Nov 17, 2022

Award-Winning Brownfield Projects

Earlier this week, we celebrated excellence in Canadian Brownfield projects and people with the 2022 edition Brownie Awards. With this celebration, we are reminded of some of the projects that XCG has been involved with that were award winners in past years.

XCG Knows… Metalworks - Arthur Street, Guelph, Ontario (2016 Brownie Award – Renew Category)

XCG was selected to team with another consultant in the assessment and remediation of a 3.2-hectare former appliance factory facility in downtown Guelph. When the property was acquired for redevelopment into over 600 townhome and apartment condominium units, XCG was retained to continue with the environmental activities. Following the successful acknowledgement of the RSC from the Ontario Ministry of the Environment and Climate Change [currently known as the Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks (MECP)], the site was redeveloped as a mixed high end commercial residential plaza. Construction activities commenced in September 2015 and Fusion Homes was awarded with the 2016 Brownie Award in the Renew category.

Since 2009, XCG has been working at 5 Arthur Street in Guelph, ON, assisting in the redevelopment of a long-time industrial property into an up-scale urban development. XCG was retained by Arthur Four EMPC Limited (EMPC), in 2009 to complete due diligence activities at the former industrial property located at 5 Arthur Street in Guelph, Ontario to support the purchase of the site. The site was developed for industrial use in the 1860s and was occupied by a distillery, mill, and foundry and involved the manufacturing of farm equipment, tools, and freezers.

To learn more about this project click the link below:

Redevelopment of 5 Arthur Street

XCG Knows… Centre Suites on Third - Owen Sound, Ontario (2016 Brownie Award – Best Small Project)

With the plans for redevelopment of a historic printing facility in downtown Owen Sound, Ontario, XCG was contracted to lead the environmental activities in support of the redevelopment. XCG’s work included extensive environmental site assessments, site remediation, indoor air quality assessment, risk assessment and filing of two records of site condition (RSC) for the 1.02-hectare property. The environmental work ensured that the existing 4-storey building constructed in stages from 1931 to 1963 could be redeveloped into condominium apartments with commercial ground floor uses. To achieve this, XCG directed the separation of the overall property into two distinct parcels for the purposes of filing the first RSC for the non-impacted parcel while remediation and risk assessment was completed on the second parcel with soil and groundwater impacts. The staging of the two RSCs allowed the development and occupancy of the majority of the condominiums, while the second RSC was prepared and filed. The Centre Suites project was awarded the 2016 Brownie Award for Best Small Project.

The property was originally developed in 1922 as a major printing factory. When the printing operation moved to a new facility circa 1972, an office conversion occurred in the mid-1970s. However, opportunities for redevelopment of the upper floors into residential condominiums were realized in 2012. Using the historical building for adaptive use, the project began a revitalization of a portion of the downtown core of Owen Sound and is improving the livability of the area. XCG completed all necessary environmental assessment and remediation work supporting this project, including Phase One Environmental Site Assessment (ESA), Phase Two ESA, and soil and groundwater remediation activities for hydrocarbon impacts. The further discovery of a zone of low-level chlorinated volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in groundwater that exceeded the generic site condition standards slowed the project, requiring some innovative planning and decisions. With the time-sensitive development activities needing to continue, a decision to treat the development property as two parcels was made by the project team and ownership. This decision allowed the filing of a RSC for the larger parcel without the VOC impacts in groundwater, permitting the sale and occupancy of the majority of the condominium units, while the smaller VOC-impacted parcel went through the known and defined process of a Streamlined Tier 3 Risk Assessment (RA) before filing the second RSC.

To learn more about this project click the link below:

Centre Suites on Third, Owen Sound

XCG Knows... Luther Village - Waterloo, Ontario (2003 Brownie Award – Best Small/Medium Scale Project)

XCG was hired to replace the consultant that had initially been engaged to do a Phase I Environmental Site Assessment (ESA) and preliminary remedial cost estimate (as the work was found to be inadequate). XCG re-did the Phase I ESA and then designed and implemented a staged series of Phase II and Phase III ESA investigations to delineate and quantify subsurface soil and groundwater impacts on a 12-hectare property in Waterloo, Ontario. Following the resolution of the environmental issues and based on the agreement between the client and the Municipality of Waterloo, the redevelopment of the property as a senior’s retirement village (Luther Village) proceeded. XCG and MHBC Planning were awarded with the 2003 Brownie Award for Luther Village in the Best Small/Medium Scale Project category.

XCG used groundwater modelling software to model the groundwater flow regime in the vicinity of the subject site, in order to design a groundwater remediation system. XCG undertook an extensive review of available remediation technologies for treatment of the contaminated groundwater.

On the basis of XCG’s review, a pump-and-treat system using an AOP unit as the groundwater treatment process was found to be the most cost-effective risk management/remedial action plan (RM/RAP) solution that was acceptable to the regulatory authorities who were involved with the site (mainly because of the proximity of the water supply well). XCG was instrumental in negotiating with the regulatory authorities to allow the property to be sold and redeveloped prior to the implementation of the pump-and-treat remediation system. There was initially some resistance to this approach, but it was made possible, within a relatively short time-frame (several months) through the establishment of an agreement between the client and the municipality, containing terms and conditions for the establishment and operation of the groundwater remediation system.

XCG completed a detailed process design for the groundwater remediation system, and coordinated and supervised its installation. The remediation system and long-term groundwater monitoring program form the basis of the RM/RAP for this site, which is still being executed and managed by XCG.

To learn more about this project click the link below:

Transamerica Life Canada

XCG Knows… Risk Based Investigation and Risk Management Measures

When a prominent Canadian realty management firm was expanding retail developments in their Hamilton, Ontario retail plaza property, XCG was called to quickly investigate the impacts from a historic dry-cleaning operation that occupied the property circa 1965. XCG determined that specific risk management measures (RMMs) could be implemented which would allow the development of a stand-alone retail unit over the existing impacts.

The innovation and quick-turnaround demonstrated by XCG and team made this project a finalist for a 2017 Canadian Brownfield Network (CBN) Brownie Award in the Remediate category.

XCG played an integral role on the client development team and worked with our trusted contractors to design and construct the RMMs, which included installation of injection drains and piping for future in-situ chemical oxidation/reduction (ISCO/ISCR) (if needed), followed by vapour collection piping and media for sub-slab depressurization. A fully sealed impermeable membrane was installed below the slab-on-grade floor and a passive vent with a turbine was installed on the vapour collection piping to assist with vapour diversion. The vent stack was constructed to permit the future addition of an active venting and treatment system, if necessary.

For more information on this project, please click the link below.

Risk Based Investigation and Risk Management Measures

XCG Knows... Grant Walsom (2015 Brownfielder of the Year)

For his leadership and dedication to the brownfield industry, Mr. Grant Walsom was proudly named the 2015 Brownfielder of the Year. He continued with his service to the Brownfield Industry as a Canadian Brownfields Network (CBN) Board Member from 2013 to 2021 and served as President from 2017 to 2019. Mr. Walsom continues as a current Advisor to the CBN Board and has been an annual Brownie Award judge since 2016.