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Managing Winter Operations Workshop is a single-day event for professionals involved in winter maintenance, roadway operations, and seasonal service planning. Built around the practical realities of snow and ice control, the workshop is intended to give attendees a useful overview of current challenges, emerging practices, and day-to-day considerations that affect winter readiness and response.
The program is expected to include a balanced mix of morning presentations, networking breaks, applied discussions, and afternoon learning blocks. Topics may touch on salt management, legal and documentation responsibilities, service delivery choices, weather awareness, equipment and inspection practices, communication with the public, and broader questions affecting winter operations teams.
08:00 – 08:05
Emcee – Darnell Bernardo
Welcome and opening remarks
08:10 – 08:55 | Salt Supply, Procurement & Operational Response
Bruce Hilborn – Dufferin County
The 2025–26 winter showed how quickly salt supply can become the constraint on everything else. This session looks at the problem from the municipal, supply and alternatives perspectives, covering what worked last season, how contracts and procurement shape your options, and where alternatives realistically fit. Followed by audience Q&A.
09:00 – 09:40 | Liability, Minimum Maintenance Standards & Defensible Documentation
Charles Painter – Dolden Wallace Folick LLP
The winter provisions of the Minimum Maintenance Standards are under review, and the outcome will shift what municipalities need to do and what they need to be able to prove. A municipal defence lawyer walks through what is on the table, what it could mean operationally, and what records, photos and operational data actually hold up when a claim reaches court.
09:40 – 09:55 BREAK
10:00 – 10:40 | Workforce Sustainability, Driver Training & Contractors
Ken Lauppe – Manager, Emergencies and Operations, Mississauga; Guy Godmaire – Director Road Superintendent, Township of Harley and Kerns
Recruiting, training and retaining a skilled winter operations workforce is becoming increasingly challenging as municipalities face changing workforce expectations, rising contractor costs and a shortage of experienced operators. This session will compare the unique challenges faced by urban, rural and remote municipalities.
10:45 – 11:45 | Operator Safety and Public Interference
Municipal operators and supervisors are facing abuse, harassment, threats and interference from the public and, at times, from elected officials. AORS Executive Director Kelly Elliott and Past President Karla Musso-Garcia, Operations Manager at the Township of Oro-Medonte, cover what members are reporting, what AORS is pursuing in the way of stronger legal protections, and what supervisors can do to support staff and respond to incidents in the field.
11:50 – 12:55 LUNCH
13:00 – 13:45 | Weather Volatility & AI Forecasting
Max Perchanok – Senior Technical Manager, Environmental Science – WSP; Marcus Mills – Weather Consulting Scientist – WSP
• Winter weather is becoming harder to predict, and forecasting itself is changing quickly. Two weather specialists look at emerging trends in Ontario winters, what AI is actually changing in the forecasts municipalities receive, and how pavement temperature, dew point and road condition data can be turned into practical decisions during a storm.
13:50 – 14:40 | Technology, Data & Fleet Decision-Making
Technology is transforming winter operations, providing municipalities with new tools to improve decision-making, enhance accountability and optimize the use of people, equipment and materials. This session will explore how municipalities are leveraging technologies such as AVL/GPS, fleet management systems, cameras, sensors, AI-supported road weather tools and operational data to support daily operations and long-term planning.
14:40 – 14:55 BREAK
15:00 – 15:45 | Looking Back, Planning Ahead: Municipal Leaders Reflect on the 2025–26 Winter
We will conclude the day with an engaging panel discussion featuring municipal leaders who experienced the challenges of the 2025–26 winter firsthand. Drawing on the topics explored throughout the workshop, panelists will reflect on the decisions they made, the successes they achieved, the obstacles they encountered, and what they would do differently in future seasons. Attendees will have the opportunity to ask questions, compare approaches with municipalities of varying sizes, and gain practical insights that can be applied to their own winter operations.
15:50 – 16:00
Thank you and closing remarks
Emcee – Darnell Bernardo
Hotel: Hilton Garden Inn Toronto/Mississauga
Company Name: GOOD ROADS CONFERENCE AT THE MISSISSAUGA GRAND BANQUET & EVENT CENTRE
Hotel: Holiday Inn Mississauga Toronto West
Question:
Are the sessions technical or high-level?
Answer:
The event is expected to combine practical operational content with broader discussion of planning, legal responsibilities, communication, technology, and service delivery issues.
Question:
Who is this workshop designed for?
Answer:
It is intended for people involved in winter maintenance operations, supervision, planning, coordination, contracting, and related support functions.
Question:
Will there be breaks and networking time?
Answer:
Yes. The day is expected to include scheduled breaks and informal opportunities for attendees to connect with peers.
