Brownfields & Incentives

Brownfields are vacant or underutilized properties such as old industrial sites, closed service stations, dry cleaners, junkyards, factories or foundries that have stayed unused or underdeveloped after the original business closed. They can be found in communities across North America, and it's estimated there may be between 30,000 and 100,000 brownfields in Canada alone. In Waterloo Region, our history as a manufacturing centre means we have brownfields in prime locations throughout our community.

Revitalization, Opportunity, Investment

The Region of Waterloo and the Province of Ontario have land-use and growth management policies that encourage development in our community's built-up areas. Brownfield sites often have significant redevelopment potential, but this can be complicated by the actual or possible presence of hazardous substances, which can result in additional costs and liability for interested investors and developers.

The Region of Waterloo and its Area Municipal Partners are dedicated to promoting brownfield clean-up and redevelopment. This page includes information on:

For more information on Brownfields and Incentives, please contact:
Phillip Caldwell, Principal Planner - Brownfields Coordinator
Phone: 519-575-4500 Ext. 3646
Email Phillip Caldwell

Brownfield Incentives

Many resources are now available to encourage the clean-up and redevelopment of brownfield sites. Listed below are programs from all levels of government. You can also contact staff responsible for these programs directly. For more information on available incentives and funding resources specifically for housing, please click here.

Region of Waterloo Programs

To help address some of the financial challenges associated with brownfield clean-up and redevelopment, the Region of Waterloo created the Brownfields Financial Incentive Program (BFIP). This program set aside $2.5 million as part of a larger strategy to promote reurbanization throughout the region. For a summary of brownfield incentives, read the Brownfields Financial Incentive Program Brochure. For additional guidelines on eligible costs allowed under the program read the Eligible Cost Submission Guideline.

Phase Two Environmental Site Assessment Grants - These grants provide assistance for the completion of certain Phase II Environmental Site Assessments (ESAs) that provide information to help the Region protect groundwater resources. The grants cover 50 per cent of one Phase II ESA per site to a maximum of $40,000.
- Phase Two Environmental Site Assessment Grant Program Details
- Phase Two ESA Grant Application
Regional Development Charges Exemptions - Brownfield sites throughout the Region (and outside designated Core Areas where development charge exemptions already apply) are now eligible for Regional Development Charges (RDC) exemptions. The maximum value of the exemption equals the total amount of eligible clean-up costs, less any other brownfield financial assistance received.
Joint Tax Increment Grant Program (Regional and Area Municipal) - Changes to provincial legislation means that the Region can now participate in local Community Improvement Plans, including those that provide incentives for brownfield redevelopment. The Region and Area Municipalities are continuing to implement a joint Tax Increment Grant (TIG) program that provides developers of brownfield properties in eligible areas with an opportunity to receive grants when the project is completed that will help them recoup up to 100 per cent of clean-up costs. The TIG is based on the increase in Area Municipal and Regional tax assessment before and after remediation and redevelopment (the tax increment), eligible clean-up costs and any other brownfield assistance received earlier in the development process. Grants are paid after the completed project is reassessed by MPAC, and may last for up to 10 years or until the maximum eligible costs are recouped.

The joint TIG Program is now available for eligible brownfield sites in Kitchener and Cambridge.

Joint TIG Program Details

City of Cambridge/Region of Waterloo Joint Tax Increment Grant Program - On June 21, 2010 the City of Cambridge passed By-Law No. 107-10 approving the City-wide Brownfields Community Improvement Plan. This Community Improvement Plan (CIP) outlines a joint Tax Increment Grant (TIG) Program with the Region of Waterloo for brownfield remediation and redevelopment. This program applies to eligible brownfield sites within Cambridge and provides developers with an opportunity to receive grants after project completion that will help them recoup clean-up costs. The TIG program is based on the increase in City and Regional taxes, the amount of eligible clean-up costs and any other brownfield assistance received earlier in the development process.

City of Cambridge/Region of Waterloo Joint TIG Application

For more information on the Joint TIG Program in Cambridge, please contact:

Senior Reurbanization Planner
Planning Services, Core Areas Project Manager
City of Cambridge
50 Dickson Street, 3rd Floor
P.O. Box 669
Cambridge, ON N1R 5W8
Phone: 519-740-4650 Ext. 4213
Email Cambridge Planning

City of Kitchener/Region of Waterloo Joint Tax Increment Grant Program

This program applies to eligible brownfield sites throughout Kitchener and provides developers with an opportunity to receive grants after project completion that will help them recoup clean-up costs. The Tax Increment Grant (TIG) program is based on the increase in City and Regional taxes, the amount of eligible clean-up costs and any other brownfield assistance received earlier in the development process.

City of Kitchener/Region of Waterloo Joint TIG Application

For more information on the Joint TIG Program in Kitchener, please contact:

Rob Morgan, Capital Investment Advisor

Economic Development Dept.
City of Kitchener
200 King Street West, 6th Floor
Kitchener, ON N2G 4G7
Phone: 519-741-2200 ext. 7734
Email Rob Morgan

For more information on all programs under the BFIP, please contact:

Phillip Caldwell, Principal Planner, Brownfields Coordinator
Region of Waterloo
150 Frederick Street, 8th Floor
Kitchener, ON N2G 4J3
Phone: 519-575-4500 Ext. 3646
Email Phillip Caldwell

Area Municipal Programs

The information below describes the government programs and supports that are available from the Area Municipalities to encourage brownfield redevelopment:

Province of Ontario

The Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing has developed a Brownfield Financial Tax Incentive Program to encourage clean-up and redevelopment of brownfield properties. The program consists of educational property tax assistance to match municipal property tax assistance, which means that the province can cancel all or a portion of the education property taxes of a property for up to three years. For more information on the Brownfield Financial Tax Incentive program, click here.

The Provincial government has also enacted new legislation to encourage more interest and participation in brownfield redevelopment from municipalities and the private sector. Taking Action on Brownfields aims to reduce liability barriers, protect municipalities when encouraging brownfield development, allow the province to take steps to remediate properties in private company dissolution, and more. For more information on Taking Action on Brownfields, click here.

Federal Government

The Green Municipal Fund (GMF) is run by the Federation of Canadian Municipalities for the purpose of providing long-term sustainable source of financing for municipal governments and their partners in capital projects and studies in brownfields. The GMF is complemented by two additional funds: the Green Municipal Enabling Fund, which provides grants for cost-shared feasibility studies, and the Green Municipal Investment Fund, which supports the implementation of innovative environmental projects. For more information on the Green Municipal Fund, click here.

In the 2004 budget, the Federal Government committed to a Federal Site Clean-up Program to accelerate the rate at which federally contaminated sites were being cleaned-up. The government has allotted $4 billion over 10 years to clean-up sites for which the government is fully or partially responsible for the contamination.

Implementation Guidelines

In June 2009, Regional Council approved two new Implementation Guidelines to the Region's Official Plan. These Guidelines are used when reviewing development applications on or adjacent to lands which are known to be or potentially contaminated.

The Implementation Guideline for the Review of Development Applications on or Adjacent to Known and Potentially Contaminated Sites is used to prescribe when the filing of a Record of Site Condition (RSC) is required by the Region of Waterloo as part of the review of development applications. This Guideline replaces the 1997 Protocol for the Review of Development Applications on or Adjacent to Lands that are Known, Suspected or Potentially Contaminated. Key improvements to this Guideline include a reduction in the number of instances where a RSC is required, greater flexibility in the development approvals process relative to when a required RSC may be submitted and implementation of an environmental site screening questionnaire.

These policies are designed to provide more flexibility in the requirements for developments on or adjacent to lands which are or could be contaminated.

For more information on this Implementation Guideline, please contact:
Wendy Fisher, Principal Planner
Tel: 519-575-4014
Email Wendy Fisher

The Implementation Guideline for Road Allowance Dedications Adjacent to Known and Potentially Contaminated Sites outlines the Region's planning requirements and provides a consistent procedure for obtaining road dedications on or adjacent to known and potentially contaminated land. Two key objectives of this Guideline are first to restore contaminated land to an environmental condition suitable for its proposed use as a public right-of-way without creating a barrier to development, and second to mitigate the Regional risk of acquiring road allowance dedications.

For more information on this Implementation Guideline, please contact:
John Hill, Principal Planner
Tel: 519-575-4019
Email John Hill

Brownfield Projects

Many examples of successful brownfield redevelopment projects exist right here in Waterloo Region.

The recent surge in loft apartments including the Seagram and Bauer Lofts in Waterloo, and the Kaufman and Arrow Lofts in Kitchener, and the Wellington Square project in Cambridge are examples of brownfield projects that have provided additional residential space through adaptive reuse.
The conversion of the Berlin Interior Hardwood Flooring Factory into the Peer Group offices and the construction of the University of Waterloo School of Pharmacy in Kitchener and School of Architecture in Cambridge are examples of brownfield redevelopment projects for commercial and institutional uses.
Redevelopment in Uptown Waterloo is also a great example of how increasing density can serve the immediate area and surrounding community.

Brownfield Resources

Open a list of brownfields resources.

Contact(s)