Brownfields
What are Brownfields?
Brownfields are former industrial lands, which may be contaminated, now vacant or underused, that are found in all municipalities in the province of Ontario.
Brownfields are strategically located sites and represent an important part of Ontario’s economic land supply. Cleaning brownfields cleans the environment. It reuses the land to make way for new sustainable communities with houses, offices, schools and recreation centres close to public transportation and other services.
Estimates of the number of brownfields across Canada range from 30,000 to 100,000. They include locations such as abandoned service stations, railway yards, junkyards, dry cleaners, factories, foundries and mills.
Recent Brownfield Legislative Changes in Ontario
Brownfield redevelopment often remains more expensive, time consuming and complex than traditional forms of development. As a result, the Ontario government recently passed legislation to encourage more interest and participation in brownfield redevelopment from municipalities and the private sector.
The recent legislative changes will make Ontario a leading jurisdiction in brownfield remediation and redevelopment by reducing liability barriers. Real and perceived risk makes developers, lenders and real estate professionals reluctant to get involved in brownfield transactions.
The new legislation protects developers from provincial cleanup orders in cases where contaminants migrate from a property. This would apply once cleanup documentation is filed, as long as the migration does not exceed defined environmental standards and the developers did not cause the contamination. Consultants doing cleanup work are also protected from provincial cleanup orders.
Brownfields Financial Tax Incentive Program
What is the Brownfields Financial Tax Incentive Program?
The Brownfields Financial Tax Incentive Program (BFTIP) is an initiative of the government of Ontario to encourage the cleanup and redevelopment of brownfield properties.
It provides provincial education property tax assistance to match municipal property tax assistance for cleanup of eligible brownfield properties. Under the program, the province can cancel all, or a portion of the education property taxes of a property for up to three years. Municipalities can apply for an extension prior to the termination of the tax assistance.
How do I apply?
If you are a brownfield property owner interested in the Brownfields Financial Tax Incentive Program, contact your local municipality. Municipalities apply on behalf of property owners. They must also be qualified under the program before the owner can receive provincial assistance.
The municipality will need specific information and an authorization from the property owner. These will be sent to MMAH and/or other ministries.
Overview of Application Requirements
Application Form:
- The municipality must fill out an application form for each property it proposes to receive education property tax assistance.
Proposed Municipal Tax Assistance Bylaw:
- The proposed municipal tax assistance bylaw must include the details of the municipal property tax assistance to be offered to brownfield property owner(s) over a given time period.
Community Improvement Plan (CIP):
- The municipality must include a copy of the relevant CIP, and the bylaw adopting it, enabling the municipality to provide municipal property tax assistance.
Program Information and Document Requirements:
- A variety of other information requirements apply such as confirmation of participation by upper-tier municipalities (if applicable), current assessment information, and estimates of the tax assistance to be provided.
All necessary information on the Brownfields Financial Tax Incentive Program (BFTIP) criteria and requirements can be found below:
Brownfield Opportunities in Amherstburg
Current Brownfield Opportunities in the Town of Amherstburg:
Where do I get more information?
For more information on current Brownfield Opportunities in the Town of Amherstburg please contact the Town’s Chief Administrative Officer, Pamela Malott at (519) 736-0012 ext. 228 or pmalott@Amherstburg.ca
Or Contact the nearest regional Municipal Services Office for information about the Brownfields Financial Tax Incentive Program:
659 Exeter Road, 2nd Floor
London, ON N6E 1L3
(519) 873-4020 or
1-800-265-4736