Re: Shakespeare area gets look at bypass alternatives, news, July 29
In Jeff Heuchert's article, it should be noted that in all fairness to the MTO, although the handouts did show all north alternatives passing over the Fryfogel Inn, while two of the south alternatives (SPB 1 and 3) were also destroying the Inn, and another (SPB2) took out a good chunk of the Inn's property, the more recent big maps displayed on the tables showed one extra south alternative route (SPB2a) giving the Inn a clear pass.
This had obviously been added when the MTO suddenly realized that the Perth County Historical Foundation's fight to save the oldest building in Perth County had been ignored. The MTO's handouts were misleading to many who attended this information session, including more than one newspaper reporter.
The PCHF considers the SPB 2a alternative route to be the only one approaching acceptability. Our real preference is for a two lane paved Pork Street. It should be noted that in 1973, the MTO's preference was for a four lane Pork Street, but now it will not even consider a two lane Pork Street, essentially because it wants a four lane road, period, and the farming community does not.
This is an awkward standoff from which eventually the village of Shakespeare will suffer, because the alternative routes would create a winding, slow highway with several railway crossings or bridges that will be incredibly expensive to build and which nobody really wants.    

Ian Taylor
Perth County Historical Foundation