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 Policy Toolkit

As a result of the Partners in Project Green Strategy, Chris project managed the development of the Partners in Project Green Policy Toolkit - a number of planning policy tools to encourage green business through the development process.

Working with the municipalities of Toronto, Peel, Mississauga and Brampton, Chris worked with his team to develop 11 policy tools for municipal use.  These included communications tools, primers and policy templates that each municipality could use to encourage green business development and a more consistent approach to eco-economic development across the Pearson Eco-Business Zone.

The communications tools were meant to help municipal staff learn and communicate about Partners in Project Green and green business. The tools included text that could be ‘cut-and-paste’ or edited as needed to help staff communicate to different audiences, such as other staff, council, businesses, or developers, the benefits of green business.

The primers provided brief overviews of key land-use issues in relation to encouraging green business. The primers were there to assist staff from different municipal departments develop a common, albeit high-level, understanding of the policy, regulatory, and incentive framework that is shaping eco-business zone activity in the area.

The policy template tools provided specific examples of best practises, current policy wording, advice and other practical, hands-on guidance from creating eco-business policies, such as official plan statements, policy language and subdivision guidelines in municipalities touching on the Pearson Eco-Business Zone.

To view the Pearson Eco-Business Zone Policy Toolkit visit: www.partnersinprojectgreen.com/policytoolkit.

Barriers & Opportunities with Rooftop Solar in the Pearson Eco-Business Zone

To support the adoption of rooftop solar in the Pearson Eco-Business Zone as part of the Ontario Government's Green Energy Act, Chris project managed a study on the barriers to rooftop solar and potential solutions for the Pearson Eco-Business Zone.

Based on research and consultation with market participants, the study identified challenges that fell into four broad categories: 1) Economic Hurdles; 2) Legal and Policy Hurdles; 3) Institutional Knowledge / Capacity Hurdles; and, 4) Technical Hurdles.  

With these identified, Toronto and Region Conservation Authority developed a range of tools and resources to help organizations overcome these hurdles and implement rooftop solar installations in the Pearson Eco-Business Zone.

To view the study visit here.

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