Reading Guide

Here are some discussion questions to ponder and debate at your club meeting.

1. Do you think you would have had what it takes to be an early settler? Can you see yourself forging a living in the “wild lands” of the Ottawa-Huron tract? Do you think it would be exciting, horrifying or both?

2. Will you look at Muskoka-Parry Sound differently, having read the book? Why or why not?

3. Do you think the government deliberately misled the settlers? Was it worth it, in the end, to encourage would-be farmers to come to this area?

4. Do you think of roads differently, having read this book? What do you notice or think about as you drive around Ontario and beyond?

5. Do you have a favourite:

• contributor or proponent of the road?
• story about the road?
• era of the road’s history?
• section of the road?

6. What lessons were learned from building this road? What lessons were not learned but maybe should have been?

7. Are you recommending this book to family and friends? Why or why not?

Got a suggestion for a reading guide question or discussion topic? Send it in here.