The Brownie Awards are national honours presented annually by the Canadian Brownfields Network (CBN) in partnership with the Canadian Urban Institute (CUI). They celebrate leadership, innovation, and excellence in transforming contaminated, abandoned, or underused lands into productive and sustainable community assets.
Two projects supported by MTE Consultants have been named finalists for the 2025 Brownie Awards, recognizing the firm’s contribution to the successful cleanup and redevelopment of former brownfield sites that now play a vital role in their communities.
Finalist – Charlie West
Category: Rebuild – Project Development at the Building Scale
Kitchener, Ontario
Completed in 2019, Charlie West is a 31-storey condominium community that transformed a once-contaminated site into a catalyst for part of downtown Kitchener’s regeneration. Located at the corner of Charles and Gaukel Streets, the project reimagined a property with a long history of industrial and commercial use into safe, sustainable housing that connects residents to local amenities, green space, and transit.
More than a high-rise, Charlie West helped lay the foundation for Gaukel Block, a vibrant pedestrian-only corridor officially launched by the City of Kitchener in 2023. This public space has become a hub for cultural programming, markets, art, and festivals, directly connecting City Hall and Victoria Park. The reimagined block now features seating, green space, kiosks wrapped in art by local artists, and activations— creating a community hub for well-being, creativity, and connection.
MTE Consultants provided environmental assessment and remediation services, guiding the project through the Record of Site Condition (RSC) process. Support from the City of Kitchener and the Region of Waterloo through brownfield incentive programs also contributed to making the redevelopment possible.
Project Team:
- Momentum Developments – Co-Developer
- Zehr Group – Construction Manager and Co-Developer
- MTE Consultants – Environmental and Engineering Services
- ABA Architects – Architectural Design
- City of Kitchener & Region of Waterloo – Municipal Partners
Finalist – Fort Frances South Block
Category: Refocus – Vision of Alternative Benefits to Brownfield Remediation
Fort Frances, Ontario
The Fort Frances paper mill operated for over 100 years before closing in 2014. In 2019, BMI Group acquired the site and began work to assess and clean up the property for future use. MTE Consultants conducted environmental assessments and supervised remediation work on the South Block, a 3.3-hectare section of the site previously used for rail and logging operations. A Record of Site Condition for residential use was acknowledged by the Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks in April 2025. As part of the redevelopment, a former industrial building—Portage Warehouse—was repurposed as office space for Giishkaandago’Ikwe Health, an Indigenous-led health organization. The group provides services to ten Southern Treaty 3 communities and operates with a focus on culturally informed care.
Project Team:
- BMI Group
- MTE Consultants – Environmental Services
- Giishkaandago’Ikwe Health Services
- Scatliff Miller Murray – Planning and Design
- George Armstrong Co. Ltd. – Demolition and Construction
About MTE’s Environmental Team
MTE provides environmental engineering and science services to a wide range of land development and infrastructure projects. Our team supports clients through each stage of a project—from early assessments to meeting regulatory requirements.
Our services include:
- Phase I & II Environmental Site Assessments
- Soil and groundwater investigation
- Environmental permitting and compliance
- Human health and ecological risk assessments
- Toxicology and peer review
- Ecology and natural environment studies
- Fish capture and handling
- Risk communication
We work with municipalities, developers, and community organizations to deliver reliable environmental information and help ensure projects meet regulatory standards.