Message from the President
Thank you for joining us at our annual Spring Symposium in Niagara Falls, held from April 9 to 11, 2025.
We were pleased to welcome attendees to a week filled with education, connection, and collaboration. Educational courses took place on Wednesday and Thursday, and were well attended. On Friday, we wrapped up the week with a dynamic day featuring respected industry professionals discussing a variety of timely and relevant topics.
To our returning guests, thank you for coming back! And to those who joined us for the first time, we were thrilled to have you with us. Whether it was your first visit or your tenth, we greatly appreciated your trust in the value we strive to deliver, along with the meaningful networking opportunities the Symposium offered.
We also enjoyed seeing many of you at our Networking Reception on Thursday evening, a highlight of the week. We hope those who stayed overnight were able to take advantage of the discounted Chapter 29 room rates and made the most of the educational offerings available.
Once again, thank you for visiting our website and for attending this year's Spring Symposium. We hope you found it valuable, and we encourage you to stay connected with us as we continue to share updates and future opportunities.
Thank you again!
Chapter 29 President
Paul B. Conor, SR/WA
The International Right of Way Association was founded in Los Angeles, California in 1934 under the name of the Southern California Right of Way Agent's Association and on August 9, 1946, was incorporated as the American Right of Way Association. Since that time, the Association has expanded into an international professional organization dedicated to the advancement of right-of-way and land acquisition work as a fully recognized profession. On March 15, 1980, the Articles of Incorporation were changed by a vote of the membership to reflect the new name--International Right of Way Association.
Throughout the United States and Canada, billions of dollars are expended annually in the acquisition, management, and transfer of rights-of-way. The technical skills required for proficiency in this complex activity embrace the fields of appraisal, engineering, law negotiation, public relations, property management, and public service administration. It is logical, therefore, that the foundation of the International Right of Way Association is a vigorous, continuing educational program. This program is designed to better equip right-of-way practitioners in the fulfillment of professional obligations to their employers, whether they be the public or the stockholders of private organizations.
Because the Association has expanded into an international association, composed of approximately 75 Chapters, it now plays a stronger and more significant role in the development of the economies of the United States and Canada. This is especially true with respect to the multitude of vital community, regional and national improvements, highways, flood control projects, public utility construction, pipelines, railroads, and all other public and quasi-public development activities.
As the Association expands, so also does its program to unite the professional efforts of all right-of-way professionals toward the betterment of the conditions of the individual. The Association will continue to promote high standards among its members to the end that they render their full potential of service to their employers. To accomplish this, members must predicate their professional aspirations upon the Code of Ethics of the International Right of Way Association.
Any person who is principally engaged in the acquisition, management, or disposition, of real property or interests therein, in connection with public, quasi-public, or private activities is eligible for membership in this Association.
The IRWA helps to build relationships among business and our members in many ways. IRWA's multi-disciplined educational program is designed to ensure right of way professionals maintain the highest standards of competency. The technical skills required for proficiency in this complex field embrace the areas of appraisal, environment, engineering, law, negotiations, property management and communications. The IRWA provides unique and valuable courses focused on the needs of the Right of Way Industry.
Ontario Chapter 29 continues to coordinate local and regional meetings, with the goal of linking members through improved communication and relationships.
The Chapter 29 Executive are all volunteers from a diverse spectrum of the business and government sectors in Ontario.
Please contact Janeth Huab , Membership Chair, for information on how to join the IRWA. The application is available on the IRWA Headquarters website.
