The “Greenest” Greens in Ontario by L.G. Conrad, P. Eng, Manager, Waste Operations Waste Management Division, Region of Peel
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s you step up to the tee at BraeBen Golf Course in Mississauga, it’s hard to imagine that just 10 years ago, the Scottish Highlands inspired course, was a landfill serving more than one million Peel residents. The Region of Peel’s Britannia Landfill Site operated from 1980 to 2002 during which time, more than 13 million cubic metres of waste was deposited. When construction for the landfill began in the 1970s, the Region of Peel wanted to find a creative way to manage the landfill following its closure. The unique solution was to create a golf course on top of the closed landfill and to safely extract the landfill gas and convert it into energy. The Region recognized it is not in the business of running a golf course, but knew where to go for this expertise. The City of Mississauga, one of the municipalities that make up the Region of Peel, was brought onboard to manage the grounds and run the clubhouse. Golf course architect, Ted Baker and Associates, designed the layout and contouring of BraeBen to be a dramatic and challenging course without signs of the previous landfill. As part of the site redevelopment, a 9-hole par-3 academy was created on the south side of
18 Green is Beautiful • Spring 2011
the site; a double-ended driving range in the central section; and an 18-hole par-72 championship course on the remaining land. In June 2005, the 200-acre ecological masterpiece located at Terry Fox Way and Matheson Boulevard in the centre of Mississauga’s Heartland community was completed. BraeBen’s public 18-hole championship course features remarkable terrain, swaying fescue grasses, gnarled trees and shrubs, pristine fairways, punctuated with challenging bunkers – all reminiscent of golf’s early beginnings. As in the Highlands of Scotland, wind is a factor on most days and golfers of every skill level can challenge themselves from the red, white, blue or black tees. The course is also a sanctuary to a diverse wildlife population. Hawks, falcons, coyotes and foxes all enjoy the dramatic terrain.
Gas Recovery System When Britannia Landfill was redeveloped into BraeBen Golf Course, Integrated Gas Recovery Services (IGRS) was selected to install a gas recovery system, which uses the captured landfill gas to generate electricity.