|
Home > Ontario's Trans-Canada Highway > Wawa to Sault Ste Marie Itinerary
Ontario Trans-Canada Highway Route: #17 between Wawa and Sault Ste Marie, Ontario
Here is the itinerary for the 224 km along #17 between Wawa and Sault Ste Marie:
The original Trans-Canada Route was highway 11 (designated "The King's Highway"), which connecting North Bay and Nipigon through northern forests. That highway was started in 1923 and completed as a key war-time project to provide toad access to key mining towns of northern Ontario. When Highway 17 was completed between Marathon and Montreal River in September 1960, it became the new (and much shorter) Trans-Canada Highway.
NEW ITINERARY >> Follow This Link
We have integrated a lot of data into this itinerary, providing much more depth and detail, while enabling you to filter create a personalized itinerary!
SEE THE NEW VERSION at http://www.TransCanadaHighway.com/Ontario/TCH-ON-E5.asp
The Rocks along Lake Superior were created about 2 billion years ago, and are part of the Precambrian Shield ("the Canadian Shield"). The rock was scoured by the last Ice Age, leaving thousands of lakes and ponds.
While the highway was gradually extended east from Thunder Bay, the stretch from Schreiber to Wawa was built over the 1930s, hindered by the harsh rugged terrain of Lake Superior's north shore. Similar difficulties were encountered highway 17 was extended northwards from Sault Ste Marie to Montreal River on Agawa Bay. All that remained was a gap of 165 miles between the Agawa River, appropriately called "The Big Gap". This area was so rugged it was by-passed by the Algoma Central Railway (which connected Sault Ste Marie to northern mining towns), and was a popular dropping-off spot for the famed "Group of Seven" painters on the early 1900s.
The "Big Gap" area was rugged, inaccessible, and covered with virgin timber. Building the highway required clearing a 50 metre (150 ft) right of way before the road construction could begin. The Big Gap had several deep gorges and large rivers that necessitated building 25 bridges, including a 173 metre (685 ft) Big Pic River bridge rising 40 metres (130 ft) just east of Marathon. The five mile stretch north of the Agawa River, required 1 million cubic metres of rock to be moved before road construction could begin.
The Montreal River is only 104 km long, but because it falls swiftly through granite steep-walled canyons was easily dammed and now has 4 hydro-electric generating plants along its short length, two of which are easily accessible from the Trans-Canada.
Beside Hibbard Bay, at Mamainse is an ancient First Nations copper mine, that may have been worked as far back as 6000 BC. . Etienne Brule, the first European explorer to reach Lake Superior sent new of the copper mine to the King of France back in 1623, but mining did not commence in 1772. Another copper mine was discovered in 1889, but petered out in only 5 years.
Batchwana Bay, about 65 km north of Sault Ste Marie, marks the halfway point of the Trans-Canada with as many miles to the east as to the west. A Hudson's Bay fur trading post was opened up here in 1824, but was closed down in 1894. Nearby Chippewa Falls has a very scenic waterfalls/rapids right beside the Tran-Canada Highway.
From this point southwards, travelers enter the St Mary's River lowlands which connect Lake Superior to Lake Huron. Because Lake Superior's water level was originally much higher, beach deposits are found even on higher hilltops making for very good agricultural land, though today that land is used for residential and recreational purposes.
Sault Ste Marie was long an important gathering place for Ojibwa Indians, and the Jesuits built a mission here and called it Sault de Ste Marie (or St Mary's Rapids, in French). Later, the fur traders of the Northwest Company and the Hudson's Bay Company built trading forts here.. The strategic location, at the junction of three Great Lakes, made it a key defensive position for both British and Americans during the War of 1812. Both sides built fortifications and canals, though today, only the American locks are used by modern St Lawrence Seaway shipping.
Ontario Highways road condition reports for this segment.
KM from Start | Highway Point Description | Municipality | GPS and
Map Zoom |
EB | WB |
-2 | 226 | Magpie River Rd, S to Wawa RV Resort & Campground | Wawa | Map Zoom |
-1 | 225 | Cross Magpie River | Wawa | Map Zoom |
0 | 224 | Junction Hwy 101, Wawa Info Centre, N to Wawa airport, town of Wawa, all services | Wawa | Map Zoom |
0 | 224 | Pinewood Dr. N access | Wawa | Map Zoom |
1 | 223 | Pinewood Dr. S access | Wawa | Map Zoom |
2 | 222 | Scenic Magpie Hills Falls Rd, access to Michipicoten PP, Gros Cap Indian Reserve | | Map Zoom |
5 | 219 | Historical Plaque, W side of hwy, Michipicoten River Village Rd, W to Michipicoten PP | Michipicoten River | Map Zoom |
6 | 218 | Crossing Michipicoten River | | Map Zoom |
14 | 210 | north boundary of Lake Superior Provincial Park | | Map Zoom |
18 | 206 | Highway Roadside Turnout on E side of hwy | | Map Zoom |
24 | 200 | Highway Roadside Turnout, picnic area, scenic view of Old Women Bay | | Map Zoom |
25 | 199 | Rabbit Blanket Lake, camping, cross country skiing, canoeing, S side of hwy | | Map Zoom |
32 | 192 | park roads E & W, Park office, Services | | Map Zoom |
38 | 186 | park road W | | Map Zoom |
40 | 184 | Mijnemungshing Rd E | | Map Zoom |
42 | 182 | Road to E of hwy | | Map Zoom |
47 | 177 | Baldhead River with rapids to W of highway | | Map Zoom |
50 | 174 | Roadside Turnout, Cross-country ski area, east side of highway | | Map Zoom |
51 | 173 | Gargantua Rd | | Map Zoom |
56 | 168 | Trapper's Trail. E of hwy | | Map Zoom |
63 | 161 | Services E side of hwy | | Map Zoom |
64 | 160 | EB view of Lake Superior's Agawa Bay & islands. Bald Head (1050 ft) to W, E to mouth of Coldwater River | | Map Zoom |
65 | 159 | Katherine Cove, rest area and toilets W of hwy, hiking trails | | Map Zoom |
71 | 153 | Crossing Sand River, picnic area E of hwy, N of river | | Map Zoom |
75 | 149 | Turnoff, E side of hwy | | Map Zoom |
80 | 144 | Agawa Rock Information Centre, camping, W side of hwy | | Map Zoom |
84 | 140 | crossing Agawa River | | Map Zoom |
100 | 124 | Rd E to Gartshore Generating Station, Montreal Falls, camping | | Map Zoom |
104 | 120 | Twilight Rd | Montreal River | Map Zoom |
105 | 119 | Crossing Montreal River, electrical generating facility to E | Montreal River | Map Zoom |
106 | 118 | Trail End Rd, W access to camping | Montreal River | Map Zoom |
108 | 116 | Montreal River Nature Reserve | | Map Zoom |
109 | 115 | Road E, hwy services E &W | | Map Zoom |
114 | 110 | Road E & W, services on W side | | Map Zoom |
121 | 103 | Alona Bay roadside turnout, W side of hwy | | Map Zoom |
143 | 81 | Weston Rd, W | | Map Zoom |
146 | 78 | Rd to Pancake By PP | | Map Zoom |
157 | 67 | Hwy 563 junction, W to Batchwana PP, plaque marking midpoint ot the YCH | | Map Zoom |
161 | 63 | River crossing, rest area to N & S of hwy | | Map Zoom |
161 | 63 | Sand Point Rd | | Map Zoom |
169 | 55 | Mile 38 Rd E | | Map Zoom |
169 | 55 | Chippewa River crossing, Chippewa Falls to E of hwy, viewpoint on S side of river | | Map Zoom |
175 | 49 | Whiskey Bay Rd, W | | Map Zoom |
180 | 44 | Irwin Island Rd, W | | Map Zoom |
180 | 44 | Harmony Beach Rd S along coast | | Map Zoom |
181 | 43 | Harmony Beach Rd N along coast | | Map Zoom |
186 | 38 | Road W along Batchwana Bay | | Map Zoom |
195 | 29 | Junction Hwy 552 E & W | | Map Zoom |
196 | 28 | Services, fuel | Goulais River | Map Zoom |
197 | 27 | Bridge over Goulais River | Goulais River | Map Zoom |
198 | 26 | Pine Shores Rd, W access to town of Goulais River (2 km) | | Map Zoom |
205 | 19 | Truck Weigh Station, W side of hwy | | Map Zoom |
208 | 16 | Junction 556, NE to Searchmont ski resort, services at junction | | Map Zoom |
209 | 15 | Trout Lake Rd, E, with RV dealer E of hwy | | Map Zoom |
213 | 11 | Glenview Vacation Cottages & RV Park & Campground (2611 Great Northern Rd (Hwy 17), Sault Ste. Marie, ON P6A 5K7Tel: (705) 759-3436 ) | | Map Zoom |
213 | 11 | 6th Line Rd | Sault Ste Marie | Map Zoom |
215 | 9 | Large gravel pit to W of hwy | Sault Ste Marie | Map Zoom |
216 | 8 | 5th Line E, W to KOA campground, E to Hiawatha Park & Conservation Area, Hwy 17 S of this point is also Great Northern Road | Sault Ste Marie | Map Zoom |
216 | 8 | Access to RV park, E of hwy, and Root River Golf Club | Sault Ste Marie | Map Zoom |
218 | 6 | 4th Line E, NE to Maplewood Golf Course | Sault Ste Marie | Map Zoom |
219 | 5 | 3rd Line E | Sault Ste Marie | Map Zoom |
221 | 3 | 2nd Line E (hwy 550), EB travelers can head E for Sault Ste Marie bypass, W to Fort Creek Conservation Area (8 km), S to Kmart Plaza | Sault Ste Marie | Map Zoom |
221 | 3 | Northern Ave, shopping | Sault Ste Marie | Map Zoom |
222 | 2 | McNabb St, Cambrian Mall on E side | Sault Ste Marie | Map Zoom |
224 | 0 | Great Northern Rd & Wellington St. west to downtown Sault Ste Marie, International Bridge, east to Highway 17,North to Wawa | Sault Ste Marie | Map Zoom |
225 | -1 | Wellington St & Pine St, S to Bellevue Park | Sault Ste Marie | Map Zoom |
225 | -1 | Wellington St & Trunk Rd at Elizabeth St, Park on S side, Churchill Plaza on E site | Sault Ste Marie | Map Zoom |
225 | -1 | Trunk Rd & Lake St | Sault Ste Marie | Map Zoom |
226 | -2 | Trunk Rd & Black Rd, WB traffic can head N to bypass Sault Ste Marie, west to downtown, and International Bridge | Sault Ste Marie | Map Zoom |
226 | -2 | Trunk Rd & Market St, Wellington Square Mall on S side | Sault Ste Marie | Map Zoom |
226 | -2 | Trunk Rd & Boundary Rd, south to SSM Golf & Country club, N to access Rankin Location Indian Reserve 15D | Sault Ste Marie | Map Zoom |
231 | -7 | Trunk Rd & Fournier Rd, access S to Queen St, and S to access Rankin Location Indian Reserve 14 along St Mary River | Sault Ste Marie | Map Zoom |
232 | -8 | Western boundary of Garden River Indian Reserve 14 | Sault Ste Marie | Map Zoom |
KM from Start | Highway Point Description | Municipality | GPS and
Map Zoom |
EB | WB |
|
