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All photographs displayed on this page were taken by the
Ontario Ministry of Transportation, unless specifically noted otherwise. Historical photographs are
arranged in approximate chronological order. Click on any thumbnail to see a larger image!
Please note that all photographs displayed on this
website are protected by copyright. These photographs must not be reproduced, published,
electronically stored or copied, distributed, or posted onto other websites without
my written permission. If you want to use photos from this website, please
email me first for permission. Thank-you!
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Page 2: Historical Hwy 17 Photographs (1950 to 1999)
 Above - Postcard view of the Keewatin Channel Bridge near Kenora, facing northeast (ca. 1950). See an Enlarged Photo Here.   Above - Motorists taking in the view from the Kama Hill Lookout on Hwy 17 south of Nipigon (1950)Photo courtesy of Ontario Ministry of Transportation 
 Left - View of the new Des Joachims lookout on Hwy 17 (1950) Photo courtesy of Ontario Ministry of Transportation Centre - Trans-Canada Highway Sign at the junction of Hwy 15 & Hwy 17 in Ottawa (1950) Photo courtesy of Ontario Ministry of Transportation Right - Grass seeding on Hwy 17 west of North Bay (1950) Photo courtesy of Ontario Ministry of Transportation 
 Left - New asphalt pavement on Hwy 17 east of Mattawa (1950) Photo courtesy of Ontario Ministry of Transportation Centre - Grading for the new Hwy 17 (Hwy 17 Alt) east of Ottawa (1950) Photo courtesy of Ontario Ministry of Transportation Right - Construction of Hwy 17 east of Jackfish near the Steel River Bridge (1950) Photo courtesy of Ontario Ministry of Transportation 
 Left - Grading and fill for a new Hwy 17 alignment east of Terrace Bay (1950) Photo courtesy of Ontario Ministry of Transportation Right - Rock blasting for a new Hwy 17 alignment, 4.5 miles south of Haley (1951) Photo courtesy of Ontario Ministry of Transportation  Above - Street protest in Wawa aimed at speeding up the construction of Hwy 17 to Sault Ste. Marie. This 1951 photo clearly depicts the frustration of Wawa residents in the 1950s, who felt isolated from the rest of the province because the town lacked an external highway link. This frustration was echoed in many other remote towns in Northern Ontario during the 1950s and 1960s, until the Department of Highways launched an ambitious northern highway construction program to link these distant communities with the rest of the province. On September 17, 1960, the Lake Superior Route of the Trans-Canada Highway was completed and officially opened to traffic, finally linking Wawa to the rest of the King's Highway system. Photo Courtesy of Michipicoten Heritage Committee, Wawa - Special thanks to Howard Whent for this photo 
 Left - View of the Nipigon River from Hwy 17 at Nipigon (1951)Photo courtesy of Ontario Ministry of Transportation Right - View of the Rideau Canal Locks on Hwy 17 in Downtown Ottawa in 1952. See an
Enlarged Photo Here.Photo courtesy of National Film Board of Canada  Above - Temporary Bailey Bridge over Montreal River on Hwy 17 north of Sault Ste Marie. The rather precarious timber structure in the foreground was built by Ontario Hydro in the 1930s to provide access to a hydro dam a short distance to the north. When Hwy 17 was extended beyond the Montreal River in 1948, the Department of Highways constructed a more suitable temporary crossing until a permanent bridge could be built. Photo taken in 1952. See an Enlarged Photo Here. Photo courtesy of Ontario Ministry of Transportation 
 Left - Postcard view of Hwy 17 near Deep River (1952) Right - View from the Department of Highways' Roadside Park and Campground on Hwy 17 at Kakabeka Falls (1952)Photo courtesy of Ontario Ministry of Transportation 
 Left - Newly-built section of Hwy 17 south of Terrace Bay, approaching Jackfish Lake (1952)Photo courtesy of Ontario Ministry of Transportation Right - Cresting over the summit of Cavers Hill on the original Hwy 17 alignment in 1952. This section of Hwy 17 was bypassed by an entirely new highway
alignment in 1959-1960, in an effort to improve the steep grade seen here. The original highway alignment, along with its trademark stone retaining wall, now lie abandoned in the forests high above the present-day
Cavers Hill Rock Cut on Hwy 17.Photo courtesy of Ontario Ministry of Transportation 
 Left - Aerial view of Downtown Ottawa and the Parliament Buildings on Hwy 17 in 1952. See an
Enlarged Photo Here.Photo courtesy of National Film Board of Canada Right - View of Raleigh Falls Roadside Park on Hwy 17 near Ignace (1953)Photo courtesy of Ontario Ministry of Transportation 
 Left - Motorists at the Department of Highways' Aaron Park on Hwy 17 near Dryden in 1953. In 1956, this large roadside park and campground was turned over to
the Department of Lands and Forests and was designated as Aaron Provincial Park. Many of Ontario's current provincial parks actually began as roadside parks and
campgrounds developed and operated by the Department of Highways for the convenience of motorists.Photo courtesy of Ontario Ministry of Transportation Right - Bailey Bridge on Hwy 17 at the Little Pic River west of Marathon in 1953. See an Enlarged Photo Here. Photo courtesy of Ontario Ministry of Transportation  Above - View of the new Hwy 17 alignment west of Whitefish in 1953. A substantial portion of Hwy 17 between Whitefish and Nairn was relocated onto a new
alignment in the early 1950s, bypassing the small communities of Worthington and Victoria Mine. At the time this photo was taken, the new Hwy 17 was not yet open to
traffic.Photo courtesy of Ontario Ministry of Transportation 
 Left - Facing southeast towards Marathon from Hwy 17 (1953) Photo courtesy of Ontario Ministry of Transportation Right - View of Lake Superior between Schreiber and Terrace Bay on Hwy 17 (1954) Photo courtesy of Ontario Ministry of Transportation 
 Left - Temporary Bailey Bridge over the Steel River on Hwy 17 east of Terrace Bay in 1954. This Bailey Bridge represents one of the largest structures of this type ever installed by the Department of Highways. The temporary bridge remained in service until 1958, when it was finally replaced by an equally impressive steel deck truss bridge which was in use up until 2011. See an Enlarged Photo Here. Photo courtesy of Ontario Ministry of Transportation Right - New Hwy 17 alignment at Green Creek between Ottawa and Orleans in 1954. See an Enlarged Photo Here. Photo courtesy of Ontario Ministry of Transportation 
 Left - Heavy grading on Hwy 17 approaching the Little Pic River Bridge near Marathon (1954)Photo courtesy of Ontario Ministry of Transportation Right - View of a reconstructed section of Hwy 17, 2 miles west of Naughton (1954)Photo courtesy of Ontario Ministry of Transportation  Above - Facing east along Hwy 17 towards Earls Lake from the scenic lookout 4 miles west of Mattawa (ca. 1955) Photo from Cameron Bevers' historical photograph collection - Original photographer unknown  Above - Facing east along Hwy 17 towards the Hwy 29 Junction near Arnprior (ca. 1957) Photo from Cameron Bevers' historical photograph collection - Original photographer unknown 
 Left - Oversized loads on Hwy 17 at Deep River in 1957. The trucks are hauling components for the Rolphton Power Plant. Photo courtesy of Ontario Ministry of Transportation Right - Wolf River Bridge on Hwy 17 between Dorion and Hurkett (September 25, 1957) Photo Courtesy of Archives of Ontario (Series RG-14-162-5-166, Photo #914-57, AO6881) The original Wolf River Bridge on Hwy 17 was a timber through truss bridge, similar in design to the famous Sioux Narrows Bridge on Hwy 71. The main through truss span was 90 feet (28 metres) in length. The Wolf River Bridge was completed in 1937. Unfortunately, the eastern approach to this bridge was narrow and winding and a new alignment was eventually built which bypassed the wooden bridge entirely. The current Wolf River Bridge was completed in 1959 and the old wooden bridge seen here was subsequently demolished. The approaches to the former Wolf River Bridge can still be found today in the forest just to the north of the current highway. See an Enlarged Photo Here.  Above - Construction of the Little Pic River Bridge on Hwy 17 near Marathon. The steel deck truss portion of the bridge was about 50% complete when this photo was taken in September, 1957. Until the permanent bridge was completed in 1958, Hwy 17 traffic used a temporary Bailey Bridge located a short distance upstream of the permanent bridge site. Photo courtesy of Ontario Ministry of Transportation  Above - Compacting granular base on Hwy 17 near the Agawa River north of Sault Ste. Marie (1958) Photo courtesy of Ontario Ministry of Transportation 
 Left - Roadside park and picnic area on Hwy 17 at Muskrat Lake near Cobden (1958) Photo courtesy of Ontario Ministry of Transportation Right - Heavy grading and rock cut on the Cavers Hill Diversion near Rossport (1959) Photo courtesy of Ontario Ministry of Transportation 
 Left - Construction crew laying hot-mix asphalt on Hwy 17 near White River (1959) Photo courtesy of Ontario Ministry of Transportation Right - Grading operations on a new section of Hwy 17 north of the Agawa River (1959) Photo courtesy of Ontario Ministry of Transportation  Above - Large rock cut and fill on Hwy 17 at Agawa Hill (1959) Photo courtesy of Ontario Ministry of Transportation The photo above illustrates some of the difficult terrain that was encountered when building the Trans-Canada Highway around the northern and eastern shores of Lake Superior. Grading the Agawa Hill section of Hwy 17 took several years to complete. The path for the new highway was notched out of a nearly vertical rock face. The difference in elevation between the bottom of this rock fill and the top of the rock cut is about 180 feet (55 metres). 
 Left - View of Chippewa Falls and the Chippewa River Bridge on Hwy 17, north of Sault Ste. Marie (1959)Photo courtesy of Ontario Ministry of Transportation Right - Aerial view of the completed Michipicoten River Bridge on Hwy 17 south of Wawa in 1959, taken about one year prior to the highway's opening. Compare this 1959 photo to the 1960 photo below, which shows the highway after paving operations were completed and the highway was opened to traffic. Photo courtesy of Ontario Ministry of Transportation  Above - Construction of the White Lake Narrows Bridge on Hwy 17 between Marathon and White River in 1959. Note the ferry operating in the background. For a
few years in the late 1950s, the Department of Highways operated a ferry service for Hwy 17 traffic across White Lake. Once the new White Lake Narrows Bridge was
completed and opened to traffic in 1960, the ferry service was suspended. The two former ferry docks are still visible today along the shores of White Lake. See an
Enlarged Photo Here.Photo courtesy of Ontario Ministry of Transportation  Above - Aerial view of the Barrett River Bridge construction site on Hwy 17 in Lake Superior Provincial Park (1959)Photo courtesy of Ontario Ministry of Transportation 
 Left - New Hwy 17 Bridge over the River Aux Sables in Massey (1959) Photo courtesy of Ontario Ministry of Transportation Right - Junction of Hwy 17 and Hwy 129 in Thessalon, facing west (1959) Photo courtesy of Ontario Ministry of Transportation  Above - New Winnipeg River Bridge under construction on Hwy 17 west of Kenora (1959) Photo courtesy of Ontario Ministry of Transportation 
 Left - Postcard showing the massive Little Pic River Bridge on Hwy 17 near Marathon (ca. 1959). See an Enlarged Photo Here. Photo courtesy of H.R. Oakman Right - Postcard of the Great River Road Monument at Longbow Corners at the Junction of Hwy 17 & Hwy 71 near Kenora (ca. 1960) Photo courtesy of Alex Wilson Publications Ltd. 
 Left - Postcard view of the Keewatin Channel Bridge on Hwy 17 west of Kenora (ca. 1960) Photo courtesy of Western Smallware & Stationery Co. Right - Autumn view of Duchesnay Falls on the Hwy 17 Bypass west of North Bay (1960) Photo courtesy of William Forder  Above - Motorists enjoying the view of Lake Superior from Selim Hill on Hwy 17 near Schreiber in 1960. The completion
of Hwy 17 around Lake Superior in September, 1960 opened up this beautiful region of Ontario to tourism. Prior to that time, this vast area was essentially known only to local residents. See an
Enlarged Photo Here.Photo courtesy of Dan Gibson 
 Left - Paving operations on Hwy 17 through Lake Superior Provincial Park (1960)Photo courtesy of Ontario Ministry of Transportation Centre - View of the Montreal River from Hwy 17 north of Sault Ste. Marie (1960)Photo courtesy of Ontario Ministry of Transportation Right - West White River Bridge on Hwy 17 near White River (1960)Photo courtesy of Ontario Ministry of Transportation 
 Left - Aerial view of the Michipicoten River Bridge on Hwy 17 south of Wawa. This photograph was taken only a few days after the highway was opened to traffic in September 1960. The completion of the Trans-Canada Highway at Wawa marked the end of one of the largest highway construction projects in Ontario's history. See an Enlarged Photo Here. Photo courtesy of Ontario Ministry of Transportation Right - Motorists standing beside a Hwy 17 and Lake Superior Route Trans-Canada Highway route marker sign near Marathon (ca. 1960)Photo from Cameron Bevers' historical photograph collection - Original photographer unknown 
 Left - North Bay Bypass (Hwy 17) approaching Duchesnay Creek, facing east towards North Bay (July 2, 1960) Photo Courtesy of Archives of Ontario (Series RG-14-162-5-166, Photo #453) Right - Newly-completed Cobden Railway Overhead on Hwy 17 between Pembroke and Cobden (June 14, 1961) Photo Courtesy of Archives of Ontario (Series RG-14-162-5-166, Photo #1381-6) 
 Left - Facing south along Hwy 17 towards Cigar Lake, between Marathon and White River (1961)Photo courtesy of Ontario Ministry of Transportation Right - New rock cut on Hwy 17 at Kama Hill, facing north towards Nipigon (1961)Photo courtesy of Ontario Ministry of Transportation 
 Left - Newly-completed section of Hwy 17 approaching Agawa Bay, north of Sault Ste. Marie (1961)Photo courtesy of Ontario Ministry of Transportation Right - Rock drilling operations to widen a rock cut on Hwy 17 near Cobden (1961)Photo courtesy of Ontario Ministry of Transportation  Above - Paving operations on Hwy 17 west of Deep River (1961)Photo courtesy of Ontario Ministry of Transportation  Above - Postcard view of the new Cavers Hill Rock Cut on Hwy 17, between Nipigon and Rossport in 1961. See an
Enlarged Photo Here.Photo courtesy of Dan Gibson  Above - Completed Cavers Hill Rock Cut on Hwy 17 north of Rossport (1961)Photo courtesy of Ontario Ministry of Transportation 
 Left - Aerial postcard view of the new Kama Hill Rock Cut on Hwy 17 near Nipigon (ca. 1965). See an Enlarged Photo Here. Right - Aerial postcard view of the Winnipeg River Bridge on Hwy 17 in Kenora (ca. 1965). See an Enlarged Photo Here.  Above - Postcard view of the Cavers Hill Rock Cut, facing south towards Rossport (ca. 1965)  Above - Placing a steel girder on the new Cameron Bay Bridge in 1970. The old timber through truss bridge at left was constructed in 1938. The old structure was demolished when the new bridge was completed in 1971. Photo courtesy of Ontario Ministry of Transportation  Above - Rock cut at Cavers Hill, facing south towards Pays Plat Bay (1978) Photo Courtesy of Walter Muma - © 1978 |
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