Virtual
Road Assumption - Stay in Your Lane
April 14, 2026
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11:00 a.m.
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12:00 p.m. ET
Responsibility for road maintenance and management is one of the most frequently misunderstood aspects of municipal governance. The work involved in properly maintaining municipal roadways is complex but essential – not only for public and staff safety, but also for protecting the municipality from legal liability. Elected officials often face strong pressure from residents to address road-related issues, whether it’s ensuring a road is plowed, replacing aging culverts or improving drainage.
Tracy Eso will interview Jaden Hodgins, our resident Road Specialist, to explore the risks and liabilities that can arise when municipalities perform work on roads that have not yet been formally assumed. This discussion will help Councillors and municipal decision-makers better understand why the process of acquiring and assuming roads is so rigorous, and how well-intentioned actions can sometimes expose the municipality to unnecessary risk – proving once again that, in municipal governance, no good deed goes unpunished.
Tracy Eso will interview Jaden Hodgins, our resident Road Specialist, to explore the risks and liabilities that can arise when municipalities perform work on roads that have not yet been formally assumed. This discussion will help Councillors and municipal decision-makers better understand why the process of acquiring and assuming roads is so rigorous, and how well-intentioned actions can sometimes expose the municipality to unnecessary risk – proving once again that, in municipal governance, no good deed goes unpunished.