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Home > Ontario's Trans-Canada Highway > Kenora to Ignace Itinerary

Ontario Trans-Canada Highway Route: Highway #17 between Kenora and Ignace, Ontario

Here is the itinerary for the 246 km along Highway #17 between Kenora and Ignace

Much of the land in Northwestern Ontario is Canadian Shield with sedimentary rocks form a vast ancient ocean with a number of volcanic influences. The region was home to a number of volcanos, which mixed volcanic and sedimentary rocks into folds of granite batholiths. At he junction of Highway 17/71, you can look at the rock cuts for the highway to see the variations in the rocks. East of Dinorwic there are rocks cuts with colours based on dominant minerals in the stone.

You can quickly observe the acidity of area lakes as you drive by. Those that are more acidic have cattails, pond lilies, and sedge. These plants also attract a range of waterfowl.

The rocks over much of the Canadian Shield have been rounded by glacial scour. The first vegetation to move in are the lichens. As they grow they secrete acids and begin to break apart the rocks, as well as provide decayed vegetable matter for larger plants to begin growing. Over thousands of years, the soils have improved in spots to become home to .forests of conifers. The lichens are popular food for area woodland caribou who inhabit the local forests. The tree species found in this area include black ash, balsam fir, black spruce and jack pine.


In some areas you will see glacial moraines (a ridge of rocks left behind) which provide a well-drained base suitable for both forests and for farming. Around Dryden you pass through a farming area with silt and clay soils left behind by a glacial lake, and growing a variety of legumes, grasses and forage for the area's cattle, pigs and sheep. It also helps make the land a little flatter, like for Dryden's airport.

The vast forest industry of Northwestern Ontario, and the pulp and paper mills have caused mercury pollution in some lakes and waterways, and have led to Minimata Disease (named for the Japanese community where it was first identified) in First Nations residents in the community of Grassy Narrows, who relied on locally caught fish for their sustenance.

Use mouse to drag/move map. Click on "+" or "-" to zoom in or out. "Satellite" shows photo, "Hybrid" combines map & photo.

Next West: Winnipeg to Kenora

Next East: Ignace to Thunder Bay

Ontario Highways road condition reports for this segment.

KM from Start		Highway Point Description	Municipality	GPS and Map Zoom
EB	WB
0	246	Bridge crossing, railway tracks to N, Generating Station	Kenora	Map Zoom
1	245	Intersection Main St & 2nd St, Kenricia Hotel	Kenora	Map Zoom
1	245	4th Ave S, auto services	Kenora	Map Zoom
3	243	5th Street S, services, Lubys Motel & Restaurant 700 8th Kenora, ON (807) 468-3044	Kenora	Map Zoom
3	243	Miikana Way & Pine Portage Rd intersection, access to shopping	Kenora	Map Zoom
3	243	River St (N) intersection	Kenora	Map Zoom
4	242	Transmitter Rd to E	Kenora	Map Zoom
4	242	Jones Rd (hwy 671 N to Kenora Airport). S to Kenora Indian Reserve 388	Kenora	Map Zoom
11	235	Hilly Lake to N		Map Zoom
12	234	Bigstone Bay Rd, S to Kenora Indian Reserve 388		Map Zoom
12	234	Highway 17A junction		Map Zoom
22	224	Junction 17 & 71 S to Sioux Narrows & Fort Francis/International Falls		Map Zoom
45	201	Hawk Lake Rd crossing, S to community of Hawk Lake		Map Zoom
62	184	Gordon Lake Rd (N)		Map Zoom
83	163	West Arm Rd to Eagle Lake		Map Zoom
88	158	Hanslip's Rd		Map Zoom
90	156	Road to N, Sandy Lake Motel, gas, food		Map Zoom
94	152	Spencer Rd, and view of Florence Lake	Vermillion Bay	Map Zoom
95	151	Tower Rd (N), view south to Eagle Lake	Vermillion Bay	Map Zoom
96	150	Roadside Turnout with viewpoint on south side	Vermillion Bay	Map Zoom
102	144	Waldhog Rd N to Old Post B&B (Osnaburgh House , Pickle Lake, ON P0V 2H0 )		Map Zoom
103	143	Passing Gravel pis on both sides of hwy		Map Zoom
108	138	Crossing Eagle River		Map Zoom
110	136	Junction Highway 594S, Town of Eagle River, Eagle River Indian Reserve 27	Eagle River	Map Zoom
112	134	Junction Highway 594N		Map Zoom
117	129	Minnitaki Rd, S to community of Minnitaki		Map Zoom
123	123	Junction Hwy 605, S to community of Oxdrift, services		Map Zoom
131	115	Johnson Rd crossing	Dryden	Map Zoom
131	115	Wabigoon River crossing	Dryden	Map Zoom
133	113	Keller Rd (N)	Dryden	Map Zoom
133	113	Birchland Trailer & RV park (S) Dryden, ON P8N 2Z2, Tel: (807) 937-4938	Dryden	Map Zoom
134	112	Hwy 665 Junction	Dryden	Map Zoom
136	110	Anton Rd (W) Leach Rd (W)	Dryden	Map Zoom
136	110	Roadside Turnout, W side	Dryden	Map Zoom
137	109	Johnson Rd intersection, services, accommodation	Dryden	Map Zoom
137	109	Junction Cecil Ave (N) and Hwy 502 (S) all services, west access into downtown Dryden	Dryden	Map Zoom
138	108	Pedestrian overpass, IGA groceries	Dryden	Map Zoom
138	108	Truck stops on N side	Dryden	Map Zoom
139	107	Junction Hwy 601 (N) Colonization Ave N (S) access to Dryden Regional Hospital (58 Goodall Street: 807-223-8200, 49.7699, -92.8383)	Dryden	Map Zoom
139	107	Junction Duke Stand Hwy 594 (S) east access into downtown Dryden	Dryden	Map Zoom
139	107	Durance Ave (N), accommodation	Dryden	Map Zoom
144	102	Highway 601 N to Dryden Airport (5 km)	Dryden	Map Zoom
148	98	Thunder Lake Rd (E), access to Aaron PPP		Map Zoom
150	96	Elm Bay Rd (S), Pass Thunder Lake to N, Wabigoon L to south		Map Zoom
152	94	Bonny Bay Rd, S to Wabigoon Lake		Map Zoom
152	94	Roadside Turnout, N side		Map Zoom
158	88	Hill St to Franklin's On Stone Lake, 128 Flat Lake Rd , Madsen, ON P0V 2C0 , (807) 727 2101	Wabigoon	Map Zoom
153	93	Thunder Creek river crossing	Wabigoon	Map Zoom
158	88	Hughes Creek river crossing		Map Zoom
167	79	Highway 72 junction, N to Dinorwic, Sioux Lookout (67 km)	Dinorwic	Map Zoom
176	70	Roadside turnout with restaurant, N(E) side		Map Zoom
188	58	Highway 603 (N) to Dyment		Map Zoom
196	50	Basket Lake Rd (N)		Map Zoom
206	40	small Roadside Turnout S side, view of river		Map Zoom
206	40	Revell River crossing		Map Zoom
211	35	small Roadside Turnout S side, view of pond		Map Zoom
211	35	Junction Hwy 622 S Turtle River PP, Atikkan		Map Zoom
211	35	Roadside Turnout S side		Map Zoom
221	25	Raleigh Lake Rd (S)		Map Zoom
232	14	Mamegweiss Lake Rd exit		Map Zoom
239	7	Ignace Municipal Airport to S	Ignace	Map Zoom
243	3	Lakeshore Rd intersection	Ignace	Map Zoom
244	2	Humphrey Rd (E) Davey Lake Rd (W)	Ignace	Map Zoom
245	1	Rand St (S) into Ignace	Ignace	Map Zoom
246	0	Junction Hwy 599, N to Silver Dollar (69 km)	Ignace	Map Zoom
KM from Start		Highway Point Description	Municipality	GPS and Map Zoom
EB	WB