In response to a mandate announced by the Finance Minister in his December 2001 budget, the National Round Table launched an initiative aimed at promoting the transformation of Canada's brownfields into vibrant centres of community life. The objective of the program was to develop a national strategy that incorporates federal, provincial, municipal and private sector measures that will facilitate the redevelopment of brownfields in Canada.

The NRTEE convened a Task Force to help devise the strategy. The Task Force included representatives from diverse sectors and regions of the country, including all three levels of government. The broad cross-section of representatives provided immediate knowledge and experience in the brownfields area.

The strategy's recommendations address key barriers to brownfield redevelopment, including: legal uncertainty surrounding environmental liability, lack of capital, and poor stakeholder understanding of the issue. Cleaning up the Past, Building the Future: A National Brownfield Redevelopment Strategy for Canada was released in February 2003.

Sara Melamed
Special Projects Manager
Tel: (613) 995-7519
Fax: (613) 992-7385
E-mail: melameds@nrtee-trnee.ca