Once a subdivision plan is registered all land upon which roads, streets, traffic islands, parks etc. are transferred to Town ownership. The urban infrastructure that is to be built on these Town lands is designed to Town standards and is approved by the Town. After the new urban infrastructure works, which are built on those lands which have been transferred to the Town, are inspected and they meet Town standards for assumption, the responsibility for maintenance of the urban infrastructure moves from the developer to the Town. At this point in time the Infrastructure Services Commission then becomes responsible for the perpetual maintenance and replacement through the budgeting process. The Infrastructure team is also responsible for setting design and construction standards.

The assumption process can take several years and involves many agencies and Town departments. Typically, assumption does not occur until at least five years after construction of the first house. The first indication that a subdivision is nearing eligibility for assumption will be that the streets have received the final lift of asphalt. To further help new homeowners, the Town offers a helpful document called New Residential Subdivisions FAQ (pdf, 2.2 MB). For questions about winter maintenance, please visit the Snow Removal and Winter Storm Information web page.

To help homeowners better understand whether their subdivision is eligible for assumption, information has been posted for each ward - just click the on ward in which you are interested on the map below. Assumptions are based on the registered plan number. To determine the status of your subdivision you will need to know your registered plan number, which will look something like: 20M-XXX. If you do not already know your registered plan number you can find this information on the MPAC assessment document you receive as well as your tax bill.