5 Monster (or best) Land Reclamation Projects in Canada

​Land reclamation is when land that has been disturbed is returned to an equivalent landscape with self-sustaining native vegetation. Reclamation efforts are often directed at land disturbed in Canada during natural resource development, including mining and oil and gas operations.

Most of these developments take place in forested areas, which makes it that much more important. By doing this, the land can be returned to a self-sustaining ecosystem with local vegetation and wildlife. 
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1. Coal Mining Reclamation Project in Alberta  
Alberta is a province in Western Canada. Its landscape encompasses mountains, desert badlands, and vast coniferous forests. This green project uses municipal organic waste to help grow a willow crop on the reclaimed mining land. The willow is then used to create woody biomass that is in turn used to produce renewable heat, energy, and other products. The transition to a clean growth economy is one of the greatest challenges that face Canadian citizens today. Restoring mining land to a natural state contributes to growth in the economy and marketplace, creating jobs and building a sustainable environment.  ​

​2. Notre Dame Island in Montreal (Quebec, Canada). 
In the Saint Lawrence River, 15 million tons of rock were excavated from the Montreal metro underground rail in 1965 to form an artificial island. Saint Lawrence is an iconic waterway supporting an international economy, a rich cultural history, and a diverse array of species. Reclamation and restoration benefits families, businesses, and visitors alike by promoting tribal cultural practices, enhancing natural habitat, and improving public access to the waterfront.  

3. Gateway Hill   
104-hectare area of reclaimed land called Gateway Hill was reclaimed in the early 1980s and received certification in 2008. Wildlife surveys were conducted, which revealed the presence of several species, including snowshoe hare, marten, deer, squirrel, beaver, coyote, etc. Gateway hill has demonstrated a self-sustaining ecosystem and habitat capacity. Land reclamation has been immense, and to confirm the success of a land reclamation takes time as it a natural process.  

​4. Mildred Lake Settling Basin 
Mildred Lake Settling Basin is an embankment dam that is, by volume of construction material, was the largest earth structure in the world in 2001. Reclamation projects for the new mines include mostly reforested areas and wetlands. Wetlands currently make up most of the landscape, with remaining land consisting of brush and trees. It is a growing ecosystem; this is just the start of the wetland!  

​5. Sandhill Fen Oil Sands Wetland Reclamation 
A 17-hectare refuge for cattails, songbirds, dragonflies, and the occasional passing bear. One of the oldest mining sites that are being reclaimed as wetlands. A fen absorbs water during heavy rains and adds relief to the parched landscape in times of drought. By doing this, you learn a valuable lesson about how much water is needed. 

​Major resource projects are either underway or are planned in the next ten years in Canada. Most of these will take place in forest regions, which is why new scientific knowledge and technologies are needed to guide reclamation projects so that the forested areas can be used for wildlife habitat and commercial forestry.