Driving Northern Ontario August 2008

I drove across Northern Ontario in late August 2008. The Trans-Canada splits and turns into a rather rustic back-country road in some sections. In BC I am used to secondary highway driving in the mountains. But considering that these Ontario roads are a vital lifeline in Canada's richest province; I was surprised to discover a highway that in many places has not even gravel shoulders, is often badly pot-holed, is rarely marked as the Trans-Canada and often seems as a rural afterthought. The worst sections were the furthest from Toronto. Near Kenora the "highway" rarely runs straight for as much as 50 metres as it winds between the local lakes and hills. 

The trip from the Manitoba border to north of Toronto took 2 1/2 days. I knew Ontario was big but had forgotten that it was that big!

North of the vast Lake Superior there is some road improvement.
As I sat in the sunshine beside a Thunder Bay marina I could easily imagine that I was sitting beside a vast salty ocean... it would be interesting to see when it is frozen in winter ice.

After Thunder Bay there are many miles where the road overlooks the great lake. The many bays and rocky beaches seem designed for a kayak or canoe. The beaches consist largely of rounded red pebbles.

The second night I was camped in my trailer beside the highway between White River and Wawa. I caught this sunrise in the morning.