Sustainability&Industrial Lands Report Eis2011

2011 State of Sustainability
Report:
A Local Government
Perspective on Canada’s
Industrial Lands

Compiled March 2011 by Eco‐Industrial Solutions Ltd. www.ecoindustrial.ca 604‐737‐8506

2011 State of Sustainability Report: ii
A Local Government Perspective on Canada’s Industrial Lands

We would like to thank Takt-Etik Consultants for their assistance in translating the survey
into French and distributing it within Québec.

The following copyright notice "Copyright 2011, Eco-Industrial
Solutions Ltd. All rights reserved." must be applied to any text or
graphic material referenced from this report.

© Eco‐Industrial Solutions Ltd.

2011 State of Sustainability Report: iii

Letter From EIS Industrial lands (also known as “employment lands”) are
essential to the continued growth of the Canadian economy.
Looking back over the ten years since Eco-Industrial Solutions
was founded, we have seen a dramatic shift towards
sustainability within municipal development and planning
processes. At the same time, we recognize that there is room
for improvement in the comprehensive tracking and monitoring
of sustainablilty in our industrial lands.
To better understand the current issues facing Canada’s
industrial lands, we decided to survey municipalities and
government authorities across the country. We clearly hit a
hot topic, as we received responses from 143 different
organizations during the brief survey period. The recent
recession combined with increasing pressure to meet
sustainability objectives has left many communities feeling
challenged to meet their economic, environmental, and social
objectives within their industrial lands.
But as we also found in the survey results and have seen with
our own clients, many communities have found creative and
progressive ways to ensure that their industrial lands continue
to provide meaningful jobs creation while being part of the
overall sustainable community.
We hope that this snapshot of Canada’s industrial lands will
spur knowledge transfer and benchmarking between Canadian
communities. We also hope that as we repeat this survey in
future years, we will see the issues change and we’ll hear
Eco-Industrial Solutions more and more success stories.
2001-2011: Ultimately, it’s in all our interests to help Canada’s industrial
Celebrating 10 years lands continue to improve their competitiveness and meet
of Global Eco-Industrial Leadership sustainability objectives.

Sincerely,

Tracy Casavant
President & CEO, Eco-Industrial Solutions Ltd.

Suite 501 - 318 Homer St
Vancouver, BC
Canada V6B 2V2

E: tracy@ecoindustrial.ca
T: 604.737.8506 ext 106
F: 604.648.8439


2011 State of Sustainability Report: iv

This page intentionally blank to faciliate double-sided printing.


2011 State of Sustainability Report: v

Executive Summary

To better understand the current issues Addressing the Issues
facing Canada’s industrial lands, Eco-
Industrial Solutions Ltd. undertook a Clearly, addressing our infrastructure
nation-wide survey in February of 2011. deficit and supporting better land use
143 organizations from 10 provinces and planning are key to ensuring that
1 territory were represented in the survey. Canada’s industrial lands continue to be
competitive, generate jobs, and remain
community assets even as communities
Top 5 issues - existing industrial
strive to meet a growing list of
lands sustainability objectives. In turn, this will
support business retnetion and attraction.
1. Business retention/ attraction
2. Ecologically sensitive areas nearby or For existing lands, comprehensive
within sustainability-driven revitalization /
retrofits can reduce demand for
3. Inefficient land use
infrastructure and impacts on nearby
4. Conflicting adjacent land uses lands. For existing and future industrial
lands, strong local government policy and
5. Inefficient water or sewer capacity
leadership is key. For the one-quarter of
respondents who own their future
Top 5 issues - future industrial industrial lands, they can lead by
lands developing those lands as eco-industrial
parks or similar.
1. Business attraction
2. Insufficient water/sewer capacity While many communities report some
progress, there is clearly much work to be
3. Ecologically sensitive areas within or done to ensure that Canada’s industrial
nearby lands become part of a sustainable
4. Lack of Transportation Access (with community. ‘Soft’ investments are
Traffic Congestion being a huge issue needed to develop appropriate policy and
for urban and suburban respondents) support sustainability-driven revitalization
and business attraction / retention efforts,
5. Conflicting nearby land uses work which often requires outside
expertise to complete. ‘Hard’ investments
Top 5 new objectives in the next are needed to not just replace
two years: infrastructure, but replace it with
infrastructure that further helps
1. Upgrade water/sewer capacity businesses to operate more efficiently and
reduce their impact on the environment.
2. Encourage infill or intensification
3. Improve transportation access We hope that subsequent surveys show
that these investments are being made, or
4. Attract clean, ‘green’ business
Canada risks its industrial lands losing
5. Encourage green buildings competitiveness and hampering national
efforts to achieve sustainable communities


2011 State of Sustainability Report: vi

Table of Contents
Introduction

Part One: Participant Profile

Part Two: Current Status

Part Three: Future Plans

Part Four: Conclusion


2011 State of Sustainability Report: 1

Introduction This report presents the results of a nation-wide
survey targeting local governments, First Nations,
and port and airport authorities. The survey was
designed to uncover how local governments view
their industrial lands, and if sustainability
concepts are reflected in the issues facing
industrial lands, as well as in plans to address
those issues.
The results present an interesting snapshot of key
issues facing Canada’s industrial lands. In addition,
respondents reported on their intention to address
issues within their industrial lands in the next two
years. By repeating this survey, we will be able to
track whether and how key issues are being
addressed.
Hopefully, this and future snapshots of Canada’s
industrial lands will support increased knowledge
transfer and benchmarking between Canadian
municipalities and will help Canada’s industrial
lands continue evolving to be more competitive
and to meet sustainability objectives.
This report is formatted as follows:

Part One: An overview of survey respondents and their
Participant Profile organizations including size and location.

Part Two:
The existing status of developed and undeveloped
Current Status
industrial lands and issues facing these lands.

Part Three: Barriers to and trends for future industrial
Future Plans development.

Part Four: Summary of survey and overview of implications.
Conclusion



Part One:  83% represented municipal government

Participant Profile Response
Type of Organization Percent
Municipal government 83%
Regional government 7%
Provincial government 2%
Port or airport authority 4%
First Nation < 1%
Other 3%

Who Responded?
 Most respondents represented either Planning or
143 organizations Economic Development functions
from 10 provinces
Function of Respondents
and 1 territory

Administration
Environment/ 17%
Sustainability
5%
Planning
40%

Economic
Development
34%

Public Works/
Engineering
4%

 46% see their communities as rural, while
60% represent communities of less than
10,000 people.

Type of Community Community Size

Remote More than 1,000,000 5

4% 500,001 to 1,000,000 6

250,001 to 500,000 5
Population

100,001 to 250,000 14

50,001 to 100,000 15
Urban 28
Rural 20,001 to 50,000
35%
46% 10,001 to 20,000 18

5,001 to 10,000 23

Less than 5000 37

Suburban
0 10 20 30 40 50
15%
Response Count



Who Responded?1
British Columbia Ministry Columbia Shuswap Regional Sault Ste Marie North
of Forests District Planning Board

 The survey Belledune Port Authority
Bruce Peninsula Park
Corporation of Delta
County of Frontenac
Rural Municipality of
Woodlands

represents at
Calgary First Nation County of Stettler No. 6 Saint John Airport Inc
Camrose County County of Wellington South Nation Conservation
Cariboo Regional District Dawson City Authority
least* 119,000 Chalottetown
City of Abbotsford
District of Clearwater
District of Kent
Strathcona County
Sturgeon County

acres of City of Airdrie
City of Beaconsfield
District of Kitimat
District of Lunenburg
Town of Ajax
Town of Aylmer

developed
City of Brampton District of North Vancouver Town of Beresford
City of Brandon District of Sechelt Town of Bonnyville
City of Brantford Halifax Regional Municipality Town of Bridgetown
industrial lands City of Brockville
City of Brooks
Killarney
Kneehill County
Town of Caledon
Town of Carman & RM of

and 130,000 acres City of Calgary
City of Coquitlam
Lac La Biche County
Lanark County
Dufferin
Town of Creston

of undeveloped
City of Cote Saint Luc Local Government of Pinawa Town of Dalhousie
City of Dauphin Loyalist Township Town of Davidson
City of Fort Saskatchewan Manitoba Government Town of East Gwillimbury
industrial lands City of Fort St John
City of Greater Sudbury
Metro Vancouver
Miramichi Regional Economic
Town of Espanola
Town of Hearst

across Canada. City of Kelowna
City of Kitchener
Development Agency
Municipal District of Big Lakes
Town of Hinton
Town of Innisfail
City of Leduc Municipal District of Town of Kentville
City of Lethbridge Greenview No. 16 Town of Kindersley
City of London Municipal District of Peace No. Town of Ladysmith
City of Melfort 135 Town of Macklin
City of Moncton Municipality of East Hants Town of Milton
City of Montreal Municipality of Killarney Town of Nackawic
City of Mount Pearl Turtle- Mountain Town of Neepawa
City of North Vancouver Municipality of Northern Bruce Town of Okotoks
City of Oshawa Peninsula Town of Oliver
City of Pickering Municipality of the District of Town of Penhold
*50 respondents answered ‘don’t City of Quebec Chester Town of Sackville
know’ for the amount of industrial City of Richmond Municipality of the District of Town of Shaunavon
land in their community. City of Salaberry-de- Guysborough Town of Shelburne
Valleyfield Municipality of Wawa Town of Smithers
City of Sault Ste. Marie Municipality of Yarmouth Town of Stonewall
City of Selkirk Nicola Valley (Merritt) Town of Swan River
City of Spruce Grove Opportunity Town of Tillsonburg
City of St. Thomas Paintearth County Town of Tisdale
City of Steinbach Pearson Int. Airport Town of Tracadie-Sheila
City of Stratford Port Alberni Port Authority Town of Unity
City of Surrey Red Deer County Town of Wynyard
City of Swift Current Regional District Fraser Fort Township of Lake of Bays
City of Terrace George Upper Rawdon (East Hants)
City of Thorold Regional District of Central Village of Paquetville
City of Vancouver Okanagan Village of Salisbury
City of Whitehorse Regional District of Nanaimo West Hants
City of Winkler Regional Municipality of Yarmouth Argyle Barrington
City of Woodstock Durham District Planning
Clear Hills County Commission

Distribution of Survey Respondents – All Across the Country!

1
Provided complete surveys


Part Two:  The biggest issue facing existing industrial lands?
Business retention and attraction
Current Status  Land use issues – ecologically sensitive areas,
inefficient land use, and conflicting adjacent land
uses are the next biggest issues
Issues Facing Currently Developed (and/or Partially Developed) Industrial Lands
Business ret ent ion / att ract ion

Ecologically sensit ive areas wit hin or nearby

Inef f icient land use

Conf lict ing adjacent land uses

Insuf f icient wat er / sewer capacit y

Don't know

Lack of transportat ion access

Old, outdat ed building st ock

Traff ic congest ion

St ormwat er qualit y

Insuf f icient land / Brownf ield I ssue

Cost of I nf rast ruct ure and land

Employee retent ion

I nsuff icient solid wast e management / diversion

G roundwat er qualit y

Ot her

I nsuff icient energy capacit y

Wast ewat er qualit y

Non-greenhouse gas air emissions

G reenhouse gas emissions

0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30%

Top 5 Current
Issues  Insufficient water and sewer capacity rounds out
the top 5. Sustainabilty objectives should include
reducing the demand for water via recycling and
1. Business retention/
conservation and even the use of reclaimed
attraction
wastewater. Managing demand could help stretch
2. Ecologically sensitive capacity further
areas nearby or
within  The issue of least concern? Surprisingly,
greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from industrial
3. Inefficient land use
lands. With at least 213 municipal Partners for
4. Conflicting adjacent
Climate Protection working to reduce GHG
land uses emissions2, are municipalities missing an
5. Inefficient water or opportunity to engage business in GHG reduction
sewer capacity activities?

2
Federation of Canadian Municipalities


Is there an Urban / Rural Divide?
 Yes. The issues concerning suburban and
urban municipalities are fairly similar. For
rural communities, business retention /
attraction is a key challenge.

Business ret ention / at traction

Conf licting adjacent land uses

D on't know

Ecologically sensit ive areas within or nearby

I nsuff icient wat er / sewer capacit y

Inef ficient land use

Lack of transportation access

Old, out dat ed building stock

Stormwater qualit y
Rural & Remote (50%)
Employee retention
Urban (35%)
Insuff icient solid wast e management / diversion
Suburban (15%)

G roundwater qualit y

Non-greenhouse gas air emissions

Wastewater qualit y

Traffic congestion

I nsuff icient land / Brownfield Issue

Insuf ficient energy capacit y

Cost of I nfrastruct ure and land

Other

G reenhouse gas emissions

0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30% 35% 40%

Current Issues Facing Existing Industrial Lands By Community Type



Top 5 Objectives Already  The Official Plan (or equivalent) is the top
in Existing Policies
tool used by local governments to set
1. Upgrade water/sewer sustaiability objectives for their industrial
capacity lands
2. Encourage infill or
intensification
 Very few are leveraging Industrial Land
3. Improve transportation Strategies or Community Energy Plans to
access promote sustainability in their industrial lands
4. Reduce energy
consumption and/or
increase energy Offic ial Co m m unity Plan, Develo pm ent Plan,
efficiency Planning Strategy o r equivalent

5. Attract clean technology, Zo ning / Land Us e Bylaw
renewable energy and/or
green business Ec o no m ic Develo pm ent Strategy

Design / Develo pm ent Guidelines
Recall that insufficient water
/ sewer capacity was Integrated Co m m unity Sustainability Plan

actually the fifth most
Indus trial Land Strategy
pressing issue!
Do n't k no w

Green Building Strategy

Co mm unity Energy Plan

Enviro nm ental M as ter Plan

Other

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70%

Case Study: Pearson Eco-Business Zone Policy Toolkit
The Toronto Region Conservation Authority, • Primers – 1-2 page briefings on a
Greater Toronto Airport Authority, and Cities of number of topics, such as how staff can
Toronto, Mississauga, and Brampton are use the development permit powers in
supporting the creation of the Pearson Eco- Ontario to support eco-business activity
Business Zone - an internationally recognized and an overview of all allowable incentive
community known for its competitive, high tools in Ontario;
performance and eco-friendly business climate.
• Policy templates / language, including a
The Pearson Eco-Business Zone includes over
glossary of standardized eco-industrial
12,000 hectares of employment lands and is
terms and definitions; Official Plan
home to over 12,000 businesses surrounding
policies; and principles for development
the Toronto Pearson International Airport.
guidelines;
An Eco-Business Zone Toolkit has been
• Staff training modules.
developed for the local government partners,
incorporating extensive multi-departmental A number of larger spin-off projects were
consultation and containing: also identified, such as the need for a
comprehensive eco-industrial technical
• Communication materials to help staff from
resource directory for staff and for the
all departments understand “what’s in it for
municipal partners to work together to lobby
them” as well as template PowerPoint®
the Province for building code changes.
slides to assist staff in making
presentations to Council, the community,
or even other staff;



Part Three:  Just over half of the undeveloped industrial
lands are owned by multiple land owners,
Future Plans which represents a challenge to cohesive
future sustainable development. Strong
Top 5 Issues Facing sustainability policy will be needed.
Undeveloped  Approximately one quarter of the
Industrial Lands undeveloped industrial lands are owned by
the local government/organization, putting
1. Business attraction these organizations in a good position to
2. Insufficient demonstrate sustainability leadership.
water/sewer capacity  Business attraction is the biggest issue facing
3. Ecologically sensitive future industrial lands. Nearly twice as many
areas within or respondents considered this an issue for
nearby future lands compared to existing lands.

4. Lack of  Insufficient water, sewer and transportation
Transportation infrastructure also make the top 5.
Access
5. Conflicting land uses
Issues Facing Undeveloped Industrial Lands

Business at t ract ion
I nsuf f icient wat er / sewer capacit y
Ecologically sensit ive areas wit hin or nearby
Lack of t ransport at ion access

Conf lict ing adjacent land uses
Pot ent ial aest het ics of indust rial development
Employee at t ract ion
Don't know

Cost t o service & Pressure f orm ot her use sect ors
Pot ent ial st ormwat er qualit y
Traf f ic congest ion
Pot ent ial groundwat er qualit y
Pot ent ial wast ewat er qualit y
Ot her
I ncreasing solid wast e management / diversion
Mult i-owner / I nsuf f icient land size

I nsuf f icient energy capacit y
Land locat ion / Need Rezoning
I ncreasing non-greenhouse gas air emissions
I ncreasing greenhouse gas emissions

0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30% 35% 40% 45% 50%



Is there an Urban / Rural Divide?
 Yes again, at least for some issues. For rural
communities, business retention / attraction
is a key challenge. Interestingly, the potential
aesthetics of future industrial development is
a much greater concern in urban areas.

Biggest Issues Facing Undeveloped Industrial Lands by Community Type

Business attraction

Insufficient water / sewer capacity

Conf licting adjacent land uses

Ecologically sensit ive areas within or nearby

Lack of transport ation access

Potential aest hetics of industrial development

Employee attraction

Potential groundwater quality

Don't know

Potent ial st ormwater quality Rural & Remote (50%)

Potent ial wastewater quality Urban (35%)

Suburban (15%)
Cost to service & Pressure form other use sectors

Increasing solid wast e management / diversion

Other

Traffic congestion

Insufficient energy capacity

Increasing non-greenhouse gas air emissions

Land location / Need Rezoning

Increasing greenhouse gas emissions

Mult i-owner / Insufficient land size

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60%



Top 3 New How will issues with future industrial
Sustainability lands be addressed?
Objectives  33% of respondents indicated that they don’t
Anticipated* know what new sustainability objectives are
planned in the next two years. This may have
1. Upgrade been a reflection of their job position or a
water/sewer general lack of clear objectives pertaining to
capacity industrial lands.
2. Encourage infill or
intensification  33% of organizations plan to set objecitves to
3. Improve address insufficient water/sewer capacity in
transportation the next two years, which correlates to one of
access the top issues facing industrial lands.

*after ‘don’t know’
 30% of respondents plan to ecourage infill or
intensification.

New Sustainability Objectives Anticpated in the Next Two Years

Don't know

Upgrade water / sewer capacit y

Encourage inf ill or int ensif ication

I mprove transport at ion access

At tract clean t echnology, renewable energy, and/or green business

Encourage new green buildings

Reduce energy consumption and/or increase energy eff iciency

Reduce wat er use and wastewater generation from businesses

Launch a business ret ention init iat ive

Redevelop brownf ields int o higher use industrial lands

Reduce greenhouse gas emissions from businesses

Restore ecological or natural heritage f eat ures

Encourage by-product exchange / synergy

Achieve green building retrof its

Reduce non-greenhouse gas air emissions from businesses

Reduce wat erborne pollution from businesses

Ot hers

0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30% 35% 40%



Part Four: What are the Issues?

Conclusion The top 5 issues facing existing industrial
lands are:
“…cities are facing an
infrastructure deficit 6. Business retention/ attraction
currently pegged at 7. Ecologically sensitive areas nearby or
$123-billion, a price tag within
no degree of property- 8. Inefficient land use
tax hikes can hope to 9. Conflicting adjacent land uses
cover.” 10. Inefficient water or sewer capacity
Globe and Mail, Mar 17, 2011
“Canada’s big-city mayors are The top 5 issues facing future industrial lands
wondering: After the stimulus,
what’s next?” by Siri Agrell are:

1. Business attraction
2. Insufficient water/sewer capacity
3. Ecologically sensitive areas within or
nearby
4. Lack of Transportation Access (with
Traffic Congestion being a huge issue for
urban and suburban respondents)
5. Conflicting land uses

Addressing the Issues

Clearly, addressing our infrastructure deficit
and supporting better land use planning are
key to ensuring that Canada’s industrial lands
continue to be competitive, generate jobs,
and remain community assets even as
communities strive to meet a growing list of
sustainability objectives.

Ensuring that Canada’s industrial lands are
well-planned, efficient, and properly serviced
will in turn help communities attract and
retain business, although other measures are
likely required.



Setting Sustainable Communities have indicated that they intend
Objectives for the Future: to tackle some of these issues. The top five
By-product Synergy objectives communities plan to set in the
Community Spotlight:
Belledune Port Authority, NB next two years are:

1. Upgrade water/sewer capacity
The Belledune Port Authority
“encourages local industries to look 2. Encourage infill or intensification
at their by-products to see if 3. Improve transportation access
marketable products can be sent to 4. Attract clean, ‘green’ business
other industries, rather than creating
landfills”. 5. Encourage green buildings

Promoting by-product exchange such There are some other strategies as well. For
as this builds relationships within the
business community, turns waste existing lands, comprehensive sustainability-
into resources, and has the potential driven revitalization strategies, such as the
to generate significant cost savings. one to create the Pearson Eco-Business Zone
in Greater Toronto (see sidebar page 7) can
help to reduce demand for water, wastewater
treatment, and transportation. Such efforts
could also include formal business retention
and expansion initiatives designed to promote
Setting Sustainable sustainability, reduce business operating
Objectives for the Future: costs, and create a more attractive,
Sustainable Community
Plans
competitive business environment. Such eco-
Community Spotlight: Ville de industrial ‘retrofit’ strategies can also reduce
Salaberry-de-Valleyfield, QC the impact of businesses on nearby
ecologically sensitive areas e.g., by helping
In addition to multiple actions businesses to change the way they manage
related to encouraging green
buildings and development,
stormwater.
including in the industrial
sector, the City is working with For existing and future lands, strong local
multiple community partners, government policy and leadership is key.
such as the Chamber of Local governments clearly recognize that
Commerce, the Port of and the
College of Valleyfield to develop
their offiical plans and zoning bylaws are
an industrial environmental powerful tools to encourage sustainability in
network to promote recycling industrial lands. However, economic
and improve its business development strategies, industrial land
retention and expansion strategies, integrated community
program.
sustainabiliity plans, and community energy
For more information view the Action plans also can help greatly, yet appear to be
Plan at:
http://www.ville.valleyfield .qc.ca/webc
quite underutilized.
oncepteurcontent63/000022410000/upl
oad/PADD-E-WEBfinale16mars2010.pdf
For the one-quarter of respondents who own
their future industrial lands, they have the
ability to actually lead change for
sustainability by developing those lands as



eco-industrial parks or similar. As owners,
they will be able to make the decisions to
ensure that from master planning through to
the construction of infrastructure and
operation of businesses, sustainability is a
Setting Sustainable core value.
Objectives for the Future:
Area Concept Planning
Community Spotlight: A Final Thought - What is the True Magnitude
Terrace, BC of Water / Sewer Capacity Issues?

The community of Terrace, BC
The same formulas have been used for
“adopted an Area Concept Plan
that incorporates large buffer decades to project how much infrastructure
zones / natural areas, and how much land is required to support a
pedestrian/cycle trail linkages, certain number of jobs in a community.
water conservation / low water These formulas do not take into account an
use development, groundwater
evolution in building types (such as the
recharge for stormwater, etc.”
increased marketing penetration of green and
For more information adaptive building practices) or the evolution
view the Terrace OCP at
www.terrace.ca
in business practices (such as energy and
water conservation, facility sharing, and
telecommuting) that reduce businesses’
demand for infrastructure. Efforts to intensify
industrial land use should consider that the
relationship between required industrial lands
required and jobs is likely to shift over time
as more suitable green building and business
practices become more prevalent, as shown
hypothetically below.

Employment Land Area Vs Job Growth
550
500
Employmnt Land (acres)

450
400
350 Acres ‐ BAU
300 Acres ‐ Green
250
200
10,000 12,000 14,000 16,000 18,000 20,000

Jobs
Possible Impact of Green & Adaptable Building and Business
Practices on Employment Land Requirements



Expand Your Wastewater In addition, creative options such as water
Capacity with No New Capital capacity cap and trades (being considered in
Alberta’s Industrial Heartland) or technical
There are numerous examples re-rating of infrastructure capacity (see
where process optimization and
sidebar) that can allow for existing
statistical analysis of actual
operational data has resulted in a infrastructure to meet the increased demand
wastewater treatment plant that may result from intensification.
being re‐rated for a higher
capacity. For example, one Furthermore, in our experience, engineering
municipality was able to boost its
standards for estimating capacity
capacity rating by 12% without
having to invest new capital in requirements do not necessarily reflect
the plant, and was able to current reality; many demand estimates are
significantly defer the overstated because they don’t account for the
construction of a new plant change in business practices and the shift in

(Leaf & Johnson, Proceedings of the the types of businesses we find in industrial
Water Environment Federation, WEFTEC lands compared to 50 years ago. Furthermore,
2008: Session 1 through Session 10 , pp.
331‐338(8)). the demand for infrastructure varies widely,
and it might make sense to consider demand
on a case by case basis. Consider, for
example, the variation shown in water
consumption at several business parks in the
Metro Toronto area shown in the figure below.

F
i
g
u
r
e

2
:

V
a
r
i
a
t
i
o
n
in Water Consumption at Business Parks across Metro
Toronto

Setting Sustainable Objectives for the Future: Green Industrial Parks
Community Spotlight: Moncton, NB

Although not labeled as an eco-industrial park, Moncton Industrial Park West has been designed to
be more environmentally attuned than past developments. This industrial park includes LED
streetlighting and localized storm water detention facilities. Specifications require new individual
projects to manage their storm water on-site in order to ensure net zero impact on the municipal
storm system. A custom guide promotes environmentally sensitive landscaping treatments and
integrating storm water management into landscape design. An incentive in the form of a 5%
rebate on the purchase price rewards projects that incorporate specific environmentally beneficial
components in their landscaping, building design and materials, and heating systems.


Conclusion

While many communities report some
progress, there is clearly much work to be
done to ensure that Canada’s industrial lands
become part of a sustainable community.
‘Soft’ investments are needed to develop
appropriate policy and support sustainability-
driven revitalization and business attraction /
retention efforts, work which often requires
outside expertise to complete. ‘Hard’
investments are needed to not just replace
infrastructure, but replace it with
infrastructure that further helps businesses to
operate more efficiently and reduce their
impact on the environment.

We hope that subsequent surveys show that
these investments are being made, or
Canada risks its industrial lands losing
competitiveness and hampering national
efforts to achieve sustainable communities.


We would like to acknowledge thank the survey participants for contributing their valuable time and
insights to this survey.


Eco-Industrial Solutions Ltd.
2001-2011: Celebrating 10 years of Global Eco-Industrial Leadership

EIS is the only firm in Canada specializing exclusively in eco-industrial planning and development. We
have been involved in creating sustainable municipal policy in communities across Canada for the past
decade, and we bring a breadth of experience to green industrial efforts that includes eco-industrial
strategies; energy mapping; green economic development; policy tools for sustainability (including the
promotion of renewable energy and GHG-reducing activities); and municipal-business partnerships to
support green building and energy. As pioneers in the field of industrial ecology and sustainable
development practices, our firm has consulted on over $500 million in projects for government and
private corporations in Canada, the U.S.A., Asia, Mexico, South America, and the Middle East.

We have learned firsthand the challenges municipalities face setting targets, developing sustainable
plans, and measuring the performance of their communities. We believe in working collaboratively
with our clients to provide solutions that are tailored to their unique economic, social and
environmental objectives. Our systems-based approach incorporates leading expertise in eco-
industrial networking, industrial ecology, green infrastructure, and strategic planning. We take pride in
producing results that are both practical and creative.

Eco-Business Zone Alliance (EBZA)
Eco-Industrial Solutions is a member of the Intelleco Development Corporation
EBZA, a group of sustainability professionals Intelleco was formed by Herold Development
who assist businesses to 'green' their bottom- Services Ltd. and Eco-Industrial Solutions Ltd.
line, gain competitive advantage, and reduce to seek more active roles in Canadian, U.S.,
their environmental footprint. We are joined in and international industrial development
this alliance by The Innovolve Group, offering projects with strong sustainability elements. As
sustainability strategy development, EIS’ sister firm, Intelleco is structured to offer
communications, design, brand management a full spectrum of support to development
and event planning to lead transformative projects including: alternative soft cost
market change; and the Sustainability Learning financing arrangements; development
Centre, a learning, networking, and technology management services; development strategic
transfer hub that develops human and advisory services; and investment partnerships.
technical capacity in Green Core
Competencies™ in the Industrial, Commercial
and Institutional sectors.


Sustainability&Industrial Lands Report Eis2011

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