Northern Ontario Resource Trail
Encyclopedia
The Northern Ontario Resource Trail is a mainly gravel road in the Canadian
province of Ontario
, which travels north from Pickle Lake
to the northern shore of Windigo Lake
. It links several winter road
s and ice road
s that serve communities in extreme Northern Ontario
to Highway 599
.
The first 60 kilometres of the route, from Pickle Lake to the Otoskwin River, also held the tertiary highway designation of Highway 808 within Ontario's provincial highway system from 1966 to 1983, before it was decommissioned.
On December 6, 1966, the northernmost 60 km portion of Highway 599 from Pickle Lake to the Otoskwin River was re-designated as Highway 808. This designation lasted until 1983, when it was decommissioned as an official Provincial Highway. The southernmost three km of the trail is paved, while the remaining length is gravel. The road is maintained year-round, due to its importance as a connection to natural resources sites and to ice
/winter road
s connecting remote First Nations
communities in the Kenora District
.
and supplies, and check weather conditions before travelling down this road, since there are no gas stations or any other services on the Northern Ontario Resource Trail north of Pickle Lake. A spare tire is also a good idea, as it may be several hours (at least) for assistance to arrive. Cellular phones are useless in this area, since there are no nearby cell phone relay towers in the wilderness. Caution must be used while driving as well, as there are some steep grades on the route. Although the speed limit is 80 km/h (50 mph), there are many sections where such a speed can not be maintained.
/winter road
s that branch from it:
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....
, which travels north from Pickle Lake
Pickle Lake, Ontario
Pickle Lake is a township in the Canadian province of Ontario, and is the most northerly community in the province that has year-round access by road. Located north of Thunder Bay, highway access is via Highway 599, the only access road to the town from the south. More northerly communities rely...
to the northern shore of Windigo Lake
Windigo Lake (Ontario)
Windigo Lake is a lake in the Kenora District in Northern Ontario, Canada. It is situated at the end of the Northern Ontario Resource Trail....
. It links several winter road
Winter road
Winter roads are temporary highways carved out of snow and ice. They facilitate transportation to and from communities without permanent roads, and are commonly seen in isolated regions in Canada's north....
s and ice road
Ice road
Ice roads are frozen, human-made structures on the surface of bays, rivers, lakes, or seas in the far north. They link dry land, frozen waterways, portages and winter roads, and are usually remade each winter. Ice roads allow temporary transport to areas with no permanent road access...
s that serve communities in extreme Northern Ontario
Northern Ontario
Northern Ontario is a region of the Canadian province of Ontario which lies north of Lake Huron , the French River and Lake Nipissing. The region has a land area of 802,000 km2 and constitutes 87% of the land area of Ontario, although it contains only about 6% of the population...
to Highway 599
Highway 599 (Ontario)
Secondary Highway 599, commonly referred to as Highway 599, is a provincially maintained secondary highway in the Canadian province of Ontario...
.
The first 60 kilometres of the route, from Pickle Lake to the Otoskwin River, also held the tertiary highway designation of Highway 808 within Ontario's provincial highway system from 1966 to 1983, before it was decommissioned.
History
The Trail first started out as an extension of Highway 599, north of Pickle Lake. It was extended to the Otoskwin River in 1966, and was 60 km long (excluding southern parts of Highway 599).On December 6, 1966, the northernmost 60 km portion of Highway 599 from Pickle Lake to the Otoskwin River was re-designated as Highway 808. This designation lasted until 1983, when it was decommissioned as an official Provincial Highway. The southernmost three km of the trail is paved, while the remaining length is gravel. The road is maintained year-round, due to its importance as a connection to natural resources sites and to ice
Ice road
Ice roads are frozen, human-made structures on the surface of bays, rivers, lakes, or seas in the far north. They link dry land, frozen waterways, portages and winter roads, and are usually remade each winter. Ice roads allow temporary transport to areas with no permanent road access...
/winter road
Winter road
Winter roads are temporary highways carved out of snow and ice. They facilitate transportation to and from communities without permanent roads, and are commonly seen in isolated regions in Canada's north....
s connecting remote First Nations
First Nations
First Nations is a term that collectively refers to various Aboriginal peoples in Canada who are neither Inuit nor Métis. There are currently over 630 recognised First Nations governments or bands spread across Canada, roughly half of which are in the provinces of Ontario and British Columbia. The...
communities in the Kenora District
Kenora District, Ontario
Kenora District is a district and census division in Northwestern Ontario, Canada. It was created in 1907 from parts of Rainy River District. It is, geographically, the largest division in that province; at 407,192.66 km2 it comprises almost 38 percent of the province's land area...
.
Route description
Although this road is well-maintained year-round, it is extremely lightly travelled, and is in a very remote section of the province. Motorists should stock up on supplies in Pickle Lake, and be prepared for remote bush travel. It is recommended to fill up on gasolineGasoline
Gasoline , or petrol , is a toxic, translucent, petroleum-derived liquid that is primarily used as a fuel in internal combustion engines. It consists mostly of organic compounds obtained by the fractional distillation of petroleum, enhanced with a variety of additives. Some gasolines also contain...
and supplies, and check weather conditions before travelling down this road, since there are no gas stations or any other services on the Northern Ontario Resource Trail north of Pickle Lake. A spare tire is also a good idea, as it may be several hours (at least) for assistance to arrive. Cellular phones are useless in this area, since there are no nearby cell phone relay towers in the wilderness. Caution must be used while driving as well, as there are some steep grades on the route. Although the speed limit is 80 km/h (50 mph), there are many sections where such a speed can not be maintained.
Communities served
The Northern Ontario Resource Trail serves several communities via iceIce road
Ice roads are frozen, human-made structures on the surface of bays, rivers, lakes, or seas in the far north. They link dry land, frozen waterways, portages and winter roads, and are usually remade each winter. Ice roads allow temporary transport to areas with no permanent road access...
/winter road
Winter road
Winter roads are temporary highways carved out of snow and ice. They facilitate transportation to and from communities without permanent roads, and are commonly seen in isolated regions in Canada's north....
s that branch from it:
- NeskantagaNeskantaga, OntarioNeskantaga , is a remote First Nations reserve number 239 in the northern reaches of the Canadian province of Ontario, situated along the shore of Attawapiskat Lake. The town is linked to the rest of Ontario by the Lansdowne House Airport, and by winter roads and ice roads to points south, via the...
(Lansdowne House, Ontario) - Eabametoong (Fort Hope)
- Summer Beaver
- Webequie
- Weagamow Lake
- Keewaywin
- Koocheching
- Muskrat Dam
- Sachigo Lake
- Bearskin Lake
- Wunnummin Lake
- Kingfisher Lake
- Big Trout Lake
- Wapekeka
- Wawakepewin
- Kasabonika
- Webequie, Ontario
- Sandy Lake Ontario
- Long Dog Lake Ontario
- Various mining exploration camps