Tommy Thompson Park Restoration with Coca-Cola

While at TRCA, Chris partnered with Coca-Cola to support the company’s global water neutrality goals through local ecosystem restoration. Working closely with Coca-Cola’s sustainability team, he helped identify and evaluate restoration opportunities that could deliver measurable water savings in the Greater Toronto Area.

Chris applied Coca-Cola’s water neutrality framework to TRCA-led projects and worked with technical staff to quantify impacts and align outcomes with corporate sustainability targets. His efforts culminated in a successful proposal that led Coca-Cola to invest $500,000 in the creation of a nine-hectare coastal wetland at Tommy Thompson Park—an initiative that advanced ecological restoration, improved water quality, and demonstrated the potential of public-private environmental collaboration.

Region of Peel Spill Decision Support System

Working within a public-private partnership, Chris project managed the development of the Region of Peel Spill Decision Support System - a web-based spill response system for managing chemical and oil spills within the Region of Peel.

The project's purpose was to provide spill responders a tool for storing historical spill information, tracing spills from their origination to their entry point into watercourses, and identifying potential spill sources by including  a database of chemical storage within the Region.

The project required converging various databases and storm sewer datasets into a comprehensive tool that could be deployed in the field to help improve spill response, while protecting the environment.  

From project initiation to completion, Chris pulled together the four municipal partners to develop the web-based spill system, identifying funding sources, developing a public-private partnership to develop the tool, and managing the consulting team through the technical development of the web-based system.

Partners in Project Green: A Pearson Eco-Business Zone Strategy

Chris led the development of the founding strategy for Partners in Project Green—an ambitious initiative to transform the industrial lands around Toronto Pearson International Airport into a globally recognized hub for sustainable business.

Developed over eight months in collaboration with businesses and all levels of government, the strategy established a shared vision for the Pearson Eco-Business Zone. It provided a baseline of regional resource use and outlined a set of targeted programs aimed at reducing environmental impact while enhancing economic performance.

The strategy laid the foundation for the formal launch of Partners in Project Green, backed by a seven-year funding commitment from the Greater Toronto Airports Authority.

Greater Toronto Airports Authority Living City Project

As a Watershed Planner with TRCA, Chris led the GTAA Living City Project—a comprehensive environmental strategy to restore the Etobicoke Creek watershed around Toronto Pearson International Airport. The project assessed terrestrial systems, aquatic habitat, and stormwater infrastructure to identify priority restoration opportunities and develop an integrated implementation plan.

Delivered in partnership with the Greater Toronto Airports Authority, the project laid the ecological groundwork for Partners in Project Green and helped catalyze business engagement in local watershed stewardship.

Greater Toronto Area Spills Assessment

To strengthen emergency response and environmental protection in the Region of Peel, Chris led the development of a web-based Spill Decision Support System—a tool designed to help responders manage chemical and oil spills with greater speed, accuracy, and coordination.

Developed through a public-private partnership, the system integrated multiple data sources—including historical spill records, chemical storage inventories, and storm sewer infrastructure—into a user-friendly platform that could be deployed in the field. The tool enabled responders to trace spills from origin to watercourse entry points, improving incident tracking, source identification, and response planning.

Chris managed all aspects of the project, from securing funding and convening four municipal partners to overseeing the consulting team through technical design and implementation. The result was a practical, field-ready solution that improved regional spill response and safeguarded local ecosystems.