SPEAKERS

Chris De Sousa, Ph.D., MCIP, RPP.

Professor in the School of Urban and Regional Planning at Toronto Metropolitan University. He received his BA, M. Sc. Pl., and Ph. D. from the University of Toronto.

His research focuses on brownfield redevelopment and sustainability in Canada and the United States. He has authored numerous publications, including a recent book entitled Sustainable Brownfields Development: Building a Sustainable Future on Sites of Our Polluting Past. He is past President of the Canadian Brownfields Network, chair of the Canadian Brownie Awards, and a member of TMU’s Center for Urban Research and Land Development.

Jon Jeronimus, Director RAW Design Inc.

AN UNCONVENTIONAL ARCHITECTURAL PRACTICE OF 60 DYNAMIC STAFF WITH OFFICES IN TORONTO AND KINGSTON.
A PRIMARY FOCUS FOR JON SINCE 2015 HAS BEEN THE DEVELOPMENT AND ADAPTIVE REUSE OF THE BROOM FACTORY
IN KINGSTON, LEADING THE PROCESS FROM PURCHASE THROUGH DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION TO OCCUPANCY
AND PLACE-MAKING.

ONCE A DERELICT AND ABANDONED HERITAGE STRUCTURE, THE BROOM FACTORY HAS TRANSFORMED
INTO A VIBRANT CULTURAL HUB SERVING FILM, MUSIC, DESIGN AND COMMUNITY, HOSTING MORE THAN 100 EVENTS AND 2,000 UNIQUE VISITORS PER YEAR.

Eliot Perrin, History PhD candidate, Concordia University.

His research interests include deindustrialization, public history, heritage, commemoration. He is also the archives coordinator at Concordia's Centre for Oral History and Digital Storytelling.

Erin Dee-Richard, Curator/Supervisor, Oil Museum of Canada, National Historic Site.

During this time, Erin, with her team, developed the exhibit refresh with a major building renovation. The exhibition won the OMA Award of Excellence - Exhibitions in 2022.

Before the Oil Museum of Canada, Erin worked in a variety of museum roles within Canada and England including Guelph Museums, Brant Historical Society, Royal Collections, and The British Postal Museum. She has a Master of Museum Studies from the University of Leicester and a BA Honours in history from the University of Guelph. She loves to travel and is taking this opportunity to humble-brag that she is currently in Portugal.

Tara Tran, Senior Planner, City of Brantford.

Born and raised in Brantford, she attended Greenbrier School, North Park Collegiate High School,and after completing a Bachelor in Politics and Environmental Studies and Masters in Urban and Regional Planning at Queen’s University, she accepted a job at the City.

Over the last 12 years with the City, Tara led a team to complete the major remediation of the former Massey Ferguson, Verity Plow and Cockshutt Plow properties on Greenwich and Mohawk Streets. The City of Brantford is 3-time recipient of the Canadian Urban Institute Brownie Award (in 2003, 2014 and 2016), which recognizes successful brownfield projects. She is leading the next stage of revitalization under a project called the Mohawk Lake District Plan.