Minimum Maintenance Standards and the Municipal Act, 2001: Lessons Learned from Thornhill (Litigation Guardian of) v. Shadid

• Author: C. Kirk Boggs and Meredith E. Jones
• Pages: 451-476



Minimum Maintenance Standards

andtheMunicipalAct

LessonsLearnedfromThornhill

(Litigation Guardian of) v. Shadid

C. Kirk Boggs and Meredith E. Jones*

A. INTRODUCTION

Giventhatoneoftheprima ryfunct ionsoflocalgovernmentist hecon-

structiona ndmaintenance ofstreets andhighwaysitis notsurpri sing

thataccidents occurri ngon municipal roadsprovide the largestsingle

source of claims against mun icipalitiesHowever unlike individual

citizens the powers duties and responsibilities of mun icipalities are

principally derived from statute and correspondingly in most Can-

adianjurisdictionsamunicipalitysdutytokeepitspublichighwaysand

bridgesinareasonablestateofrepairhasbeencodiedbystatute

Historicallythe legislature and the court shave made itclear t hat

amun icipalityi snot to betreatedas an in surerof the safet yof those

usingits highways andbridgesA municipalit ysobligationis to take

reasonableactiontokeepitshighwaysandbridgesinareasonablestate

ofrepair in the circumstancesincludingt hecharactera ndlocation of

 CKirkBoggsisapartnerintheInsuranceDefenceLitigationHealthLawandClass

Proceedingsprac ticegroupsatLerner sLLPandiscertiedbytheLawSociet yof

UpperCanadaasaSpecia listincivi llitigationMeredit hEJonesisanassoc iatein

theInsura nceDefenceLitigationa ndHealthLawpracticegroupatLer nersLLP

 DGBoghosianJMDavisonQCThe Law of Municipal Liability in Ca nadaloose-

leafMarkhamONBuerwort hsatBoghosianDavison

 Ibid.

 Thornhill (Litigation Guardian of ) v. ShadidOJNoatparaSCJ

Thornhill

CKBMEJ

thehighwayorbridgeAmunicipalityisnotandcannotbeexpectedto

makeallofitsroadspassableatalltimesandinallweatherconditions

Thatsaidwhatisconsideredreasonableactionandareasonablestate

ofrepair hasbeensubject toover acentur yof analysisa ndlitigation

As our roadsvehiclesa ndma intenance technology have evolvedso

hast hescope of a municipalitysduty of repairW hatwas reasonable

repairinthesorsmaynolongerbeviewedasadequatebyour

courtsWhiletheunderlyingprincipleshavelargelyremainedthesame

theirapplicationtospeci cfactsituationshas changedovertime asso-

cietyandthecour tshavesoughttoexpandgovernmentsresponsibility

forourdaytodaysafetyWhilenodoubtbenecialfromapublicsafety

standpoint this philosophical shi  from a more individual to a more

collectiveresponsibilityhasdramaticallyincreasedthena ncialburden

on municipalities as they aempt to meet the increased ex pectations

placedonthemThepressuretofundhigherlevelsofservicehasinevit-

ablycomeintoconict witht hecontinuous demandtodec reasetaxes

While a statutorily imposed duty of care is not subje ct to the policy

vsoperationaldecisionanalysisthereal ityisthatnumerousdecisions

withrespecttocompetingnancialprioritiesimpactonamunicipalitys

abilitytoprovideserviceImposingliabilityi nthefaceofthesecompet-

ingdemandscanbeafrust ratingexperienceforamunicipality

In Ontario the Municipal Act  imposesa duty on a munici-

palcorporationtokeepitsh ighwaysinareasonablestateofrepairThe

MunicipalActalsoimposescivilliabil ityonamunicipality whose

defaultin its duties results in damages to an individual Through an

analysis of section  of the Municipal Act  Ontario Regulation

 Minimum Maintenance Standards for Municipal HighwaysMMS

andt herecent decision in Thornhill (Litigation Guardian) v. Shadidthi s

paperwillexa minethe currentstate ofthelawi nOntariow ithrespect

to a municipalitysduty to keep its highways in a reasonable state of

rep ai r

 HDavidet aledsThomson Rogers on Municipal Lia bilityAuroraONCanadaLaw

Bookat

 SOcMunicipalAct

 Thornhill supranoteatparaGRustDEyeOBarMosheedsThe Ontario

MunicipalActAUsersManualTorontoThomsonCarswellat

 Thornhill ibid