OFA has provided comments to the Ministry of Transportation as part of their consultation process on the harmonization of municipal road construction standards.

OFA supports the goal of harmonizing municipal road construction standards but raises significant concerns about the proposed province-wide approach, particularly for rural and agricultural communities. OFA argues that uniform standards fail to account for regional differences in climate, materials, infrastructure, and municipal capacity, potentially leading to higher costs, project delays, and negative impacts on local economies. Additionally, existing drainage systems under the Drainage Act are already effective and could be disrupted by overlapping requirements. To address these issues, OFA recommends exemptions for rural and northern municipalities at their request, full exemptions for all work governed under the Drainage Act, and if an exemption isn’t granted clear rules ensuring that any additional costs imposed by provincial standards are borne by the province rather than municipalities or landowners.