Highway 525 (Ontario)
Encyclopedia
Secondary Highway 525, commonly referred to as Highway 525, is a provincially maintained secondary highway in the Canadian
province of Ontario
. It is a short, remote secondary highway that links Highway 596 to the Wabaseemoong First Nations
reserve. It is the second-westernmost secondary highway in the province, Highway 673 being the first. The route was commissioned by 1982 along what was formerly Highway 596; a former use of the route number existed between 1956 and 1973 in Gravenhurst
.
watershed. Zig-zagging in a generally northward direction, the highway passes through thick boreal forest. At approximately its midpoint, the route meets the Cygnet Lake road, which provides access to a remote camp. The highway continues north, curving west immediately before ending at the entrance to the Wabaseemoong (Islington) reserve. The road continues into the reserve to provide access to Caribou Falls and Whitedog.
The highway followed the route of present day Muskoka District Road 18 north from Highway 11 to the Muskoka Centre.
It was decommissioned between early 1972 and late 1973, shortly after the establishment of the District Municipality of Muskoka.
The current Highway 525 was designated by 1982.
Prior to that, the road it followed was an extension of Highway 596 that was designated in the mid-1970s.
The route was gravel surfaced
when it was assumed, but has since been paved.
{| class="wikitable" style="width:800px;"
|-
!Location
!km
!Destinations
!Notes
|-
|rowspan="2"|Unorganized Kenora District
|0.0
|
|
|-
|35.5
|
|Road continues towards Whitedog and Caribou Falls
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
province of Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
. It is a short, remote secondary highway that links Highway 596 to the Wabaseemoong First Nations
Wabaseemoong Independent Nations
Wabaseemoong Independent Nations or more fully as the Wabaseemoong Independent Nations of One Man Lake, Swan Lake and Whitedog, is a Ojibway First Nation located 120 km northwest of Kenora, Ontario and east of the Ontario-Manitoba border of northwestern Ontario, Canada...
reserve. It is the second-westernmost secondary highway in the province, Highway 673 being the first. The route was commissioned by 1982 along what was formerly Highway 596; a former use of the route number existed between 1956 and 1973 in Gravenhurst
Gravenhurst, Ontario
Gravenhurst is a town in the Muskoka Region of Ontario, Canada. It is located approximately south of Bracebridge, Ontario. The mayor is Paisley Donaldson...
.
Route description
Highway 525 is a very remote highway in northwestern Ontario. There are no settlements along its length, and the closest human habitation is Minaki near its southern terminus and Whitedog near its northern terminus. The route begins west of Minaki, branching off from Highway 596, which travels south to Kenora. It travels north along a wide strip of land bounded by Sand Lake to the east, and by Swan Lake and Tetu Lake to the west, all part of the Winnipeg RiverWinnipeg River
The Winnipeg River is a Canadian river which flows from Lake of the Woods in the province of Ontario to Lake Winnipeg in Manitoba. This river is long from the Norman Dam in Kenora to its mouth at Lake Winnipeg. Its watershed is in area, mainly in Canada. About of this area is in northern...
watershed. Zig-zagging in a generally northward direction, the highway passes through thick boreal forest. At approximately its midpoint, the route meets the Cygnet Lake road, which provides access to a remote camp. The highway continues north, curving west immediately before ending at the entrance to the Wabaseemoong (Islington) reserve. The road continues into the reserve to provide access to Caribou Falls and Whitedog.
History
The current Highway 525 is not the original usage of the number. In 1956, the number was one of several dozen Secondary Highways designated by the Department of Highways to improve connections between King's Highways.The highway followed the route of present day Muskoka District Road 18 north from Highway 11 to the Muskoka Centre.
It was decommissioned between early 1972 and late 1973, shortly after the establishment of the District Municipality of Muskoka.
The current Highway 525 was designated by 1982.
Prior to that, the road it followed was an extension of Highway 596 that was designated in the mid-1970s.
The route was gravel surfaced
Gravel road
A gravel road is a type of unpaved road surfaced with gravel that has been brought to the site from a quarry or stream bed. They are common in less-developed nations, and also in the rural areas of developed nations such as Canada and the United States. In New Zealand, they are known as 'metal roads'...
when it was assumed, but has since been paved.
Major intersections
The following table lists the major junctions along Highway 525. The entirety of the route is located within Kenora District.{| class="wikitable" style="width:800px;"
|-
!Location
!km
!Destinations
!Notes
|-
|rowspan="2"|Unorganized Kenora District
|0.0
|
|
|-
|35.5
|
|Road continues towards Whitedog and Caribou Falls