SESSION 8: Communication & Consultation - Integrating Diverse Voices
SESSION 9: Need For Secure Infrastructure – Innovation & Climate Action

8 a. Innovative Approaches – Better Practices
⏱ 2:10 pm – 2:30 pm

Conducting Engagement in Health Impact Assessment

Our discussion will focus on our approach and ability to integrate diverse voices when conducting engagement and consultation for Health Impact Assessments (HIA) conducted on resource development and major infrastructure development projects. We will aim to highlight the challenges and barriers faced when conducting effective engagement and consultation, as well as demonstrate the positive outcomes/benefits that far outweigh said challenges. We will discuss our experience with past projects to highlight some aspects of engagement with Indigenous communities as well as other stakeholders by employing a Gender-Based Analysis Plus approach in HIAs.

Moderator:

• Katrina McCullough, Senior Stakeholder Engagement Specialist, GHD

Presenters:

• Elaine Larocque, Environmental Risk Assessor, Intrinsik Corp.
• Dr. Faiza Waheed, Health Impact Assessment Lead/ Environmental Health Scientist, Intrinsik Corp.

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9 a. Inclusive Approaches
⏱ 2:30 pm – 3:00 pm

Ashbridges Bay Landform: Working with Stakeholders for Innovative Solution

The Ashbridges Bay Landform Project is an integrated solution to successfully realize several critical planning initiatives. A Conservation Ontario Class Environmental Assessment (EA) undertaken by Toronto and Region Conservation Authority (2015) considered the planned facilities for three other City of Toronto led EAs that were previously approved in the study area and at various stages of design.

This project has demonstrated that through stakeholder-inclusive planning, innovative and comprehensive solutions can be achieved to meet the challenges of urban infrastructure planning while providing for enhanced habitat and public realm opportunities.

Moderator:

• Hayley Austin, Environmental Assessment Planner · Stantec

Presenters:

• Lisa Turnbull, Associate Director, Restoration & Infrastructure, Toronto & Region Conservation Authority

Co-Presenter:

• Jet Taylor, Senior Manager, Erosion Risk Management

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9 b. Qualitative Approaches
⏱ 3:00 pm – 3:20 pm

Employing Qualitative Methods for Assessing Impacts of Major Projects in Canada

The purpose of my research was to explore how qualitative methods contribute to next generation IA. My objectives include identifying qualitative methods and how they are being used currently, and documenting barriers and good practices of use from Teck’s Frontier Mine and BC Hydro’s Site C Dam. Through a constructivist design employing document review and interviews I expected to identify common methods and how they were used. I found interviews and focus groups to be common and I identified many opportunities and challenges to overcome for qualitative methods to contribute to better assessment through identifying concerns of communities involved.

Moderator:

• Hayley Austin, Environmental Assessment Planner, Stantec

Presenters:

• Brendan Middel, Masters Student, University of Manitoba

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9 c. Quantitative Approaches
⏱ 3:20 pm – 3:50 pm

The built environment accounts for a significant amount of greenhouse gas emission released into the atmosphere. Managing the carbon impact of a project’s construction, operation, and maintenance phases is critical to achieve net-zero emissions and mitigate further climate change. AECOM has contributed to reducing emissions in Ontario municipalities by recommending efficient approaches to decarbonization, including adopting zero emission vehicle fleets and reducing emissions in across assets. AECOM has the tools, methods, and resources to be able to quantify a project’s life-cycle carbon emissions, serving Canada’s ongoing need to decarbonize our infrastructure and construction sectors.

Moderator:

• Hayley Austin, Environmental Assessment Planner, Stantec

Presenter:

• Fabianna Palacios, Air Quality Specialist, AECOM Canada Inc Master’s Student, University of Manitoba

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9 d. Climate Emergencies
⏱ 3:50 pm – 4:15 pm

Coastal Zone Mitigation and Adaption Infrastructure: Can Federal IAs Help?

Infrastructure projects on freshwater and marine coasts are critical to climate change adaption strategies, and impact assessment is vital planning tool to assure sustainable development goals are being met. Provision for IAs for such projects are normally covered under the category ‘Projects on Federal Lands’. However, such IAs differ significantly from IAs for ‘designated projects. This paper briefly reviews those differences and reports on research from Atlantic Canada to suggests why this places a problematic limitation on the role of IA for supporting adaption strategies in coastal environments.

Moderator:

• Hayley Austin, Environmental Assessment Planner, Stantec

Presenters:

• Ian Gordon Stewart, Doctor, University of King’s College

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Q & A With Elaine, Faiza, Lisa, Vlad, Brendan, Fabianna & Ian
⏱ 4:15 pm – 4:30 pm

Closing Remarks
⏱ 4:45 pm – 5:00 pm