What kind of work truck do you have?
Lee: Chev ½ tonne (The motorcycle is my preferred mode of transit.)
As you know ‘flow’ makes great roads for riders. Do you consider ‘the flow factor’ when undertaking a road construction project?
Lee: It is always a consideration; however modern-day requirements do take some of the sharper curves out of roadway design. Rules and regulations dictate the curve requirements based on the speed. For the most part, the craftsmen and women that built the roads in the Highlands didn’t have those requirements as we do today.
When riding your motorcycle are you constantly making mental notes on how to make roads better?
Lee: Motorcycling is my release as it is for many enthusiasts. I focus my attention on riding, but I do feel pleasure when I round a prefect corner like the ones on County Road 65 (Centennial Lake Road) and realize I have only begun, and there are more kilometres ahead.
What is your favourite piece of road building equipment and why?
Lee: I enjoy watching the entire operation from making the raw materials in a gravel quarry to seeing the last roller finish a beautiful new piece of asphalt. I think if I had to choose, the asphalt paving machine is my favorite. A clean fresh new road gets built right in front of your eyes. My respect for the operator is also immense; a good operator of the asphalt paving machine can make the difference between seamless and smooth surface to one where you feel that little vibration in the bars. I give credit to the ladies and gentlemen who do this job in often hot, dry conditions to make everyone’s ride home safer.
Today you have very sophisticated road building techniques and equipment. What are your thoughts about the past and how your predecessors were able to build roads with what they had?
Lee: The roads that are here in Ontario’s Highlands were literally carved out of the forest and the Canadian Shield; needless to say, extreme conditions. The roads they completed to get goods to market are something to behold. Being able to move earth with horses, steam power and good old fashioned elbow grease is something I ponder every time I ride past a rock fence on county road 512 in Foymont. The effort was immense, the product beautiful.
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