Summer Memories ~ Lake of Bays

Getting There – The Road (Part Two)

One of the fun (interesting) things that took place on our way to the cottage was the addition of Webers Burgers on Highway 11. This place was an instant success! Hundreds, maybe thousands, of people who were driving north would stop there for a burger and fries. The owner, an American entrepreneur, setup the restaurant as a quick, and I mean quick, takeout stop. People would line-up, have their order taken and then would proceed inside. When they reached the counter, their order would be waiting for them. When the restaurant first opened, Highway 11 was just a two-lane road. As I mentioned, the government was widening the highway, with a barrier between the four lanes. This was a problem, not for the people traveling north, but for the people traveling south. South bound drivers wanting a quick meal would stop on the side of the highway, jump the medium, get their meal and then cross the road, re-jump the medium and run back to their car. Somethings they would stay in their stopped car to eat their food. Remember, this was a very busy highway and, thus, very dangerous! The government and Webers didn’t want to stop south bound driver from going to the restaurant, so they decided on a unique solution! Webers bought and install an overhead pedestrian bridge that went over the highway. They also bought land there that they used as a parking lot. I think that this might be the only privately owned bridge that the government allows over any of the 400 series highway. I can’t count how many times I have stopped there!

(To be continue - Part Three)

 

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