Nova Scotia Pothole Frustration Inspires a Pulled Port Sandwich

Motorists travelling through parts of Nova Scotia’s Annapolis Valley say the roads have become so rough that driving the speed limit feels almost impossible.

Along Highway 101 and through communities like Middleton, residents say potholes have become a daily hazard, forcing drivers to swerve, slow down, and brace for damage.

“I have to dodge, the police probably think I am drunk going down the road, it’s terrible,” said Katie Shurvell, a Middleton resident.

Others describe the roads as less of a commute and more of an obstacle course.

“You are driving along and if you aren’t paying attention, you could leave half of your vehicle in one pothole and then finish off the other part of your vehicle in the next,” said Robyn Hanson of Granville Ferry.

While potholes are often thought of as a big-city problem, smaller towns across Nova Scotia are also dealing with roads that residents say are deteriorating faster than they are being repaired.

Racheal Doucette of Moshers Corner said her truck survived a cross-country trip without issue, only to begin falling apart after two years of driving locally.

“My truck is a 2021. I drove it across Canada and it was not a problem, then I drove it here for two years and now it’s just falling apart,” she said.

In Middleton, some residents say the side streets are easier to drive than the main roads and highways. Others point to cutbacks and limited resources, saying municipalities and the province are struggling to keep up.

For all the frustration, one local business found a way to turn the road conditions into something people could laugh about, and eat.

Rockin’ Rogi Diner in Middleton created a “pothole burger,” inspired by the state of the roads.

“It is made with a hole in the top bun and then it is poorly patched with pulled pork,” said Zoey McCredie, the diner’s owner and operator.

The burger became a local hit. It won most creative burger during last year’s Annapolis Valley Burger Wars, quickly became the diner’s most popular item, and turned into a viral moment online. McCredie said one post about the burger reached about 75,000 views.

The joke landed because residents knew exactly what it was referencing. The pothole burger is funny, but it is also built on a real frustration shared by drivers across the area.

McCredie said the potholes remain a serious concern, especially when people are dealing with damaged vehicles and temporary repairs that do not seem to last.

“I don’t know why the roads are so bad here or why they can’t be fixed in a more permanent manner when other places can,” she said.

For now, the Annapolis Valley has a burger that captures the mood of the road: funny, messy, and poorly patched with pulled pork.

This story is covered in this week’s Keep Canada Weird news roundup.