History > Remediation

After the purchase of the Bamberton property in 2005, the new owner, Bamberton Properties and it's general partner Three Point Properties (Bamberton Partners), saw that property had tremendous potential but that both the land and the political climate has been poisoned. The Bamberton Partners took a significant step to heal both. On their own initiative, even before zoning was approved for development, they undertook to remediate the site at their own cost, in what was the largest private remediation project in BC. Healing the contaminated cement site went a long way to creating a healing atmosphere of good will. But it was not just symbolic; using innovative means and dedicated resources, Three Point was able to remediate the land far more efficiently and economically than anyone else could have. Moreover, the healing was done in a way that enabled further innovations in the masterplan, permitting far more of the surviving natural forest to remain untouched. Even before construction could begin, the project earned awards from the BC Ministry of Energy, Mines and Resources, the Canadian Urban Institute and the Association of Professional Engineers & Geoscientists.

Remediation Facts and Figures:

• In 2005, the Bamberton Partners began an ambitious demolition and remediation program of the contaminated and dilapidated former cement plant and lands
• Most of the industrial buildings were demolished and removed in 2006
• 2800 tonnes of steel were salvaged and recycled
• 30 Million cubic feet of contaminated materials were collected and remediated
• 40 tonnes of asbestos were collected and safely disposed of at the Hartland Landfill controlled waste facility
• The remediation project cleaned up one of the greatest potential threats to the Saanich Inlet
• The remediation won awards from the BC Ministry of Energy, Mines and Resources, the Canadian Urban Institute and the Association of Professional Engineers and Geoscientists

Did you know?

• Brownfield is the term given to land previously used for industrial purposes or certain commercial uses that may be contaminated by pollution but has the potential to be reused once it has been ‘cleaned up’
• In terms of sustainable planning, brownfield sites are preferred development sites as they recycle and re-use already disturbed land.
• It is often said that remediating one acre of brownfield land has a similar positive impact to saving four acres of forest. Bamberton is working on both sides of this equation through the conservation of green spaces and the remediation of brownfields