Tommy Thompson Park Restoration with Coca-Cola

Working with Coca-Cola and the Toronto and Region Conservation Authority (TRCA) teams, Chris developed a proposal to assist Coca-Cola in reaching its water neutrality goal by creating a nine-hectare coastal wetland at Tommy Thompson Park on the Leslie Street Spit.

Chris' role in the project was to engage Coca-Cola and work with TRCA's technical staff to apply Coca-Cola's water neutrality methodology to restoration projects within the Greater Toronto Area. With projects identified and potential water savings calculated, Chris pitched potential projects to the Coca-Cola team.

Ultimately, Coca-Cola decided to invest $500,000 in the restoration of the Tommy Thompson Park coastal wetland.

Region of Peel Spill Decision Support System

Working within a public-private partnership, Chris project managed the development of the Region of Peel Spill Decision Support System - a web-based spill response system for managing chemical and oil spills within the Region of Peel.

The project's purpose was to provide spill responders a tool for storing historical spill information, tracing spills from their origination to their entry point into watercourses, and identifying potential spill sources by including  a database of chemical storage within the Region.

The project required converging various databases and storm sewer datasets into a comprehensive tool that could be deployed in the field to help improve spill response, while protecting the environment.  

From project initiation to completion, Chris pulled together the four municipal partners to develop the web-based spill system, identifying funding sources, developing a public-private partnership to develop the tool, and managing the consulting team through the technical development of the web-based system.

Partners in Project Green: A Pearson Eco-Business Zone Strategy

Chris spearheaded the development of Partners in Project Green: A Pearson Eco-Business Zone - an ambitious strategy to transform the business community around Toronto Pearson International Airport into an internationally recognized community known for its competitive, high performance and eco-friendly business climate.

The Partners in Project Green Strategy was developed in 2008 over eight months with the input of businesses in the Pearson Eco-Business Zone and municipal, provincial and federal governments. 

The Strategy provided background on the Pearson Eco-Business Zone, a baseline of resource use, as well as programming initiatives identified by the business community that should be developed and delivered to assist in reducing resource consumption and promoting green economic development.

As a result of the Strategy, Partners in Project Green was launched thanks to a seven year funding agreement with the Greater Toronto Airports Authority.

To read the Strategy visit: www.partnersinprojectgreen.com/about-us?id=4:our-strategy&catid=1.

To learn more about Partners in Project Green visit: www.partnersinprojectgreen.com.

Greater Toronto Airports Authority Living City Project

As a Watershed Planner with the Toronto and Region Conservation Authority (TRCA), Chris project managed the completion of the Greater Toronto Airports Authority (GTAA) Living City Project - a series of three strategies aimed at improving the environment around Toronto Pearson International Airport (Toronto Pearson).

The GTAA Living City Project utilized an interdisciplinary approach to watershed management within the Etobicoke Creek around Toronto Pearson. Working in collaboration with the GTAA, the project involved four main components:

1. The Terrestrial System - an inventory of the terrestrial system around Toronto Pearson to identify potential natural cover and priority restoration and enhancement sites to meet TRCA's targets for the Etobicoke watershed.
2. The Aquatic Ecosystem - the completion of a fish management plan to identify restoration opportunities for priority aquatic habitat in the areas around Toronto Pearson.
3. Stormwater Management - an assessment of storm water management around Toronto Pearson and the identification of priority improvements to improve water quality.
4. Integration and Priority Implementation Priorities - the integration of the recommendations from the above strategies in a spatial form to identify priorities for implementation.

Ultimately, the GTAA Living City Project provided the groundwork for developing Partners in Project Green: A Pearson Eco-Business Zone and engaging the business community around Toronto Pearson in watershed restoration initiatives.

To view a copy of the above reports please find them below:

1. The Terrestrial System
2. The Aquatic Ecosystem
3. Stormwater Management
4. Integration and Priority Implementation Priorities

Greater Toronto Area Spills Assessment

The Greater Toronto Area Spills Assessment was study project managed by Chris to develop a spatial interpretation of the Ontario Ministry of the Environment's spills database.  The purpose of the study was to identify areas of frequent spill activity and to develop a predictive model that could be utilized to determine risk, target outreach efforts and develop spill response strategies.

The development of the study led to a number of recommendations for improving the management of spill data, as well as the development of Region of Peel Spill Decision Support System - a web-based tool for responding to spills.