Ontario Highway 119 History - The King's Highways of Ontario

King's Highway 119 was a short local highway in the District of Kenora that once connected Richan to Highway 17 near Dryden. The highway was first established in the mid-1950s as an access road to Richan, located northwest of Dryden. A Preliminary Route Plan was prepared by the Department of Highways of Ontario (DHO) in October 1955, which showed the proposed King's Highway to Richan. The DHO assumed the road as King's Highway 119 on January 18, 1956. The new highway was 14 miles (23 km) in length. The highway remained gravel-surfaced up until 1974, when the southernmost 12 km of the highway was paved. The northern portion was not paved until years later, making Highway 119 one of the last King's Highways in Ontario to retain gravel-surfaced sections. Since Highway 119 served only a local purpose, it was decided in the early 1970s that the route should be re-designated as a Secondary Highway. Highway 119 was renumbered as Secondary Highway 665, effective August 7, 1974.