You know you've covered municipal issues too long when . . .

Posted Jan 19, 2012 By Craig Bakay

EMC Editorial - Last week, when most sane people were hunkering down due to messy winter weather, I drove to Toronto.

In retrospect, that was probably a pretty dumb idea, but I'd promised the kids I'd deliver the stuff they left at my house when they visited at Christmas and so off I went.

Weather-wise, things mellowed out somewhat around Kaladar and although wet, the roads were relatively clear, with rain and fog the major concerns.

Now I'm not a big fan of large urban areas, but once I get there, I'm pretty much at ease.

Hell, I lived in Toronto for several years in my 20s and had a blast there. I can understand what the kids (26 and 23) like about it. I don't want to live there anymore but I don't mind the odd visit now and then.

What I don't like is the stretch of the 401 beginning with the sweeping right curve coming into Oshawa and ending where the signs start mentioning how far it is to London.

So, in my never-ending quest to find an acceptable route into Toronto, I went to explore.

The drive from Sharbot Lake to Peterborough is actually rather pleasant this time of year, I find. Hwy 7 certainly has its moments on summer weekends, but if the weather cooperates it's not too bad when you don't have to fight cottagers and tourists (not complaining about cottagers and tourists, you understand, just saying).

Anyways, roundabout Peterborough, Hwy 7 turns into a bit of a non-entity. It heads north to Scugog country, gets confused with something called 7A and generally ceases to be an option.

However, Hwy. 115 isn't bad (again, not a great option on a Friday or Sunday in the summer) but damn, if it doesn't run out right at the entrance to the 401 corridor of hell.

If only there was a way to get from 115 to toll road 407 (worth the price as far as I'm concerned).

Well, there is a way, kind of, and this is where the covered-too-many-meetings-on-roads part comes in.

On the way back, when 407 ends at Pickering, you get several kilometers of good road. Things slow down through Whitby and Oshawa, because it's pretty built up along there.

Then, you get into the Municipality of Clarington.

Now, Hwy 7 is long gone by this time and you're on something called Winchester Road and/or Concession 7. Concession roads are good things. They feel like home.

Trouble is, the speed limit on this one is 50 kph and there are a lot of 4-way (all-way) stops in what seem to be very strange places. This is a road with some farms, halls, churches, and the odd starter-castle or two.

After several frustrating kilometers of this, most people would have said 'screw it' and found a way back to the 401. But me, of course not. I had to stick it out, to see if the municipality actually had a 50 kph road connecting Hwy 7 and Hwy 115.

They did.

And all the time I'm travelling this road, I'm thinking, "I wonder how big the fight was to get the speed limit bylaw passed."