Easterville and Moose Lake - examples of northern roads

I heard lots about northern roads when I was in Easterville and Moose Lake July 26 and 27.

Along the road into Easterville, near a bend in the road, there is a cross along the highway (top photo) marking the site where one of the local residents died in a car accident.

Gerald Houle and Wayne Lavallee, who I met in the coffee shop along the highway (second photo), said there have been more deaths (I think the total is at least four) along this section of the highway. Part of the problem is that the gravel road gets very dusty when it is dry, and this reduces visibility which can be quite dangerous near the curve in the highway.

There are similar concerns with the road into Moose Lake (bottom photo).

Easterville and Moose Lake are both communities of over a thousand people. I asked Craig Loewen, who was with me, whether he knew of any communities of over a thousand people in southern Manitoba which did not have a paved road. Criag, who grew up near Crystal City, and has travelled extensively in southern Manitoba, could not name one. There is an inequity here which will need to be addressed. For Easterville, the section of gravel road into the community is only 21 kilometers (13 miles). I think it is time to pave this road.