Ontario is Canada’s most populous province, it has fast-paced urban areas in the South around the Golden Horseshoe, along the 401, and in the Ottawa Valley. These present great architecture, interesting history, great shopping, and a variety of dining experiences. Itย has amazing natural areas, including the many shores of Lake Huron, the Kawartha, Muskoka, and Rideau cottages areas close to the cities, and then there’s the rugged North, defined as anything north of the French River (with Algonquin Park thrown in).
Ontario Communities on TransCanadaHighway.com
WE have organized our Ontario community editorial content and information in the following regions and comunities the first group along the #17 Trans-Canada, listed from East to West:
We have organized our Ontario community editorial content and information in the following regions and comunities along the 401 through Toronto, listed from East to West:
Here is the route of the Trans Canada Highwayย from east to west:
After crossing from Quebec, the highway winds up the fertile and wide Ottawa Valley until it reachesย Ottawa, Canada’s capital. The highway from the Quebec border to Arnprior, just west of Ottawa is designated “highway 417” and is a divided highway, and in Ottawa it is also called the “Queensway”. Bicyclists must use Route 17 which is a 2-lane road which runs along the Ottawa River from Kanata to the Quebec border.
Ottawa was originally called “Bytown,” and located where the Ottawa River is joined by the Rideau and the Gatineau rivers, the city has many stone buildings dating back before Confederation (1867). Ottawa is the endpoint of the Rideau Canal, which was built by Colonel By (hence the city’s original name) which was built to provide access to Lake Ontario and Kingstonfor the British Navy away from US view along the St Lawrence. Today, the Rideau Canal is a mecca for small boaters.
The Trans Canada Highway continues up the Ottawa River along the original fur-trading route through pretty valley towns like Arnprior,ย Pembrokeย and Petawawa, toย Mattawa.
At Mattawa the highway ventures west through rugged and hilly Canadian Shield along a voyageur route, for the next 1640 km to Manitoba.ย North Bay, on the eastern end of beautiful Lake Nipissing, was important to early French fur traders, is ” where the Trans Canada Highway splits.
The main route takes you west throughย Sudbury, which is the nickel capital of the world, because of its fortunate location at an ancient meteor crater.
The highway continues west along the North Channel aboveย Manitoulin Islandย (the largest island in a lake in the world), toย Sault Ste Marieย (the “Soo”). Sault Ste Marie is a rare city, in that it has populations on both sides of the International border and locals tend to go over the bridge as if it was any other to take advantage of bar hours or shopping deals.
From there, the Trans-Canada heads north through the Algoma wilderness, the scene of many Group of Seven paintings, and then atย Wawaย begins the route west along the northern shore of Lake Superior, one of Canada’s great drives, past company towns likeย Marathonย andย Terrace Bay. The “northern” route takes you through Hearst and most rugged portion of the Canadian Shield.
The two routes link up atย Thunder Bay, at the western end of Lake Superior and again atย Kenora, in the middle of Ontario’s “Lake Country.” Both routes offer spectacular wilderness scenery, though you should pay strict attention to road conditions and “last gas” signs (gas stations, like towns, are every 60 to 100 miles). Exercise caution from Vermillion Bay west to Kenora because of its sharp curves and non-existent shoulders. ” watch out for “surprise” traffic lights in Thunder Bay and Kenora, if not taking the “bypass” expressway.
Is Toronto on the Trans-Canada?
Contrary to popular belief, Canada’s largest cityย Torontoย is NOT on the Trans-Canada, but is 80 miles (128 km) west ofย Peterborough, on the “southwest” route, which runs from Ottawa through Peterborough, which is the heart of Ontario’s “Cottage Country,” and then north through Parry Sound to Sudbury.
The highway that runs through toronto is theย 401 Macdonald-Cartier Freeway, which connects Detroit, Michigan & Windsor, Ontario with Toronto and the “Golden Horseshoe” region, and continues eastwards to Montreal (where the highway numbering changes) and on to Quebec City.
Tthe 401 Macdonald Cartier Freeway (NOT the Trans-Canada!)
This highway connects Detroit &ย Windsorย (even better once the new Gordie Howe International Bridge is completed and opened) with industrial Central Ontario, and withย Montrealย and the Trans Canada Highway east of that great port city. This highway was built in the mid 1960s
The Ontario heartland has a number of automotive manufacturing plants and assembly contractor, including Fiat Chrysler (Brampton,ย Windsor), General Motors (Oshawa, Ingersoll), Ford (Oakville), Honda (Alliston), Toyota (Cambridge, Woodstock).Torontoย itself is also head office to many of the country’s major banks and retail brands, and many other manufacturers. When it was amalgamated into a single city absorbedย Etobicokeย (to the west),ย Scarboroughย (to the east), andย North Yorkย (to the north) which despite amalgamation — and decades after it — still have unique personalities, shopping, cultural and ethnic variations.
The Greater Toronto Area (or “GTA”) which encompassesย Mississauga & Brampton to the city’s west (which is home to the city’s major airport) , York Regionย to the city’s north (extending up toย Barrie), and Durham Region to the city’s east, clustered aroundย Oshawa with communities cntnuing along the Lake Ontario shoreline.
The 401 continues east along Lake Ontario, with theย Kawarthaย and Halliburton cottage areas, and continuing east along the north shore of Lake Ontario to pass byย Trentonย (home to CFB Trenton) andย Belleville, withย Quinte Island /Price Edward Countyย and its wine country to the south of the 401, and continuing east toย Kingstonย before passing the St Lawrence Seaway and several international bridges to New York State.
Ontario Trans Canada Highway, Southern Route (#7)
While most people know the Trans-Canada does not actual goes through Toronto(that’s the Macdonald-Cartier Freewayย (also the 401), and wee have long coveredย a drivers’ detour to/from Torontoย via the 401 from Montrealย and points east, and via 400 north to Barrie, Parry Sound and Sudbury(and points further west).
This route follows Highway 11, the extension of Yonge Street, which starts at Toronto’sharbourfront and goes north to Barrieand North Bay, before crossing the Trans-Canada #17 Main Route and arcing across northern Ontario’s mining communities. What most people don;t realize was that #11 was completed before the #17, as a critical project during World War II, to give the US military access to key metals for plane, ship, and bomb construction, and access to uranium for its top-secret Manhattan Project.
From ย North Bay, Highwayย 11 heads north to Temagami, Cobalt (named for the metal found there), Kirkland Lake (where it connects to Highway 117 into northern Quebec), Cochrane, Kapuskasing, Hearst, and Geraldton, before arcing south to Nipigonwhere it reconnects to the Trans-Canada main route, sharing a section from Nipigonto Thunder Bay.ย At Thunder Bay, Highway 11 heads straight west (south of the main route) to Atikokanand key border town Fort Frances ( International Falls, Minnesota) where it connects to Highway 71 north to Kenora, back on the main route. Highway 11 continues west to Rainy River (on the border with Baudette, Minnesota) to complete its claim as “the longest street in the world” (making Yonge Street 1178 miles / 1895 kilometres long).
Look for what to see & do, and where to stay in the province of Ontario and cities/regions within it.ย First click on the LOCALE to search, then use the CATEGORY filter on the left side forย the feature of interest!