Transportation is one of the highest emmitters of Greenhouse Gases (GHG). The transition to Zero Emission Vehicle (ZEV) technology is a race to the future, and in many ways, Canada is a key player in this transformation. Canada has for decades been the global leader in the development of hydrogen fuel cell and hydrogen electrolyzer technologies. Today, this technology is being used to displace diesel fuel for buses and trains globally. It is also being used at the micro-scale for distribution centre forklfts. Soon we will see the mass introduction of hydrogen fuel cell automobiles and trucks.
Leon Wasser has long been involves in the transportation sector. He was an early member of Transport 2000 a lobby group encouraging the growth of the transit sector and rail transport in Ontario and Canada. Leon coordinated the transportation planning data collection and inputs for the York University Master Plan working with the prestigious transportation planning firm The IBI Group. Leon served as a York University representative on the Loop Group advocating for extention of subway services to the York University. As Glendon College Business Manager, coordinated the liaison with the Toronto Transit Commission (TTC) on behalf of a group of institutions located near the interscetion of Bayview Street and Lawrence Avenue.
Leon served in many roles on the York University Presidential Advisory Committee on Parking, ultimately as Chair. As chair he co-authored the Green Transportation Plan for York University, which advocated transforming the main Keele Campus into a transit hub by creating a GO Train station on the Barrie line adjacent to the campus, enoucouraging GO Transit to create new routes to directly connect the campus with other educational institution and emerging regional municipality downtowns, creating the Black Creek Smart Commute car polling service to the campus, and replacing massive centrally located surface parking lots with strategically located multi-storey parkades. The stategy worked – and the modal split for travel to the campus changed from 75% private vehicle to 75% transit and shared vehicle. This transformation allowed for the creation of a major central park for the campus, the Harry W. Arthurs Commons, replacing open parking lots, and enabled the development of a dense and inter-connected urban-styled network of campus buildings.
Recently, Wasser Resources helped find a home for the Plug’N Drive EV Demonstation Centre in North York. Leon also organized a special Professional Engineers Ontario Toronto-Humber Chapter presentation on the developing sector for National Engineering Month 2018.
Today, the focus of Wasser Resources’ activities is in the sphere of hydrogen fuel cell and electrolyzer technology. Wasser Resources has advised hydrogen sector companies including Hydrogen Powered Concepts International Inc., HCI Energy Inc. and NextHydrogen.
In addition to “The Green Transportation Plan for York University” Leon has authored articles on the subject of green transportation iand related issues including “Green Parking Facility Strategies” for the Canadian Parking Association’s Parker Magazine, “Hydrogen – The Ideal Fuel for Mines” for Sudbury Mining Solutions Journal and “Hydrogren Applications for Distribution Centres” for the innaugural edition of Inside Logistics magazine.
Wasser Resources in an active member of the Hydrogen Business Council and contributes to the Canadian Urban Transit Research Innovation Consortium (CUTRIC). He also organized the 2019 Professional Engineers Ontario Toronto-Humber Chapter presentation on “Hydrogen – Canada’s Future Fuel” featuring Robert Stasko, P.Eng., Chairman of the Hydrogen Business Council.