildingenvelope;occupancysensorsandloweredlightingpowerdensities;heatrecoveryventilatorsandinfrarednaturalgastubeheaters;andasolarairpreheatsystem.

eArth rAngers centrewoodbridge, ontario • Leed gold-ncFeatures include: lowered lightingpowerdensity and radiant floorconditioningandstormwatermanagementandwaterconservationthroughrainwatercollectionfornon-potableuse,grassyswalesanddrypondsystem;nativeplants,greenroofandlow-flowplumbingfixtures.


If you have a LEED-related story idea e-mail [email protected].


reevents

gtA trAnSportAtion SuMMit – toronto, on, feBruAry 2006ThisReNew Canada-sponsoredeventwashighlightedbyakeynoteaddressfromtheministerofTransport,InfrastructureandCommunitiesannouncingastudyexaminingthecostofurbantrafficcongestionforCanada’sninelargesturbanareas.OtherspeakersincludedPatJacobsenoftheGreaterVancouverTransportationAuthorityandMaryFrancisTurnerof theYorkRegionRapidTransitAuthority.The two-dayconferencepresented anumberof case studies onhow to reducegridlockandemployintegrationstrategiesandalternativefinancingsolutionsforeffectivetransportationpolicy.To obtain a summary of the study, visit www.tc.gc.ca.

gLoBe 2006 – vAnCouver, BC, MArCh 2006ReNew Canadawas invited to thebiannualeventand,alongwithdistributionofthemagazineandparticipationintheconference,metwithDomtarandENGOpartnerstodiscusssustainablepaperproducts.AlsohighlightedattheconferencewastheCementAssociationofCanada’sfirst-eversustainabilityreport(visithttp://report.cement.ca),a“BuildingBetterCities”trackandaspecialSustainableConstructionShowcasedemonstratingthelatestingreenbuildingtechniquesandmaterials.

Lawrence Cannon, minister of Transport, Infrastructure and Communities, meets with reporters following his address to the GTA Conference on March 21, 2006.

ReNew Canada publisher (far right) meets with, from left, Antony Marcil, president of the Forest Stewardship Council; Lewis Fix, Earthchoice/Domtar Inc.; and Peter ter Weeme, VP of Mountain Equipment Co-op (a major end-user of FSC paper products).

The “new three musketeers” swing the sledgehammers at official groundbreak-ing of TWRC’s West Don Lands community project.

From left: John Baird, Treasury Board of Canada; David Caplan, Ontario Minister of Public Infrastructure Renewal; and David Miller, Mayor of Toronto.

Alan Kreisberg, chair of the Cement Association of Canada Board of Directors, delivers their first industry sustainability report on March 29 in Vancouver.

Senior members of the ECO Canada team, from left: Ed Norrena, SENES Consultants and ECO Canada board member; Michael Kerford; and Janelle Ring, director-marketing and communications.

Especially enlightening was the session on the Future of GreenBuildingswith twoof the leading figures in the industry:KevinHydesofStantecandPeterBusbyofBusbyPerkins+Will,candidlydiscussing“Ecotecture”andthegrowingcommercialacceptanceandapplicationofsustainablebuildingtoolsandmaterials.Therewasalsoconsiderablebuzzaroundwaterfrontandinfrastructurerenewalleadinguptothe2010Olympics(see special section, page 26).

WeSt Don LAnDS DeveLopMent – toronto, on, MArCh 2006Itwassimilartotheinfamous“ThreeAmigos”announcementonmassivefederal-provincial-cityinvestmentinToronto’swaterfrontmadein2001bythenPrimeMinisterJeanChretien,PremierMikeHarrisandMayorMelLastman.Thistime,itwas‘replayed’byTorontoWaterfrontRevitalizationCorp.chairRobertFung,PresidentoftheTreasuryBoardofCanada,JohnBaird,OntarioMinisterofPublicInfrastructureRenewalDavidCaplanandTorontoMayorDavidMillerwho,onMarch27,officiallylaunchedthestartofwaterfrontworkintheWestDonLands(or‘Corktown’aslocalsaffectionatelycallit).Thedevelopment,on32hectaresjusteastofdowntownToronto,callsfor6,000newresidencesinanintegratedLEED-Goldcommunity.Thefirststageofconstructionbeginsthisfallwithcompletionby2009.For details on this project and others that are part of a larger and more ambitious waterfront plan for Toronto, visit www.towaterfront.ca.

Reception networking is a key GLOBE activity. From left: Don Lewis, Ontario Centres of Excellence (OCE); Jane Pagel, Jacques Whitford; James Sbrolla, Environmental Business Consultants; and Dan McGillivray, OCE.


Bill Humber, Chair, Sen-eca College Centre for the Built Environment (left), and Glenn Miller, director of education and research, CUI, share a photo moment during a break in the session.

Lead Media Sponsor:

nAtionAL green BuiLDing ShoW – ottAWA, on, ApriL 2006Whileitmayhavebeenthefirstyearforthisevent,itdrewagreatcrowdfromprivate-sectordevelopersandsuppliers,governmentmanagersandalargeBOMA-Ottawadelegationtomakeitasuccess.Morethan40tradeshowboothsand32information-packedseminarswithsome100speakersprovidedampleopportunitytolearnabout‘buildinggreen’.For details on this event visit www.nationalgreenbuildingshow.com.

CAnADiAn urBAn inStitute – toronto, on, ApriL 2006TheCUIUrbanLeadershipSeriesrolledoutawho’s-whobreakfastseminaronApril21titled“TheHiddenPowerofBill51–AcceleratingAcceptanceofSustainability.”Bill51istheOntariobillthatwill,wheninforceJanuary2007,providecitycouncilsinOntariowiththerighttodeterminehowdevelopmentsfitintothecommunityandspecifycriteriaindevelopmentapplications.Itwillalsoaddresslong-awaitedOntarioMunicipalBoard(OMB)reforms.OntarioMinisterofMunicipalAffairsandHousingJohnGerretsendeliveredthekeynoteaddressandapanelofdistinguishedprofessionals,includingBruceKuwabaraofKPMBArchitects andPamelaRobinsonofRyersonSchoolofUrbanandRegionalPlanning,weighedinon“thepower”ofthisnewmunicipallegislation.For copies of the presentations, visit www.canurb.com

CAnADiAn MiSSion to AuStrALiA – SyDney & MeLBourne, MAy 2006ReNew CanadapublisherToddLathamjoineda30-pluspersondelegationof planners, developers and government officials from the GreaterTorontoArea (GTA)ona trademission toAustraliaonbehalfof theCanadianTradeCommissionerService,theCanadianConsulateGeneralinSydneyandtheGreaterTorontoMarketingAlliance.ThegoalwastoencourageAustralianinvestment inCanada,particularly intheareaofwaterfrontdevelopmentintheGTA,andexposetheCanadianpropertydevelopment and infrastructure industry to the benefits of waterfrontdevelopment using the fine Australian examples of progressive andsustainablewaterfrontdevelopmentemployedinSydneyandMelbourne.Formalandinformalmeetings,presentations,eye-poppingviewsandexcitingcasestudiesfilledpagesofnoteswhichwillbedevelopedintoatwo-partarticlethatwillbeginintheJuly/August2006issueofReNew Canada.

A Sarnafil representative speaks with an attendee about green roof systems at their booth in Ottawa.

Members of the GTMA Australia mission delegation gather at the waterfront near the Sydney Botanical Gardens on May 7 to soak in the famous Opera House views.

All photos (except CAC Chair Alan Kreisberg) by Todd Latham.


re:theLaw

p3s are gaining popularity in Quebec and highway 25 is the one to watch.

highwAy 25 leaDs QuebeC intO P3 territory

InlateMay2006,Quebec is scheduled to launch its first-everrequestforproposalsrelatingtoapublic-privatepartnership(P3).Theproposalswillrelatetothecompletionofa7.2kilometre

segmentofHighway25,whichwillslicethroughtheEastEndofMontrealandincludeabridgetotheNorth-shoremunicipalityofLaval.TheHighway25projectwillbecloselywatched,sinceitisthefirstofseveralmajorP3projectscurrentlyinthepipelineinQuebec.

Theproblem:Nearlyhalfof thepopulationofQuebec lives intheGreaterMontrealAreaand,asinmanyotherQuebeccities,theroadnetworkissimplyinadequateforthecurrentvolumeoftraffic.Theincreaseintheflowofvehiclessince1971hasnotbeencoupledwithanincreaseintheroadnetworkcapacity,leadingtoseriousrush-hourcongestionproblems.Thishasledtoconcernsregardingtheeconomicvitalityoftheurbancommunityandenvironmentalconcernsaboutemissionsgeneratedbygridlockedvehicles.

The transport ministry has developed a project involving theextensionofHighway25,whichwilllinkLavalandtheLaurentianandLanaudiereregionsontheNorthShorewiththeeasternpartofMontrealandwiththeMonteregieregionontheSouthShore.Thelinkwillconsistofafour-lanestretchofhighway,includinga1.2kilomtre,six-lanebridgeacrosstheRivieredesPrairies.Areservedbuslanewillalsobeconstructed.Thus,driverswhowishtoavoidthealmostpermanentcongestionoftheMetropolitainHighwaywillbeabletodosobyusingatoll-roadtothenorth.

AspartofitsModernizationPlanlaunchedinMay2004,theQuebecgovernmentadoptedapolicyframeworkestablishingguidelinesforthe implementationofP3projects.According to thepolicy,whenaninfrastructureandservicedeliveryprojectmeetscertaincriteriaestablishedbyregulation,thepublicbodyresponsiblefortheprojectmustprepareabusinesscaseassessingitsfeasibilityandcomparingtheP3modeltotheconventionalmodelbeforeitcanbeauthorized.Forthatpurpose,thegovernmentcreatedtheAgence des partenariats public-prive du QuebectoadviseitonP3matters.Moreparticularly,theagencyassistspublicbodiesinselectingpartnersandinnegotiating,concludingandmanagingthecontractualframeworkforP3projects.

TheemergingP3marketinQuebecisattractingtheattentionofbothCanadianandforeigninfrastructureplayers.TheHighway25projecthasatotalestimatedvalueof$400millionandthetermofthecontractenteredintobetweenthegovernmentandtheprivatepartnerisexpectedtobeapproximately35years.Therequestforproposals will be launched at the end of May and the winningconsortiumshouldbeselectedduringthewinterof2007,withthecontractstobesignedbythefollowingspring.CarsareexpectedtobeginusingthenewportionofHighway25by2010.

Whenthequestionisposedingeneralterms,supportforP3projectsseemstobequitestronginQuebec.Asurveyconductedinthefallof2004fortheCanadianCouncilforPublic-PrivatePartnershipsfoundthatsupportforP3projectswashigherinQuebecthaninanyotherprovince.AsubsequentsurveyconductedinQuebecinApril2005fortheInstitut pour le partenariat public-priveencounteredsimilarlypositiveresults.

However,theseviewsarefarfromuniversalandtheHighway25projecthasmetwithresistanceonseveralfronts.Mostrecently,acoalitionofenvironmentalgroupsfiledanactionwiththeQuebecSuperiorCourtseekingapermanentinjunctionandallegingthatthegovernmentbreachedtheprovisionsoftheEnvironment Quality Act inconductingtheapprovalprocessfortheproject.

TheP3formulaiscurrentlygainingmomentuminQuebec.Onthehealthcarefront,Quebec’sministerofHealthandSocialServiceshasannouncedthatthetwonewteachinghospitalstobebuiltinMontreal,theMcGillUniversityHealthCentre(MUHC)andtheCentre hospitalier de l’Universite de Montreal (CHUM), would bebuilt following a P3 approach. A revised cost estimate was alsoannounced,whichanticipatescostsof$1.5billionfortheCHUMand$1.5billionfortheMUHC.

ManythingsarehappeningintheemergingworldofP3arrangementsinQuebec.Theonetowatch,however,istheHighway25project.Itssuccessorfailurewillinevitablyhaveadecisiveimpactonthepopularity,theformandthefutureoftheP3modelinQuebec.

“The success or failure of Highway 25 will inevitably

have a decisive impact on the popularity,

form and future of the P3 model in Quebec.”

angelonoceisanattorneywiththeMontrealofficeofBlake,Cassels&GraydonLLp,amemberofQuebec’sinstitutpourlepartenariatpublic-priveandamemberofBlake’snationalinfrastructurepracticeGroup.

By Angelo Noce


ClosingShot

WaterandwastewaterP3shaveproventobeadvantageoustocommunitiesthroughoutthedevelopedanddevelopingworld as ameanstoadvanceinfrastructurerenewalandoperateservicesatlesscost.WhileCanadahasafewnoteworthy examples of these projects, theUnitedKingdomandFrancehavedemonstratedsignificantprogressinthissector.

TheCanadianCouncilforPublic-PrivatePartnerships(CCPPP)hasassembledanumberofresourcesforthoseinterestedinwaterandwastewaterP3projects.

•CCPPPchairMichaelWilsonstateshowP3scanhelpfixourhighways,sewersandtransit.

•“TheUrbanChallenge:OneMunicipality’sExperiencewithP3s”isapresentationbyL.E.Strang,citymanagerinMoncton.StrangoutlinesthreecasestudiesfromMoncton,includingawatertreatmentplant,icearenaandcityhallproject.

•Volume 1: Benefits of Water Service Public-Private Partnershipslooksatthevariousarrangementsthatdrawonprivate-sectorfinancialcapacityandareasofexpertiseindeliveringwaterandwastewaterservices.ItreviewstheadvantageswithspecificP3modelsandexaminestheinherentcharacteristicsthatmakethemattractivechoices.

•Overview of Successful Public-Private Partnerships in the Water Sectordetailskeyfacts,highlights,resultsanddescriptionsofwaterandwastewatertreatmentprojectsinDartmouth,Hamilton-Wentworth,Moncton,Edmonton,Haldimand-Norfolk,Milwaukee,BuffaloandIndianapolis.

•Water & Sewer Rates: Full Cost Recovery ThisInfraGuideCanadastudydetailsbestpracticesinachievingfullcostrecoveryforwaterandsewerservicesgiventheexistinginfrastructuredeficitanddeterioratingstateofmunicipalsystems.Toviewthereport,visitwww.infraguide.ca.

•Watertight: The Case for Change in Ontario’s Water and Wastewater SectorThisreportistheresultofresearchandconsultationsconductedbytheExpertPanelonWaterandWastewaterStrategyappointedbytheGovernmentofOntarioin2004toinvestigateoptionstoimprovethedistributionandprocessingofwaterandwastewaterintheprovince.Itestimatesthecostofrenewingandmaintatingthesystemoverthenext15yearstobebetween$30and$40billion.Formoreinformation,visitwww.waterpanel.ontario.ca.

For a complete synopsis of CCPPP’s resources in this inquiry and other P3 issues, visit www.pppcouncil.ca.– Staff

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