With so much street work underway in 亚洲天堂 Lake, we thought it appropriate to remind folks that paved streets are a relatively recent feature in 亚洲天堂 Lake.

This little town beside the lake didn鈥檛 have paved streets for most of the twentieth century. As recently as 1953, all the streets鈥攊ncluding Highway 16鈥攚ere unpaved.

Highway improvements didn鈥檛 always keep pace with other infrastructure upgrades. In 1931, road work in downtown 亚洲天堂 Lake created a new hazard. Government crews widened the running surface but did not relocate the Dominion Telegraph鈥檚 utility poles. When the project was complete, many of the telegraph poles were located in the middle of the highway.

鈥淭he clerk [of the village] has been instructed to notify the Dominion Government Telegraph that the board of commissioners of the Village desires an immediate start on the work of moving the telephone and telegraph poles which are obstructing the streets, to the correct location,鈥� stated Sidney Godwin鈥檚 Observer newspaper. 鈥淪ome of the posts are in the middle of the main street and are a menace to traffic. It has been impossible to even grade the streets in places on account of the location of some of the posts. It is hoped that the matter will be immediately attended to.鈥�

It鈥檚 a wonder that motorists even noted the hazard. As recently as the 1940s and 鈥�50s, winter road maintenance on Highway 16 often left a windrow of snow through the center of town.

Around 1965, village council approved the paving of several local roads, including Government Street by what is now the post office, and Second Avenue near the liquor store. Local motorists probably thought they had died and gone to heaven.

漏 2022 Michael Riis-Christianson and the Lakes District Museum Society