| TOURIST ROUTES: An Explanation |
| The precise status of Ontario's "Tourist Routes" is rather clouded at this time. While some portions of the following Tourist Routes used to use county, regional and municipal streets and roads in their course, the majority of the routes ran along the provincial highway system. In light of the massive changes in the provincial highway system where thousands of kilometres of highways were turned back to the local authorities (counties, regions, cities, etc.), will these jurisdictions continue these Tourist Routes? In some cases, it is likely that they will not. Others may. So, in the interim, all of Ontario's Tourist Routes that were designated as of 1997 are included below. If you plan to follow one, make sure you have an up-to-date road map! |
|
 | African-Canadian Heritage Tour |
| Western Terminus: | Windsor |
| Eastern Terminus: | Dresden (in the Municipality of Chatham-Kent) |
| Length: | ___ km |
| Notes: | For purposes of this listing, the African-Canadian Heritage Tour is abbreviated as "ACHT". |
| Routing: | - From Windsor, the ACHT heads south on Co Rd 20 (Former Hwy 18) through LaSalle.
- At Edgewater Beach in the Town of Amherstburg, the ACHT heads east on Co Rd 10/Middle Side Rd toward McGregor.
- At Co Rd 9/Howard Ave, the ACHT turns north towards Windsor.
- The ACHT heads east for a very short distance on Hwy 3/Talbot Rd.
- The ACHT then joins Hwy 401 at its western terminus and follows it east to EXIT 28 at Co Rd 25.
- The ACHT heads north on Co Rd 25/Puce Rd from Hwy 401 to Puce.
- At Puce, the ACHT heads east on Co Rd 22 (Former Hwy 2) through Belle River.
- At Co Rd 42 (Former Hwy 2), the ACHT continues east into Tilbury.
- In Chatham-Kent, the ACHT continues on Co Rd 2/Queen's Line (Former Hwy 2).
- The ACHT then heads southeast on Co Rd 7/Merlin Rd through Fletcher.
- At Couty Rd 14/8th Line, the ACHT runs northeast through North Buxton and across Hwy 401 toward Hwy 40.
- At Hwy 40, the ACHT turns northwest and follows Hwy 40 through Chatham and for 11 km north from the city centre.
- At Co Rd 29/Countryview Line, the ACHT turns northeast to Turnerville, then north, still on Co Rd 29/Lindsay Rd-Cedar Hedge Line into Dresden.
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|
 | Algonquin Trail |
| Western Terminus: | Newcastle (in the Municipality of Clarington) at jct Hwy 35/Hwy 115 & Hwy 401 |
| Eastern Terminus: | Napanee at Hwy 401 (Exit 579) |
| Length: | 549.5 km |
| Notes: | The Algonquin Trail is a "horseshoe-shaped" route, beginning on Lake Ontario, running north into Algonquin Provincial Park (the route's namesake), then turning east through the park before heading south back toward Lake Ontario. For this reason, the route has been given "Western" and "Eastern" termini corresponding to the western terminus on Lake Ontario and the eastern terminus on Lake Ontario. |
| Routing: | - North from Newcastle along Hwy 35/Hwy 115 for 20.5 km.
- At the Hwy 35 and Hwy 115 split, the Algonquin Trail heads north on Hwy 35 toward Lindsay.
- At Lindsay, the Trail bypasses the city on Hwy 7/Hwy 35/TCH.
- From Lindsay, the Algonquin Trail continues north, following the remainder of Hwy 35's route, to Hwy 60 near Dwight.
- The Trail then heads east along Hwy 60 through Algonquin Provincial Park and continues with Hwy 60 toward Eganville.
- At Eganville, the Algonquin Trail heads south along Hwy 41 all the way south to Hwy 7/TCH at Kaladar.
- In Kaladar, the Trail continues south along Co Rd 41 (Former Hwy 41) for the rest of the journey to Napanee.
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|
 | Deer Trail Route |
| Western Terminus: | Jct Hwy 17/TCH & Hwy 108 at Serpent River |
| Eastern Terminus: | Jct Hwy 17/TCH & Hwy 108 at Serpent River |
| Length: | 188 km |
| Notes: | The Deer Trail Route is a circular routing, so the concept of separate termini really do not apply--as any point on the route can serve as a starting point. However, for the purposes of this listing, an arbitrary starting point has been chosen and the route itself is described below in a clockwise manner. |
| Routing: | - West from Serpent River along Hwy 17/TCH for 57km to Iron Bridge.
- At Iron Bridge, the Deer Trail Route heads north and northeast on SH-546 for 66km.
- The Deer Trail Route then turns south to follow SH-639 for 18km to the north limits of the City of Elliot Lake.
- In Elliot Lake, the Deer Trail Route continues south on Former SH-639 and Former Hwy 108 to the centre of the city.
- From there, the Deer Trail Route picks up Hwy 108 south for 25.6 km back to Hwy 17/TCH at Serpent River.
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|
 | Frontier Route |
| Southern Terminus: | Manitoba/Ontario boundary, 49km west of Kenora (connection w/MB Hwy 1) |
| Western Terminus: | Cnr of Yonge St & Gardiner Expwy in downtown Toronto |
| Length: | ___ km |
| Notes: | |
| Routing: | - From downtown Toronto at the Gardiner Expwy, the Frontier Route heads north on Yonge St through Toronto.
- In York Region, the Fontier Route follows Co Rd 1 (Former Hwy 11) to Bradford.
- In Simcoe Co, the Route follows Co Rd 4 from Bradford into Barrie.
- The Frontier Route enters Barrie on Yonge St and takes the following route through the city:
- Yonge St to Burton St
- Right on Essa St , then left onto Bradford St
- Right onto Dunlop St and through the city centre
- Continue west on Blake St
- Veer left onto Penetanguishene Rd out to Hwy 11
- The Frontier Trail leaves Barrie on Hwy 11, passing by Orillia, Huntsville, North Bay, New Liskeard, Iroquois Falls, Cochrane, Kapuskasing, and Hearst to Nipigon, where it meets up with Hwy 17/TCH.
- From Nipigon, through Thunder Bay to Shabaqua Corners, the Frontier Route follows Hwy 11/Hwy 17.
- At Shabaqua Corners, the Route veers northwest to stay with Hwy 17 through Ignace, Dryden and Kenora to end at the Manitoba provincial boundary, at the connection with MB Hwy 1.
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|
 | Golden Highway |
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 | Great River Road |
| Southern Terminus: | |
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 | Heritage Highway |
| Southern Terminus: | |
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 | Lake Nipissing Circle Tour |
| Southern Entrance: | |
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 | Loyalist Parkway |
| Southern Terminus: | |
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 | Oil Heritage Route |
| Southern Terminus: | |
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 | Talbot Trail |
| Southern Terminus: | |
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 | Terry Fox Courage Highway |
| Southern Terminus: | |
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 | Voyageur Route |
| Southern Terminus: | |
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 | Welland Canal Route |
| Southern Terminus: | |
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 | Wine Route |
| Southern Terminus: | |
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|  | GREAT LAKES CIRCLE TOURS: An Explanation | | The Great Lakes Circle Tours are a total of four routes circling each Great Lake, with the exception of Lake Ontario. The Province of Ontario has signed the circle tours for the three of the four Great Lakes the province touches: the Lake Erie, Lake Huron and Lake Superior Circle Tours. These tours were originally conceived as an aid for travellers who wished to stick close to the shorelines of the lakes in their journeys. The Lake Michigan Circle Tour was the first route established in the late-1980s, with Superior and Huron following in the early 1990s. While it was originally believed that Ontario did not "participate" in the Lake Erie Circle Tour, a few sporadic signs have been found to indicate otherwise. In addition, the Lake Huron and Lake Superior Circle Tours have been clearly marked on the official highway map, while the Lake Erie Circle Tour has not. |
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|
 | Lake Erie Circle Tour |
| Western Entrance: | Michigan state on the Ambassador Bridge, leading from Detroit MI to Windsor |
| Eastern Entrance: | New York state line on the Peace Bridge (concurrently with the QEW), leading from Fort Erie to Buffalo NY |
| Length: | Lotsa km |
| Notes: | |
| Routing: | Unclear |
|
 | Lake Huron Circle Tour |
| Southern Entrance: | Michigan state line along with Hwy 402 on the Bluewater Bridge (leading from Port Huron MI to Sarnia) in Point Edward |
| Northern Entrance: | Michigan state line on the International Bridge leading from Sault Ste Marie MI to Sault Ste Marie ON |
| Length: | Lotsa km |
| Notes: | |
| Routing: | • Route continued from Lake Huron Circle Tour in Michigan. |
| | • Enters Ontario on the Bluewater Bridge in Point Edward (Sarnia area) and head east through Sarnia on Hwy 402. |
| | • Exits Hwy 402 at Exit 6 and heads north on Modeland Rd toward Lake Huron. |
| | • At the lake, the LHCT heads east on Co Rd 7 along the shore. |
| | • At Hwy 21, the circle tour continues northeast out of Lambton County on Hwy 21 through Grand Bend, Goderich, Kincardine, and Port Elgin to Co Rd 10 (Former Hwy 6) at Alvanley, 16 km west of Owen Sound. At this point, one leg of the LHCT heads north up the Bruce Peninsula and across the ferry to Manitoulin Island. That route heads north from Hwy 21 to Hepworth, where it meets Hwy 6. From Hepworth, this route runs the length of the Bruce Peninsula to Tobermory, crosses Georgian Bay to Manitoulin Island, and continues north on Hwy 6 to end at Hwy 17/TCH (LHCT) at McKerrow near Espanola. |
| | • The main portion of the LHCT continues east on Hwy 21 into Owen Sound. |
| | • From Owen Sound, the route heads east on Hwy 26 through Collingwood. |
| | • At Wasaga Beach, the LHCT heads northeast on Co Rd 92 (Former Hwy 92) to Elmvale. |
| | • The tour continues north on Co Rd 27 (Former Hwy 27) to Hwy 93 at Waverley. |
| | • From Waverly, the LHCT runs north on Hwy 93 to Midland. |
| | • The circle tour then proceeds east on Hwy 12 to Hwy 400/TCH at Waubaushene. |
| | • From Waubaushene, the LHCT continues north on Hwy 400/TCH, turning into Hwy 69/TCH northward past Parry Sound toward Sudbury. |
| | • At Sudbury, the tour picks up Hwy 17/TCH and heads west through Espanola, Blind River and Thessalon to Sault Ste. Marie. |
| | • The LHCT continues into downtown Sault Ste. Marie on Hwy 17B, then through downtown on Wellington and Bay Sts (Former Hwy 17B) to the International Bridge connecting to Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan. |
| | • Continue on the Lake Huron Circle Tour in Michigan. |
|
 | Lake Superior Circle Tour |
| Western Entrance: | From Minnesota at Grand Portage, southwest of Thunder Bay |
| Eastern Entrance: | From Michigan on the International Bridge leading from Sault Ste Marie MI to Sault Ste Marie ON |
| Length: | km |
| Notes: | |
| Routing: | The Lake Superior Circle Tour enters the province from Minnesota at Grand Portage, southwest of Thunder Bay. |
| | • From Minnesota, the LSCT continues north on Hwy 61 to its northern terminus at Thunder Bay. |
| | • From Thunder Bay, the route continues northeast along Lake Superior on Hwy 11/Hwy 17/TCH to Nipigon. |
| | • When Hwy 11 splits off at Nipigon, the LSCT continues east on Hwy 17/TCH to White River, before the highway drifts southward, again along the shoreline, to Sault Ste. Marie. |
| | • The LHCT continues south into downtown Sault Ste. Marie on Hwy 17B, then westward through downtown on Wellington and Bay Sts (Former Hwy 17B) to the International Bridge connecting to Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan. |
| | • Continue on the Lake Superior Circle Tour in Michigan. |
|
| OTHER ONTARIO FREEWAYS: An Explanation |
| Even before the era of provincial highway downloading, Ontario had its share of freeways which were not maintained by the provincial government. For example, the Don Valley Parkway in Toronto has always been a city-maintained freeway since its inception. Others, like the Gardiner Expressway in Toronto and the eastern portion of the Queensway in Ottawa were provincial highways until 1998. All of the following freeways and parkways listed below are not maintained by the Ministry of Transportation and are the responsibility of the local units of government. |
|
| (W.R.) Allen Road - Toronto |
| Southern Terminus: | Eglinton Ave, between Dufferin and Bathurst Sts in Toronto (York) |
| Northern Terminus: | Intersection of Steeprock Dr, Overbrook Pl and Dufferin St in Toronto (North York) |
| Length: | 9 km |
| Notes: | The W.R. Allen Rd freeway was to become a portion of a longer freeway extending south from Eglinton Ave to meet up with the proposed Spadina Frwy, which was never built over the concern that such a major artery would destroy the surrounding neighbourhoods. |
| Freeway: | From the southern terminus at Eglinton Ave to Transit Rd north of Hwy 401. |
|
 | Don Valley Parkway - Toronto |
| Southern Terminus: | The Gardiner Expwy in Toronto, just east of downtown |
| Northern Terminus: | Jct Hwy 401 & Hwy 404 in Toronto (North York), at Hwy 401's EXIT 375 |
| Length: | 13.1 km |
| Notes: | Sometimes referred to as the "Don Valley Parking Lot" by frustrated commuters. |
| | As a quick glance at a map will show, Hwy 404 seems to be no more than a northward extension of the Don Valley. In fact, the first exit on Hwy 404 is EXIT 17 with exit numbering and kmposts proceeding up from there. Since the Don Valley Pkwy is 13 km in length, one of two possible explanations can be speculated upon. One is that the Don Valley was originally planned to continue north of Hwy 401, which can supported by some older maps. Later, it seems the MTO took over the project north of Hwy 401 and designated the route Hwy 404. The other explanation, citing the exit numbers and kmposts as prime evidence, is that the Hwy 404 designation was at one time expected to continue south along the Don Valley to the Gardiner Expwy (Former Hwy 2), then west for four addition kilometres (for a total of 17 km) to end at the proposed junction of the Spadina Freeway. Please note, however, the above is only speculation at this time. |
| | In this era of highway downloading which has seen all of the Gardiner Expwy (Former Hwy 2) and a part of the QEW given over to the City of Toronto, it seems that the Don Valley will remain in city hands and Hwy 404 will most definitely not be extended southward. |
| | The Don Valley Pkwy, as with the Gardiner Expwy, is marked with distinctive circular shields. |
| Freeway: | Entire length. |
|
| E.C. Row Expressway - Windsor |
| Western Terminus: | Ojibway Pkwy (Formerly Hwy 18) on the west side of Windsor |
| Eastern Terminus: | Banwell Rd on the eastern limit of the City of Windsor |
| Length: | 15.7 km |
| Notes: | The westernmost 2.7 km of the E.C. Row Expwy was formerly designated as part of Hwy 18, while the remaining 13.0 km of the freeway had formerly been part of Hwy 2. The E.C. Row, however, was not originally part of the provincial highway system, being constructed in pieces over the course of many years, only later being incorporated as part of Hwy 2 and Hwy 18. |
| |  Mike Gibson was kind enough to answer the question posed here, "Who was 'E.C. Row'?" Mike reports Mr. E.C. Row was "the President of Chyrsler Canada Ltd. from 1951-1956." Many thanks, Mike! |
| Freeway: | Entire length. |
|
 | Gardiner Expressway - Toronto |
| Western Terminus: | Jct QEW & Hwy 427 in western Toronto (Etobicoke), at the QEW's EXIT 139 |
| Eastern Terminus: | Lakeshore Blvd at Leslie St in Toronto, east of downtown |
| Length: | 21 km |
| Notes: | The Gardiner Expwy has a "love-hate relationship" with most residents of Toronto. On one hand, the Gardiner provides convenient access to downtown Toronto. On the other hand, the Gardiner was constructed as an elevated freeway, effectively blocking "visual access" to the waterfront from downtown, and vice versa. To most, the Gardiner Expwy is an unsightly concrete monolith on the waterfront. Removing the Gardiner would leave the City of Toronto with only one east-west freeway (Hwy 401 and make driving into downtown even more difficult than it is currently. Other ideas have touched on the concept of "burying" the Gardiner--putting the freeway into a cut-and-fill tunnel, much like the current Central Artery/Tunnel Project, commonly referred to as the "Big Dig Project," in Boston, Massachusetts. |
| | Prior to the downloading of January 1, 1998, the entire length of the Gardiner Expwy, which then began at the Humber River bridge west of downtown, was designated as Hwy 2 and was a part of the provincial highway system. On January 1, 1998, all of the Gardiner was downloaded onto the City of Toronto, as well as 6 km portion of the QEW from Hwy 427 to the Humber River Bridge. At that time, the "Gardiner Expwy" designation was extended west to replace the downloaded QEW designation. |
| | Looking at the eastern end of the Gardiner Expwy at Leslie St, one could easily assume the MTO once had plans to extend the freeway eastward along then-Hwy 2, possibly as far as Hwy 401! This easterly extension will never occur, and the "stub-ends" of the freeway at Leslie St will remain as a reminder of what might have been. |
| | The Gardiner Expwy, as with the Don Valley Pkwy, is marked with distinctive circular shields. |
| Freeway: | Entire length. |
|
| Highbury Avenue - London |
| Southern Terminus: | Hwy 401 at EXIT 189 in London |
| Northern Terminus: | Hamilton St, just north of the Thames River in eastern London |
| Length: | 5.1 km (freeway length) |
| Notes: | According to Mr. Brian J.E VanDommele, the Highbury Ave Expressway was once known as the Wenige Expressway. |
| | Highbury Ave was once a part of the provincial highway system, designated as Hwy 126, beginning at Hwy 401 on the south, and ending at Hwy 22/Fanshawe Park Rd in the north. Highbury Ave itself, today extends from the City of Saint Thomas on the south to Hwy 7 on the north. The freeway portion of Highbury Ave,which is the focus of this listing, is a 5.1 km long segment in the City of London. |
| | The interchange between Highbury Ave and Hwy 401 was formerly a complete freeway-to-freeway cloverleaf design, but with the reconstruction of Hwy 401 through the London area in the early 1990s, the interchange was modified. Two of the cloverleaf "loop" ramps were removed and two signalised intersections were created.
|
| Freeway: | Entire length, with the exception of the Hwy 401 interchange. |
|
 | Lincoln M. Alexander Parkway - Hamilton |
| Western Terminus: | Hwy 403 at the Mohawk Rd interchange in the Town of Ancaster, just west of Hamilton |
Current
Eastern Terminus: | Dartnall Rd at Stone Church Rd in the City of Hamilton |
| Current Length: | 9.1 km |
| Notes: | The first segment of the Lincoln M. Alexander Pkwy, or the "Linc" as it is known locally, opened in late 1997, with future extension currently underway. Before completion, though, the "Linc" was known as the "Red Hill Creek Expwy," as the highway was to exist largely in the valley of Red Hill Creek. When complete, this freeway will form a complete bypass around the southern and eastern sides of Hamilton, connecting with Hwy 403 on the west and the QEW on the east (north). |
| | Lincoln M. Alexander, according to Michael Butler's Road Signs of Ontario website, was named for the first black Lieutenant Governor, who served in the 1980s. |
| | Brian J.E. VanDommele notes that the first 1.5 km extension of the Lincoln M. Alexander Pkwy is underway. This short extension will begin at the current eastern terminus of the freeway at Dartnall Rd and proceed easterly to an interchange with a realigned Mud St. Plans are under consideration to extend the freeway from Mud St down the Red Hill Creek Valley to end at the QEW between the Burlington St and Centennial Pkwy (Former Hwy 20). |
| | The author of this page believes that if the "Linc" is ever assumed into the provincial highway system, it should be given the designation "Hwy 408," since it would serve as a southern bypass of Hamilton, connect two other provincially-maintained freeways, and the original Hwy 8 travelled through the centre of Hamilton, giving a historical basis for the a designation of "408." |
| Freeway: | Entire length. |
|
 | Queensway East - Ottawa |
| Western Terminus: | Jct Hwy 417/TCH & Aviation Pkwy in Ottawa, at Hwy 417's EXIT 113 |
| Eastern Terminus: | Regional Rd 57/Trim Rd in the Municipality of Cumberland, east of Ottawa and Gloucester |
| Length: | 13.2 km |
| Notes: | Prior to January 1, 1998, this portion of the Queensway East was a part of the provincial highway system as a part of the eastern leg of Hwy 17. Presently, the Regional Municipality of Ottawa-Carleton maintains the route as Regional Rd 174, as illustrated by the marker to the left. |
| | Prior to downloading, when the Queensway East was still designated Hwy 17, the route was a link in the Trans-Canada Highway. Since that time, however, all Trans-Canada Highway signs were removed along with the Hwy 17 shields. Since no Trans-Canada markers have been erected on Hwy 417 between Ottawa and the junction of County Rd 17 in Prescott & Russell County, it is assumed Regional Rd 174 (in Ottawa-Carleton) and County Rd 17 (in Prescott & Russel) is still the "official" routing of the TCH. Once adequate signing is in place stating otherwise, we will assume here that the Queensway East is still a part of the Trans-Canada Highway. |
| | Mr. Brian J.E. VanDommele notes that an interchange at Regional Rd 57/Trim Rd at the eastern end of the Queensway East freeway is being contemplated. If this were to occur, the actual length of the Queensway East would be increased. |
| Freeway: | Entire length. |
| Trans-Canada: | Entire length (see note above). |
| Tourist Route: | Voyageur Route: Entire length. |
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