M’CHIGEENG—The mystery of the square white markings on Highway 540 outside downtown M’Chigeeng has been solved. The white squares are all about enhancing safety by getting motorists to slow down.

“The Ministry of Transportation has added peripheral pavement markings on Highway 540 approaching the reduced speed zone through M’Chigeeng,” explained Gordan Rennie, regional issues advisor with the MTO after being contacted by The Expositor. “These white rectangles have been painted for 100 metres on each side of the reduced speed zone to indicate to drivers a change in condition and encourage them to slow down.”

The squares do tend to slow motorists down, if only in reaction to being confronted with something novel on the road in front of them.

The M’Chigeeng First Nation has been lobbying for crosswalks in strategic areas of the community and was the site of protest road paintings earlier this year.