“… all persons interested in road reform to meet for the purpose of forming a national road improvement association”
– Allan MacDougall, Secretary of the Canadian Institute, a Toronto-based Engineering and Survey Society
Good Roads is a municipal association concerned with the quality and design of roads in Ontario. We have been devoted to the cause of better roads since 1894. Originally known as the Ontario Good Roads Association (and still using that name corporately), our members include most of Ontario’s municipalities and a growing number of First Nations as well as dozens of affiliated corporate members in the transportation and infrastructure sectors.
Thomas heads our government relations initiatives. He never takes his eye off emerging regulations and regulatory updates. Our policy practices and advocacy at Queen’s Park are in his capable hands.
Andrew is well-versed in the public policy development process and knows the key players involved. He analyzes, dissects, and interprets everything government-related and advances municipal infrastructure and transportation interests.
Scott’s career has been a deliberate and methodical immersion into the world of building better communities. In August 2020, Scott became the tenth Good Roads’ Executive Director in the history of the organization. Through training, advocacy and research, Scott leads a team that has focused on everything roads since 1894. Prior to this, Scott served as OGRA’s government relations lead for 10 years.
Kyla creates effective and engaging educational materials and experiences by applying principles of learning and design. She uses a variety of technologies and media to deliver high-quality instructional courses to enhance learning outcomes.
Rayna, who has been with Good Roads for over two decades, has a wealth of experience serving our municipal and corporate members. Accountable for all accounting at Good Roads, she is also the President and CEO of 1894 Inc.
Jared maintains the visual integrity of the Good Roads brand and sub-brands, including ongoing design work on our website and for our events. He also designs our magazine, email campaigns, and career postings while heading up the Good Roads Podcast. Jared is a passionate municipal advocate.
Lingling is responsible for all accounts payable and receivable at Good Roads. A skilled number cruncher, she works closely with our CFO.
Lesley oversees billing-related matters including partner associations and payments for events. She is the guardian of how administrative tasks and procedures should work at Good Roads. She and Laura help the rest of us succeed.
Amin divides his time between Good Roads and Municipal Engineers Association (MEA). He runs The Road Authority – products, services, and technical solutions used in public infrastructure. He also can be seen on our YouTube channel moderating webinars. Amin works closely with Dr. James Smith on infrastructure research projects.
Gemma helps keep the Good Roads’ education train running on time and in check. Along with the rest of the team she is ensures our student experience is top notch.
Cherry keeps us on track. As the keeper of timelines, she’s responsible for all Good Roods event logistics, including education, conference, board meetings, and more. Cherry works closely with the education department. Deliverables, thanks to Cherry, are met with resounding regularity.
Tracy is our virtual learning expert. She makes sure Good Roads students get the most out of their training experience by clearly outlining all course content and setting measurable objectives for each course.
James (Ph.D. University of Waterloo) is our authority on any type of road, from gravel to asphalt to bridge and road-related infrastructure design. It’s hard to imagine anyone more passionate about road design. So it’s entirely appropriate that James leads Good Roads’ science-based research on road building and infrastructure. James is also Adjunct Professor of Engineering at the University of Guelph.
Carmen oversees all member registrations, from educational courses to our conference, including invoicing and billing. She runs the Good Roads office (from the moment you walk in the door). Carmen is our longest-serving employee.
If you want to speak to someone at Good Roads, you will most likely start with Laura. Whether you want to register for a course or have questions about events, Laura will deftly point you in the right direction.
Rachel is a brand and communications strategist skilled at building partner relationships. From media relations to sponsorships, she also leads the way for Good Roads being the “connective tissue” between corporate and municipal members. Rachel’s portfolio includes advertising, brand recognition, social media designer, events, and communications.
Eric is the headmaster of education and training at Good Roads. He is in charge of our learning management system and guides our team of volunteer instructors and course directors. He also helps develop course content and goals, aimed squarely at helping municipal staff members win at their work.
Division Manager, Road Operations and Forestry, City of London
Director of Public Works and Engineering, Municipality of East Ferris
Mayor, Township of Hornepayne
Mayor, Municipality of Highlands East
Manager of Engineering Services, County of Oxford
Councillor - Ward 24, Scarborough-Guildwood, City
Director of Public Works and Environmental Services, City of Quinte West
Manager of Public Works, Town of Gananoque
Manager, Transportation Policy and Innovation, City of Toronto
Asset Co-Ordinator and Financial Analyst, Township of Southgate
Councillor, City of Timmins
Executive Director, Good Roads
Any member of Council or a permanent full-time staff from a Good Roads member municipality or First Nation who is interested in being considered as a candidate for a position on the Board of Directors must complete a Nomination Consent form, along with a résumé.
If you are interested in applying, please read the details on how to apply carefully on our website at the link below.
Any member of Council or a permanent full-time staff from a Good Roads member municipality or First Nation who is interested in being considered as a candidate for a position on the Board of Directors must complete a Nomination Consent form, along with a résumé.
If you are interested in applying, please read the details on how to apply carefully on our website at the link below.
Our purpose, in part, is to connect our members to each other, to other levels of government, and to relevant companies in the private sector. We see issues through a municipal wide-angle lens, capturing both staff and elected official perspectives. We attempt to unify those interests. Our members look to us for training, knowledge, political advocacy, and answers to their most pressing problems. In doing all this, we serve the public good by helping improve infrastructure, which improves the economic prosperity, quality of life and functionality of communities.
Our purpose, in part, is to connect our members to each other, to other levels of government, and to relevant companies in the private sector. We see issues through a municipal wide-angle lens, capturing both staff and elected official perspectives. We attempt to unify those interests. Our members look to us for training, knowledge, political advocacy, and answers to their most pressing problems. In doing all this, we serve the public good by helping improve infrastructure, which improves the economic prosperity, quality of life and functionality of communities.
Good Roads is resolutely independent. We generate all our revenue without government funding. That enables us to remain non-partisan, working only in the interests of our members, as we have for 129 years. Our members count on our advocacy with the province and on the impartiality of any advice we give, including recommendations for products and services.
Good Roads is resolutely independent. We generate all our revenue without government funding. That enables us to remain non-partisan, working only in the interests of our members, as we have for 129 years. Our members count on our advocacy with the province and on the impartiality of any advice we give, including recommendations for products and services.
Every government wants their roads to pay an ROI — in dollars, in connectivity, and in performance. Good Roads contributes by:
Every government wants their roads to pay an ROI — in dollars, in connectivity, and in performance. Good Roads contributes by:
A brand promise is like a compass. It helps you stay aligned. This is ours:
To help our members build better communities.
We do it by providing:
When our members succeed, everybody wins.
When our shared infrastructure is excellent, everybody wins.
A brand promise is like a compass. It helps you stay aligned. This is ours:
To help our members build better communities.
We do it by providing:
When our members succeed, everybody wins.
When our shared infrastructure is excellent, everybody wins.
“… all persons interested in road reform to meet for the purpose of forming a national road improvement association”
– Allan MacDougall, Secretary of the Canadian Institute, a Toronto-based Engineering and Survey Society
Archibald William “Good Roads” Campbell, the St. Thomas city engineer and founding Good Roads members, was appointed Ontario’s first provincial instructor in “roadmaking” and “coordinator of the Good Roads Train”
The dominant influence of cyclists and agriculture over the road improvement movements gives way to the Ontario Motor League and Canadian Automobile Association. In 1903, 220 vehicles are registered under Ontario’s first motorized vehicle legislation.
Dr. Rolph Langstaff of Richmond Hill driving the first automobile in the region, his 1902 Model S Ford.
Workers with the County of Oxford lay road drainage tiles in 1909.
Good Roads led efforts to repeal the Statute Labour Law for road maintenance. In the place of obligated road labour, Premier William Hearst establishes a provincial highways commission to create provincial standards for roads.
The time between the two world wars was a period of marked change. Standardization took hold and new hi-tech machinery allowed road authorities to conceive of and construct major projects such as the QEW and the Trans-Canada Highway.
The period following World War II was an era of significant growth in terms of Ontario’s roadways. Spending on county roads increased 560% between 1945 and 1960.
The Burlington “Skyway” seen in its final stages of construction in May 1958.
Massive projects such as the Don Valley Parkway, the Ottawa Queensway, the Garden City Skyway and the 401 are completed. A large number of local roads are open to access northern resources.
A half-century of steadily increasing investments in local roads halts. Provincially imposed amalgamation reduces the number of municipalities by half. In spite of austerity, environmental concerns and complete street considerations emerge.
After austerity, an new era of roads as economic engines return. Technologies like rapid bridge replacement and environmentally responsible winter maintenance take hold. Old technologies such as roundabouts come back into favour.
Municipalities embrace new ways of working. Asset management planning, connected and autonomous vehicles, smart phone apps become the norm.
If you need us, let us know.
1525 Cornwall Road
Unit 22
Oakville, ON L6J 0B2
