List of Ontario Tourist Routes facts for kids
Ontario is home to many special roads called Tourist Routes. These routes are designed to show off places that are important for their history, nature, or culture.
It's a bit tricky to know if all these routes are still officially marked. Many of them used to follow main provincial highways. When some of these highways were changed in 1997 and 1998, some towns and counties kept the tourist route signs, while others might have stopped. So, some of these routes might now be more like historical paths!
Contents
- African-Canadian Heritage Tour
- Algonquin Route
- Bluewater Route
- Deer Trail Route
- Frontier Route
- Georgian Bay Coastal Route
- Golden Highway
- Great River Road
- Heritage Highway
- Lake Nipissing Circle Tour
- Loyalist Parkway
- Oil Heritage Route
- Talbot Trail
- Terry Fox Courage Highway
- Voyageur Route
- Welland Canal Route
- Wine Route
- Rideau Heritage Route
- See also
African-Canadian Heritage Tour
The African-Canadian Heritage Tour (ACHT) is a special route. It follows different county roads, city streets, and provincial highways.
The tour begins on Queen Street in the Sandwich area of Windsor. It goes west on Prince Road, then south on Sandwich Street. The route curves along Sandwich Parkway to Ojibway Parkway. This used to be Highway 18. The trail then follows County Road 20 to Amherstburg. It turns onto County Road 10. It travels east on Middle Side Road towards McGregor.
The route turns north on County Road 9 (Howard Avenue) back to Windsor. The ACHT briefly turns east on Highway 3. Then it gets on Highway 401 going east. It takes exit 28 for County Road 25 (Puce Road). From there, it goes to Puce. The trail turns east on County Road 22 through Belle River. It continues until it meets County Road 42 southeast of town. The trail turns and follows County Road 42 through Tilbury. Here it becomes Chatham–Kent Road 2, which was once Highway 2.
The route turns south onto County Road 7 (Merlin Road). It goes through the small community of Fletcher. Then it turns east onto County Road 14 (8th Line). It follows County Road 14 through North Buxton to Highway 40. When it reaches Highway 40, the trail follows it for 11 kilometres through Chatham. It turns right onto County Road 29 (Countryview Line). It heads northeast through Turnerville. It turns north at County Road 29 (Lindsay Road). It follows this road to its end in Dresden. Here you can find the Uncle Tom's Cabin Historic Site.
Algonquin Route
The Algonquin Route was a loop that went north from Highway 401. It passed through Algonquin Park and then came back. The route started where Highway 35 / Highway 115 and Highway 401 meet. This is exit 436 in Newcastle. Where Highway 35 and 115 split, the trail followed Highway 35 north. It went through Lindsay. It also briefly shared the road with Highway 7. It continued north on Highway 35 through Coboconk, Minden, Carnarvon, and Dorset to Highway 60. From here, the trail turned east and went across Algonquin Provincial Park. East of the park, Highway 60 met Highway 41. The route then turned south. It passed through Eganville and followed Highway 41 south to Napanee. The Algonquin Route was created in 1980. It was part of the "Yours to Discover" campaign by the Ontario government. Signs for this route were no longer put up after 1998.
Bluewater Route
The Bluewater Route follows Highway 21. It runs along the shore of Lake Huron. It goes between Highway 402 and Owen Sound. The route passes through small towns like Grand Bend, Goderich, and Kincardine. It also goes by the Bruce Nuclear Generating Station.
Deer Trail Route
The Deer Trail Route is a circular path in the Algoma Region of northern Ontario. Even though it's a circle, it has a "start" point. This is where Highway 17 and Highway 108 meet in Serpent River. It follows Highway 108 through Elliot Lake. Then the road becomes Highway 639. At the north end of Highway 639, the road turns south. It becomes Highway 546. This road leads to Highway 17 in Iron Bridge. From there, it goes back along Highway 17. It passes through Blind River, Algoma Mills, and Spragge. Finally, it returns to Serpent River. The whole route is about 184 kilometres long.
This route mainly helps people get to wilderness areas. One example is Mississagi Provincial Park. It also hosts an annual Deer Trail Studio Tour. This is an arts festival where local artists show and sell their work.
Frontier Route
The Frontier Route travels through Northern Ontario. It goes from the Manitoba border all the way to Barrie. The route follows Highway 17. It passes through Kenora, Dryden, Ignace, and Thunder Bay. It continues to where Highway 11 meets in Nipigon.
From there, the route follows Highway 11 across northern Ontario. It then goes south through Muskoka. It passes through towns like Geraldton, Longlac, Hearst, Kapuskasing, Smooth Rock Falls, Cochrane, Iroquois Falls, Kirkland Lake, New Liskeard, North Bay, Huntsville, Bracebridge, Gravenhurst, and Orillia. It ends at Highway 400 in Barrie. This trail also shares some of its path with the Voyageur Route.
Georgian Bay Coastal Route
The Georgian Bay Coastal Route is a marked path around the Georgian Bay. The MS Chi-Cheemaun Ferry connects Manitoulin Island to Tobermory.
Golden Highway
The Golden Highway travels through Northern Ontario. It also goes into the Abitibi-Témiscamingue region of Quebec. It starts in Timmins along Highway 101. It goes east to Highway 11 in Matheson. It then heads south on Highway 11 to Kenogami Lake. After that, it turns east towards Kirkland Lake and the Quebec border along Highway 66. There's also a branch that goes west along Highway 66 from Kenogami Lake to Matachewan. So, all of Highway 66 is part of the Golden Highway.
The Golden Highway continues in Quebec as Route 117. It goes through the city of Rouyn-Noranda. It ends in Val-d'Or.
Great River Road
The Great River Road forms a loop in the northwestern part of Ontario. It starts in Kenora. It travels east along Highway 17 to Highway 71. There, it heads south, staying close to Lake of the Woods. It meets Highway 11 in Barwick. Here, it splits into two directions. One part goes west along Highway 11 to Rainy River. The main route goes east along Highway 11 to Fort Frances.
The eastern part continues to Highway 502. It travels back up towards Dryden. Then it loops back west along Highway 17 to Kenora.
Heritage Highway
The Heritage Highway, also known as Historic Highway, goes from Windsor to Gaspé, Quebec. It follows much of what used to be Highway 2. It also followed parts of Quebec Route 2, now Route 138 and Route 132. When it was first named in 1972, it also included side routes. These connected to places like Niagara Falls, Stratford, Sarnia, Ottawa-Hull, and Sault Ste. Marie.
One side route continued along the Detroit River on Highway 18. This is now Essex County Road 20. It followed the north shore of Lake Erie east to Leamington. It then continued along Highway 3 to Wainfleet. It ended at Fort Erie. Another side route along Highway 11 met Highway 17. This was the Voyageur Route going east and west to Montreal and Sault Ste. Marie. Most of the original signs are gone now. But a few signs still remain on the routes. One sign is in Harrow on County Road 20.
Since the route is now mostly county roads, some signs have been kept. Others have been removed or have faded away. In some places, new tourist route signs have replaced the "Heritage Highway" wheel. For example, in Trenton, the Heritage Highway and Loyalist Parkway run with other marked routes. These include a former Apple Route and a part of the Wine Route.
Newer signs for the Heritage Highway are white on a brown wheel. They say "Heritage Highway - Route des Pionniers". This is a French translation used in the original 1972 effort with Quebec.
Lake Nipissing Circle Tour
The Lake Nipissing Circle Tour is a tourist route that goes all the way around Lake Nipissing. It follows Highway 11. It starts from where it meets the old Highway 11B. It goes to the interchange with Highway 654 just south of Callander. Then it follows Highway 534 to Carr. There, it turns onto the short Highway 524. At the end of that highway, it follows Highway 522 to Highway 69. At Alban, it turns onto Highway 64. Then it turns onto Highway 17 near Sturgeon Falls. It follows Highway 17 to North Bay. Once it meets the old Highway 17B, it turns down that road (Main Street). It follows it to the south intersection with the old Highway 11B.
Loyalist Parkway
A part of Highway 33 was named the Loyalist Parkway in 1984. This section is between Amherstview and Trenton. This name was chosen to honor the United Empire Loyalists. They were the first people to settle this area of Ontario. Queen Elizabeth II officially named it when she visited Kingston. This was during Ontario's 200th birthday celebrations. Highway 33 now ends at Bloomfield. The Loyalist Parkway continues as Prince Edward County Road 33 towards Stirling.
Oil Heritage Route
The Oil Heritage Route follows Lambton County Road 21. This used to be Highway 21. It starts where it meets Highway 402. It goes through Wyoming, Petrolia, Oil City, and Oil Springs. Then it curves east and south to Dresden. Here it meets the African-Canadian Heritage Tour route.
This route still has signs. North of Rutherford, Lambton County Road 21 is called "Oil Heritage Road".
Talbot Trail
The Talbot Trail is a very old and important land route. It was finished in the 1820s. It runs along the north shore of Lake Erie. Colonel Thomas Talbot oversaw the building of this route. It was almost 500 kilometres long. It was first a "corduroy road," made of logs laid side-by-side. Later, it became Highway 3 and several county roads. Its main purpose was to create a continuous land path for settlers and soldiers. This path connected the Niagara region and Detroit. It helped the Talbot Settlement grow.
The route starts in Windsor. It travels southeast and then east. It goes through Leamington, Wheatley, Blenheim, and St. Thomas. East of Aylmer, it leaves Highway 3. It follows County Road 38 (Heritage Line) through Straffordville. It continues to Courtland, where it rejoins Highway 3. The route goes east along Highway 3. It passes through Delhi, Simcoe, Jarvis, and Cayuga. At Dunnville, the route leaves Highway 3. It follows County Road 3 (Lakeshore Road). It goes through small communities like Stromness, Lowbanks, Long Beach, and Camelot Beach. Then it rejoins Highway 3 near Wainfleet. It continues east along Highway 3. It ends at the Niagara River in Fort Erie.
The actual settlement road from the 1800s started in Amherstburg. It ended in Canborough, north of Dunnville. From there, existing roads led to Fort Erie and Niagara Falls.
Terry Fox Courage Highway
The Terry Fox Courage Highway was named on July 30, 1981. This was to honor Terry Fox. His Marathon of Hope reached Thunder Bay. He passed away a month before the highway was named. The route starts in Thunder Bay. It follows Highway 11 and Highway 17 for 83 kilometres to Nipigon. It travels northeast along the shore of Lake Superior. It is also part of the Lake Superior Circle Tour.
This route has many signs along its entire length.
Voyageur Route
The Voyageur Route crosses Ontario. It starts at the Manitoba border on Highway 17. It goes through Kenora. It continues to Highway 71. It turns south, following Highway 71 all the way to Highway 11. This is between Barwick and Emo. It follows Highway 11 to Shabaqua Corners, Ontario. There, it rejoins Highway 17. From there, the route continues east through Thunder Bay. It goes over Lake Superior and Lake Huron to Sudbury. Then it goes on to Arnprior. The route ends where Highway 17 changes to Highway 417. This route might not have signs anymore, especially east of Pembroke, Ontario and in Northwestern Ontario.
This route also shares much of its path with the Frontier Route, Great River Road, and Heritage Highway. The voyageurs were workers in the fur trade.
Welland Canal Route
The Welland Canal Route is marked along provincial highways and Regional Roads. It is in the Niagara Region. It follows the Welland Canal.
The trail starts at the Queen Elizabeth Way and Highway 406 interchange in St. Catharines. It travels south to Highway 58 in Thorold. The Welland Canal Route goes under the canal. It follows Highway 58 to where Highway 20, Niagara Regional Road 82 (Allanport Road), and Niagara Regional Road 20 (Canboro Road) meet. The route turns onto Canboro Road. It crosses back over the Canal towards Highway 406. Then it turns south along Highway 406 to Main Street in Welland. There, it turns east and goes under the canal again. It follows Highway 140 south to Highway 58A. It follows this under the canal one last time. The route turns south at Highway 58. It travels south on Niagara Regional Road 3. This used to be part of Highway 3 in Port Colborne.
Wine Route
The Wine Route has signs in different parts of Southern Ontario. It goes from Essex County to the Niagara region. It also goes to the northern shore of Lake Ontario. It still has signs today and is promoted in newspapers and other media.
The Wine Route starts in Windsor. It travels down Essex County Road 20. This used to be Highway 18. It goes through LaSalle and Amherstburg. It continues through Harrow. Then it branches off to the ferry docks in Kingsville. This ferry goes to Pelee Island's Pelee Island Winery. The trail continues on Pelee Island and on County Road 20 on the mainland. Both meet in Leamington. This is at the intersection of Seacliffe Drive and Erie Street. This used to be part of Highway 77.
The wine route continues, without signs, north to and along Highway 77 to Highway 401. From there, it travels east to Highway 403 in Woodstock. It continues along Highway 403 to Hamilton and the rest of the Niagara Peninsula.
In the Niagara Region, the route is called the Niagara Wine Route. It has many signs. It is made of loops and side paths. These connect the different wineries to the towns in the region. The main route follows Niagara Regional Road 81. This used to be Highway 8. It goes from Grimsby eastward. In western St. Catharines, it splits into two main routes.
The first route goes north along Regional Road 34. Then it turns east. It follows the shore of Lake Ontario along Regional Road 87. It passes through Port Dalhousie and many wineries along the lake. The other route goes along the edge of the Niagara Escarpment. It passes through Niagara-on-the-Lake along Regional Roads 69, 100, and 55. A side path along Fourth Avenue and Ontario Street connects wineries in the west end of the city and Downtown St. Catharines to the northern route. Another side path goes through central Niagara-on-the-Lake and Virgil. This connects both routes to the Niagara Parkway. The main routes meet again in the Olde Town of Niagara-on-the-Lake. This is where Regional Roads 89 and 55 meet, close to the mouth of the Niagara River.
There is also a wine route along Highways 33, Highway 62, and Highway 49 in Prince Edward County.
Newer signs are dark blue with white grapes. The words "Wine Route" are written below. These new signs are seen in the Niagara Region and Prince Edward County.
Rideau Heritage Route
The Rideau Heritage Route (in French: Circuit patrimonial Rideau) connects Ottawa with Kingston. It passes through Smiths Falls and Perth. This route is in Eastern Ontario. It follows the oldest canal in North America that is still working. The locks on the canal work today much like they did when they first opened in 1832. The canal is a National Historic Site of Canada and a UNESCO world heritage site.
See also
