We’re back on the road for this week’s Timmins history feature.
Local historian Karen Bachmann has already told us about the first road between South Porcupine and Timmins being built in 1916. And almost a hundred years ago, in 1926, discussion started about road conditions.
In the spring of that year, fair warning went out to motorists about the weight of their loads.
“Nothing is paved, so everything turns into these great big mud pits,” Bachmann recalls. “So they’re saying if you have a bog, heavy load and you’re using your skinny tires, don’t expect us to go and haul you out.”
That road to South Porcupine was the worst, although Cobalt reported losing cars up to their windows in mud.
Bachmann tells us now that in 1926, some of the streets were paved.
“When I say paved, that means some type of a hard surface that does not resemble asphalt at all.”
A method was devised to rectify what passed as a serious traffic problem.
“Lines were painted at the intersections marking out the pedestrian crossings,” she says. “Motorists and pedestrians were asked to please be careful and to observe the safety rules and to keep to their designated areas.”
Next week: When and where police began to direct traffic.
