Although Piopolis had been founded close to the shores of Lake Megantic at least thirty years before this photograph was taken, certain roads in the area were still in a very unfinished state at the turn of the century. Here a crew, which includes a young boy and a priest as overseer, appears to be improving a winter road for summer travel by clearing away the stumps and slash and plowing side ditches to increase the drainage. This road would still not be passable in the spring unless it was graveled, a formidable task given the state of technology even at this late date. The construction of government-subsidized colonization roads was further hampered by the fact that they followed range boundaries regardless of rough terrain, such as mountains and swamps. In low-lying areas, logs had to be laid crossways on the roadbed, providing a corduroy surface, which was not only very rough but deteriorated quickly.
Courtesy: La SociÄtÄ d'Histoire des Cantons de l'Est, Sherbrooke
