Juneau chose his number-one project because, like many projects on the Top 100, it shows that we can actually complete big undertakings. His top pick is the Red River Floodway Expansion (#29). “This [brownfield] project would have been very difficult to start without the Canada Strategic Infrastructure Fund (CSIF) impetus.”

He ranks Quebec’s Autoroute 30 (#11) second for similar reasons. Also started, or restarted, with the support of the CSIF, this project has had its share of roadblocks. “Many were skeptical,” says Juneau. But it’s a top project in his estimation because it represents the work of a project champion, in this case at the federal level. “Serge Marcil, a former federal MP representing one of the relevant ridings, worked very hard to get the project underway,” says Juneau.

Like ReNew Canada, Henderson focused on the numbers, but used his clean energy background to rank his top projects.

“The numbers tell the tale,” says Henderson. The total capital financing requirement for clean energy projects in the Top 100 is $23 billion. “Energy ranks just behind transportation in terms of importance to our country’s infrastructure pipeline,” he says.

Henderson chose projects that represent future opportunities for developers and the public sector. He says large hydro will become more important as sites in Labrador, Quebec, Ontario, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta and British Columbia offer the potential of cost competitive base load electricity supply.

NaiKun Wind Energy (#5)

“Environmental and stakeholder issues will need to be addressed to green light many of these projects,” says Henderson. “However, the pace of development may be slower than the industry would prefer. Power authorities will be very careful in committing to large projects.”

Henderson says larger-scale wind power projects will come online regularly, and biomass electricity generation is on the cusp of breaking through technical and economic barriers that will unleash the more effective use of Canada’s biomass feedstocks.

But Shin cautions, “Infrastructure projects that may seem oriented towards environmental and social sustainability at first glance can actually bring with them a host of concerns.” While no infrastructure project is without impact, Shin’s analysis shows that some of the Top 100 have done a better job of taking environmental, social and economic impact into account than others.

Shin’s top five are: Alberta Schools Alternative Procurement (#33), Sydney Tar Ponds Cleanup (#51), Rivers District Community Revitalization (RDCR) Project (#78), Fort McMurray Water Reclamation Facility (#79), and the University of Calgary’s Energy Environment Experiential Learning building (#80).

Juneau also zeroed in on the RDCR, saying he was tempted to list this project as his number one. “I strongly believe that infrastructure programming can and should be used to revitalize challenged neighbourhoods in our major cities, for the benefit of the country as a whole.”

The Sydney Tar Ponds Cleanup (#50) made everyone but Henderson’s list (Henderson was focussed on energy projects). What’s so great about this project? It’s certainly seen its share of controversy, from disagreements between the Sierra Club of Canada and the Government of Nova Scotia on which method of environmental impact assessment to use to clean up the tar ponds, to which remediation method to use.

Fort McMurray Water Reclamation Facility (#79)

“Many would only want to say that this project is long overdue, period,” says Juneau. “But it still deserves to be recognized, given how painful it was to get it started and executed. Let‘s hope that all the relevant lessons have been or are being learned.”

Shin, too, found the pros far outweigh the cons. The environmental and social impact remains to be measured. Prolonged use of the treated site and environmental and weather conditions may cause the materials used to stabilize the contaminants to erode, limiting the effectiveness of remediation. As a result, continuous monitoring of the site is required in order to ensure the contaminants have not reassembled. But the economic benefits of the project are clear: it will raise property values and, as exposure to toxins is reduce, it has the potential to decrease health costs.

Another project everyone ranked high is the Canadian Museum for Human Rights (#53). It’s being built to LEED Silver certification, for starters, but Bowerbank and Shin both note the project’s social impact as its winning characteristic.

“Its cutting-edge architecture could be influential nationally and internationally, much like Frank Gehry’s Guggenheim Bilbao design,” says Shin.

Juneau, who made the museum his number nine, says, “Truth be told, I liked this project when its promoters first sought infrastructure funding, but in light of the mandate of the CSIF and limited funds, the [Red River] Floodway was a better fit. There has been an evolution and the tenacity of the Asper family has been rewarded.”

Alberta Schools Alternative Procurement (#33)

Plans to fund a national student human rights education and travel program would attract 20,000 Canadian Grade 9 students to the museum annually. Once implemented, such a program would have a long-term impact on the importance of human rights in communities across Canada. This may have an impact on international visitors similar to the equality- and tolerance-oriented exhibit at the Anne Frank Museum in Amsterdam. As Bowerbank says, “It does something for the Canadian psyche.”

Bowerbank likes the international element of this project and says “it’s an opportunity to highlight how important the triple bottom line (environment, social and economy) has become.”

But, as Shin points out, the museum has come under criticism for being constructed on one of Manitoba’s richest First Nations artefacts sites. To make matters worse, the area wasn’t fully excavated before construction took place since not all artefacts could be collected and analyzed. Continued investigation is difficult given Manitoba’s allegedly weak heritage regulations and increased development in the surrounding area in recent years.

Henderson’s pick, NaiKun Wind Energy (#5), made Shin’s shortlist as well as Bowerbank’s top ten. Shin says that while the turbines will displace 450,000 tonnes of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions per year and partnerships were formed with the First Nations to provide short and long-term employment, it may hurt the area’s ecological diversity. It’s listed as an “important bird area” under BirdLife International. “Environment Canada data was omitted in environmental assessment of black scoter staging for up to a month during spring time in the area,” says Shin.

University of Calgary’s Energy Environment Experiential Learning building (#80)

Shin also has concerns about the St. Joseph Wind Farm (#21). Although it would contribute $500,000 annually to municipal coffers of Montcalm, Mantioba, it’s already been delayed by more than a year as a result of Babcock & Brown’s financial troubles in late 2008. The delay has also pushed back the power purchasing process. The project’s new backer, Pattern Energy, has approached the province for help with financing the project. A delayed construction schedule could prevent it from qualifying for federal stimulus subsidies, which requires that wind turbines be operational by March 2011.

In other renewable energy projects, Bowerbank likes Hydro-Québec’s Eastmain-1-A/Sarcelle/Rupert Project, making it his number two.

“I like the scale of [this project] and we need to consider its economic benefit,” says Bowerbank. “When it comes to water projects, there’s always some concern because they’re so intrusive of waterways.” But, he says hydro is big for Quebec and the benefits to the community outweigh any negatives.

Shin prefers British Columbia’s Harrison Hydro Project, the long-term benefits of which include improved communications infrastructure; improved health and safety for residents; displacement of the costs, risks, CO₂ generation and noise pollution associated with operation of the two diesel generators currently used to supply electricity to the communities; expanded economic development and employment-creation opportunities.

Even so, Shin notes that the project’s environmental benefits were criticized by the Western Canada Wilderness Committee. The region’s forests would be threatened by roads and transmission lines. In 2008 the provincial Ministry of Environment officially lodged a laundry list of complaints, including threats to red-legged frogs’ habitat, old-growth forests and fish-bearing rivers.

The Fort McMurray Water Reclamation Facility (#79) made both Shin’s and Bowerbank’s list.  Beyond its use of biological nutrient removal technology and a composting facility to further reduce its environmental footprint, Shin says it also has “good news story potential.”

Canadian Museum for Human Rights (#54)

Juneau focused on gateways, something the others didn’t consider. He ranked the Windsor Gateway (#99) and the Dorval Interchange Redevelopment (#69) as his number three and four. Of the Dorval Interchange, he says, “This is a more focused gateway project, but access to one of Canada’s key airports just has to be improved. Further projects will be required to support this goal, but this is a critical step.”

Both he and Bowerbank singled out Toronto’s Spadina Subway Extension (#3) as one of their top ten. “I wanted to have a least one project that includes a strong element of interregional connection,” says Juneau. “This subway line does just that by connecting Toronto to York Region and at the same time serving the needs of York University.”

Juneau concludes, “There’s much more to think about, and more research needs to be done into whether this level of activity is greater than in previous periods, how we set priorities and select projects, and whether we need more overall coherence when many projects are pursued in the same sector.”

There are many more factors by which these projects could be ranked—for instance, are they appropriately integrated into urban and regional development? Do they contribute to a community’s revitalization? Are they employing Canadian companies and firms? Those questions will have to wait for next year.

André Juneau, former deputy minister of Infrastructure Canada and recent Canadian director at the London-based European Bank for Reconstruction and Development.

Chris Henderson, president of Lumos Energy, and advisor and partner to Aboriginal communities across Canada developing clean energy generation projects.

Melissa Shin, managing editor of Corporate Knights magazine.

Andrew Bowerbank, president and chief strategy officer of EC3 initiative, and former executive director of the World Green Building Council.