What is a brownfield?

Brownfields are defined as “abandoned, vacant, derelict or underutilized commercial or industrial properties where past actions have resulted in actual or perceived contamination and where there is an active potential for redevelopment”. Victoria 's Dockside Green and Vancouver´s Pacific Place are two examples of internationally recognized brownfield redevelopment projects.

Why haven't I heard of brownfields before?

“Brownfield” is still a relatively new concept in most of Canada , where the perception is that land is inexpensive and plentiful compared with the cost of remediation for old industrial sites. Brownfields represent a “hidden asset” that most communities are only starting to realize they can use to their advantage.

What is the Province doing to support brownfield renewal?

In order to encourage more brownfield redevelopment across British Columbia , the Province has introduced the comprehensive BC Brownfield Renewal Strategy. The Strategy will help reduce risk and uncertainty in brownfield redevelopment and create a more streamlined approval environment for brownfield projects. The Strategy is being led by the Ministry of Agriculture and Lands in coordination with the Ministries of Advanced Education and Labour Market, Community Development, Environment, and Finance.

The strategy is designed to:

• Further streamline the remediation approvals process;
• Broaden the suite of tools available to local governments to encourage brownfield redevelopment;
• Apply strategic public investments to encourage the redevelopment of idle sites;
• Build capacity and awareness of redevelopment tools and opportunities to enhance information about brownfields.

For more information, please visit the following website

BC Brownfield Renewal Strategy - Crown Land Administrative Division

What are the benefits of brownfield renewal?

Brownfield redevelopment can provide many social, environmental and economic (or, triple-bottom-line) benefits:

• Economic development, with urban redevelopment in large population centres, and job creation;
• Enhanced quality of life through neighbourhood revitalization;
• Reduced urban sprawl pressures on Greenfield sites around a community;
• Farmland (ALR, local food supply) and green space preservation;
• Re-use of infrastructure such as roads and utilities;
• Increased tax base from lands that would otherwise sit vacant; and
• Reduced risks to environmental and human health and safety, through cleanup and removal of site hazards.

How many brownfields are there around the province?

We don't have an inventory of brownfield sites, and given the sheer size of the province and the fact that most sites are privately owned, it would not be possible to inventory every single site on all land.

However, current estimates are that there are between 4,000 and 6,000, including urban, rural and waterfront locations across British Columbia .

The work we are doing over several years in developing and implementing the B.C. Brownfield Renewal Strategy will help us understand much more clearly the types and locations of sites so we can develop the most appropriate tools.

Where can someone go to buy brownfield sites?

There is no central registry in British Columbia that lists for sale these types of sites, either on Crown or private lands.

If Crown owned properties become available for public sale they will be listed with the Multiple Listing Services (MLS). In these cases, interested purchasers can simply contact any MLS Realtor, who can prepare an Offer to Purchase.

Crown owned real estate listed for sale can also be found online.

From time to time, through the B.C. Brownfield Renewal Strategy, specific brownfield sites may become available for a redevelopment opportunity - in some cases as a partnership with the Province of British Columbia . These sites will be advertised using standard government policy, which is to post such opportunities on BC Bid.:

For privately owned properties, contact a realtor.

Where do I start and who can I contact?

The Local Government Brownfield Hotline is your point of access for all provincial brownfield renewal programs, as well as a place to answer any questions you might have regarding brownfield remediation and redevelopment projects in your community. You can contact the Virtual Brownfield Office at 1 (877) 787-9730.

How do the provisions of Environmental Management Act (EMA) help facilitate brownfield renewal?

EMA lays out the framework for identification and remediation of contaminated sites and brownfields. EMA and it's associated Contaminated Sites Regulation include remediation standards used to assess and cleanup sites, the principles of liability for remediation, and a number of legal documents variously approving and certifying remediation activities at sites in British Columbia .

Under EMA, a proponent may request an Approval in Principle (AiP) of a remediation plan which confirms that the plan, following implementation, has a high likelihood of successfully remediating the site.

Following implementation of a remediation plan, proponents may apply for a Certificate of Compliance (CoC) which confirms site remediation to the target environmental quality standards.

AiPs and CoCs can provide increased certainty to lending institutions and other support stakeholders thereby reducing overall risk at sites undergoing remediation or being sold/redeveloped.

To learn more about Approvals in Principal, Certificates of Compliance, and the regulatory framework governing contaminated sites and brownfields, please visit the Ministry of Environment's Land Remediation website, or call the Local Government Brownfield Hotline at 1-877-787-9730 to request additional assistance.

How can I request a workshop or training session on brownfield renewal?

If you would like to request a workshop or training session for your community or project, please contact the Local Government Brownfield Hotline at 1-877-787-9730.

Join our mailing list (see signup form on the upper left) to be notified when new presentations are posted here.

What are the goals of the BC Brownfield Renewal Strategy?

The BC Brownfield Renewal Strategy is intended to increase brownfield renewal activity across the province by addressing policy, regulatory, tax, funding and information barriers to brownfield renewal through:

• Creating a more effective public policy regime for liability and risk;
• Applying strategic public investments to encourage redevelopment;
• Developing a number of approaches to build capacity and awareness of redevelopment opportunities; and,
• Leading by example through the development of key Crown brownfield sites.

What does this Strategy do for small, rural brownfield sites, such as an old gas station?

This Strategy will help to identify the extent of opportunity of such sites to prospective developers and increase the knowledge of tools to redevelop them.

Through various funding and policy changes, the Strategy will help to lower risks and costs for addressing brownfield sites.

Together, these efforts are intended to help shift the culture of development in BC to include brownfield redevelopment as common practice.

The Strategy is intended to assist in creating market interest in brownfield sites where the current brownfield environment is not effective. Often times this will be small urban and rural areas.

How will this strategy benefit communities and developers?

The Strategy provides tools and support to stimulate brownfield renewal across the province, intended to increase clean up and redevelopment activities.

It is intended to improve certainty and risk conditions for the development community and local governments.

Cleaning up and redeveloping sites has a number of intended benefits across the triple-bottom-line (environmental, social and economic) such as:

• Reducing urban sprawl and protecting green spaces by encouraging the re-use of brownfield lands rather than undeveloped lands
• Providing opportunities for investment in brownfield sites that would otherwise sit idle
• Environmental restoration
• Providing opportunities to clean up and revitalize unattractive sites
• Creating investment and economic opportunities

Why are there different approaches for Crown lands and private lands?

Since Crown lands are owned and controlled by the Province, there is an opportunity to develop partnerships and proactively seek opportunities to sell or redevelop parcels.

The Province will lead by example by making available key Crown brownfield sites for redevelopment.

Very specific triple-bottom-line outcomes will be tied to the sale and redevelopment of Crown sites.

The private lands component provides an environment intended to encourage brownfield redevelopment across all lands with much broader societal impacts.

The goal is to develop a regulatory, risk, liability and financial environment that encourages a positive brownfield redevelopment culture and achieves triple-bottom-line outcomes.

What role do First Nations have in the strategy?

Any legal obligations to consult with First Nations will be fulfilled with respect to use of Crown land.

As Crown sites are identified for potential clean-up and redevelopment, these opportunities will be made available by competition. First Nations will be able to bid on opportunities, which may include partnerships with private sector or government on redevelopment activities.

Why is the Ministry of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations (FLNRO) responsible for this program and not the Ministry of Environment?

The Ministry of Environment regulates the process of assessing and cleaning up contaminated sites including brownfields.

FLNRO acts as ‘owner’ of Crown lands for the Province and must work within the Ministry of Environment's regulatory framework like any private landowner.

FLNRO uses its experience as land owner and land manager to work closely with the Ministries of Environment, Community Services, Finance and Advanced Education on tools to encourage brownfield renewal on private lands across BC.

How does this fit with other government objectives?

The objectives and outcomes align with a number of government objectives including Greenhouse Gas Reduction, the Energy Plan, Affordable Housing and the proposed Green Communities.

Specifically, key outcomes include:

• Certainty and risk conditions will be substantially improved for development community.
• Investment in brownfield sites will increase.
• This strategy will raise the profile of brownfield sites as a development opportunity.
• Idle land will be redeveloped.
• There will be increased economic opportunities.

Isn't this strategy covered by the Crown Contaminated Sites Program?

The Crown Contaminated Sites Program was designed in response to a report by the Auditor General — the Program focus is to remediate priority Crown contaminated sites, using a risk-based approach, to ensure protection of human health and the environment.

The BC Brownfield Renewal Strategy includes a response to new issues and broader opportunities.

This shift represents a maturing of the program to encourage the beneficial re-use of idle or underutilized lands.

What are the challenges to brownfield redevelopment?

A number of barriers to brownfield redevelopment have been identified. These may be grouped as follows:

• Lack of access to capital and insurance protection;
• Risk perception due to regulatory and civil liability; and
• Lack of awareness and/or capacity in the public and private sectors.

How do brownfields fit in with community and local area plans?

Often brownfield sites are well situated within a community. They may have been strategically located close to transportation and the centre of a community, and may continue to provide these benefits.

Abandoned sites can contribute to urban blight; when brought back into productive use, these sites can rejuvenate a neighbourhood in ways that other measures cannot provide.

What are the environmental benefits to redeveloping a brownfield?

Remediating and redeveloping brownfield sites has a number of environmental benefits, such as:

• Reduce the risk of contaminated land posing a threat to human and environmental health.
• Preserve greenfield (undeveloped) land and green spaces from development.
• Reduce urban sprawl by developing in established centres, reducing transportation-related pollutants and greenhouse gas emissions.
• Prevent the need for additional transportation or civic infrastructure to be constructed to connect to redeveloped property. It is estimated that each hectare developed in a brownfield project saves up to 4.5 hectares of greenfield land, much of that area due to infrastructure requirements.

What are the climate change impacts of brownfield redevelopment?

Brownfield Redevelopment can contribute to greenhouse gas reduction plans in a number of ways, such as:

• Preserve greenfield (undeveloped) land and green spaces from development.
• Reduce urban sprawl by developing in established centres, reducing transportation-related pollutants and greenhouse gas emissions.
• Prevent the need for additional transportation or civic infrastructure to be constructed to connect to redeveloped property. It is estimated that each hectare developed in a brownfield project saves up to 4.5 hectares of greenfield land, much of that area due to infrastructure requirements.

See this page for a list of resources.

What funding is available from the Province or the federal government to support brownfield redevelopment?

See our Financial Incentives page for information on brownfield funding.