|
Hunter and Associates, an integrated multidisciplinary environmental and engineering consulting firm with advanced geographic information systems (GIS) capabilities, has been providing high-quality, practical solutions to a full range of environmental and engineering issues for both the public and private sectors since 1977.
Services encompass surveys, research, concept development, planning, feasibility, evaluation, design, implementation, assessment, modelling and expert witness support.
A substantial portion of the firm’s work has been conducted in the area of environmental planning, management and design.
-
In 1997, Hunter and Associates was selected from a competition of 28 environmental, planning and engineering consulting firms to undertake the Palgrave Estate Residential Policy Area Study - Natural Environmental Assessment.
The Palgrave Estate Residential Policy Area is entirely within the Oak Ridge Moraine.
-
In 1981, Hunter and Associates assisted Town of Caledon in the preparation of the environmental planning policies for the Palgrave Estate Residential Area (Official Plan Amendment No. 5).
A nitrate modelling study was undertaken in support of development densities.
-
In 1991 and 1997, Hunter and Associates completed Reviews and proposed modifications (Official Plan Amendments 114 and 124) for the Palgrave Estate Residential Policy Area.
The Town of Caledon Environmental Planning process and policies have received recognition as a potential environmental planning "model" for development applications elsewhere in the Oak Ridges Moraine.
-
For the past 20 years, Hunter and Associates has provided environmental planning, management, hydrogeology and design expertise on more than 25 separate projects in the Town of Caledon.
Projects have included residential development, retirement communities, golf courses, industrial and commercial developments and aggregate extraction.
-
In 1993, as part of the background work for the Rural Service Centre Study, Hunter and Associates undertook a hydrogeological study on behalf of the Town of Caledon.
This study identified the technical hydrogeological opportunities and constraints of the Rural Service Centres of Mono Mills, Cheltenham, Caledon Village, Inglewood and Alton.
-
In 1991, Hunter and Associates was selected by the Oak Ridges Moraine Technical Working Committee to undertake the Oak Ridges Moraine Hydrogeological Study in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA), including Peel, York and Durham Regions of Ontario.
The firm coordinated the identification, characterization and delineation of the key hydrogeological features of the Moraine.
Recommendations were provided to assist in the development of a long term planning strategy for
managing the water resources of the Moraine on an ecologically sustainable basis.
Work was completed in early 1996.
Work included close cooperation with Geological Survey of Canada.
The Oak Ridges Technical Working Committee included members from Regional Municipalities of Durham, Peel and York, MNR, MMAH, MOE, Toronto and Region Conservation Authority (TRCA), Ganaraska Region Conservation Authority (GRCA), Conservation Council of Ontario (CCO), Save the Oak Ridges Moraine (STORM), Urban Development Institute (UDI), Aggregate Producers Association of Ontario (APAO), and Federation of Ontario Naturalists (FON).
-
In 1999, Hunter and Associates was retained by the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing (MMAH) to prepare a peer review of the North Richmond Hill proposed urbanization and Official Plan Amendments.
This review was undertaken in close cooperation with Dr. David Sharpe and Dr. Marc Hinton of the Geological Survey of Canada.
In late 1999, Hunter and Associates also prepared Bibliographic and Observation Well (Borehole) databases for North Richmond Hill on behalf of MMAH and the Region of York.
-
Hunter and Associates participated in the Town of Richmond Hill Hydrogeology Expert Meetings over the period of April 1999 to April 2000.
-
Hunter and Associates presented hydrogeological evidence as an Expert Witness at the King City Ontario Municipal Board Hearing during January 2000 (subpoenaed by STORM).
At the request of the Board Chair and the Township Solicitor, Hunter drafted proposed modifications to Official Plan 54.
-
During February 2000, Hunter and Associates was again retained by MMAH to review the Master Environmental Servicing Plan (MESP) Hydrogeology Addendum reports and update various Oak Ridges Moraine databases, including the Ministry of the Environment’s water well database, in the context of the Yonge East and Yonge West development applications and to prepare evidence for the pending Ontario Municipal Board Hearing.
Work was undertaken in close cooperation with Dr. David Sharpe and Dr. Marc Hinton of the Geological Survey of Canada.
-
Hunter and Associates has worked closely with Region of York Public Works staff in assembly of Production and Test Well monitoring data and hydrogeological reports for the Yonge Street Aquifer in the Oak Ridges Moraine.
-
During April 2000, Hunter and Associates undertook review of Permit to Take Water files and supporting hydrogeological reports for the Oak Ridges Moraine at Ministry of Environment, Central Region.
-
On behalf of the Province of Ontario, Mr. Hunter presented hydrogeological evidence as an Expert Witness at the Ontario Municipal Board Hearing regarding proposed amendments to the Town of Richmond Hill’s Official Plan.
Mr. Hunter attended the Hearings nearly continuously from June 2000 until late April 2001.
During this process, Mr. Hunter worked with MMAH, MNR, MOE, TRCA and York Region solicitors, staff and consultants.
Mr. Hunter has a full set of hydrogeological exhibits from this hearing.
-
In January 2001, Mr. Hunter was acknowledged by the Ontario Municipal Board as an expert in the fields of airphoto interpretation and mining of geographic data for hydrogeological purposes.
In February 2001, the Ontario Supreme Court Justice directed the Ontario Municipal Board to also accept Mr. Hunter’s evidence in the fields of geology, hydrogeology and hydrogeochemistry.
-
During June and July, 2001, Mr. Hunter attended the Public Open Houses and Information Meetings in Aurora, King City, Stouffville, Clarington, Uxbridge and Caledon East regarding the paper The Oak Ridges Moraine - Proposals for the Protection and Management of a Unique Landscape.
This paper is a collaborative effort by the Oak Ridges Moraine Partnership, which includes the Regions of Durham, Peel and York, the Counties of Simcoe, Peterborough, Dufferin and Northhumberland, the City of Kawartha Lakes, and the nine Conservation Authorities having jurisdiction on the Moraine.
These meetings were monitored by three Province of Ontario Ministries (MMAH, MNR and MOE).
-
In July 2001, Hunter and Associates was retained by Ministry of the Environment to prepare regional groundwater recharge/discharge mapping and update hydrogeological databases throughout the Oak Ridges Moraine.
This work has included assembly of databases and bibliographies from a number of provincial agencies (MMAH, MNR, OMAF and MOE), from upper tier municipal governments, including the Regions of Peel, York and Durham, Counties of Peterborough, Northumberland and Simcoe, and for the nine Conservation Authorities and many lower tier municipalities within the Moraine.
An updated MOE water well database for the Moraine is very near completion.
-
During August and September 2001, Mr. Hunter attended the public meetings conducted by the Oak Ridges Moraine Advisory Panel and Inter-Ministry Team at Uxbridge, Caledon East, Vaughan and Cobourg.
-
Hunter has comprehensive and industry leading web GIS solutions for management of Oak Ridges Moraine databases and mapping information. These web solutions include full capabilities for water well distribution and processing, including vertical graphing of stratigraphy and static levels.
These solutions are live and may be Extranet (password) accessible to Oak Ridges Moraine stakeholders on a few hours notice.
-
Hunter has extensive public, agency and government contacts in the Oak Ridges Moraine area.
Hunter has first-hand working knowledge of where and how to obtain information resources to complement project objectives.
Most importantly, the firm understands in detail the strength and weakness of these information resources.
-
The firm has a library of hydrogeologic references for the Oak Ridges Moraine which number more than 2000 at present.
|
