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Highway 129 (Ontario)
Encyclopedia
King's Highway 129, commonly referred to as Highway 129, is a provincially maintained highway in the Canadian
province of Ontario
. Located in the Algoma
and Sudbury
districts, the highway extends for 221 kilometres (137.3 mi) from a junction with Highway 17 in Thessalon
to the town of Chapleau
, just north of Highway 101. The route is isolated and lightly travelled throughout its length; while providing access to several remote settlements, the only sizable communities along the route are the two termini. The highway was established in 1956 along the Chapleau Road. From the early-1960s to mid-1970s, Highway 129 was designated as the Chapleau Route of the Trans-Canada Highway
.
Highway 129 is one of the most isolated in Ontario and among the least-used of the King's Highways. Although the highway is an important access route for several isolated communities, including Little Rapids, Sultan
, Kormak
and Nemegos
, as well as provincial parks such as Aubrey Falls, Five Mile Lake and Wakami Lake,
the only community located directly on the highway's route between its termini is Wharncliffe.
There are no services, including fuel, between Highway 17 and Highway 667.
The route begins in the town of Thessalon at Highway 17, north of Lake Huron
.
It travels northeast through the Municipality of Huron Shores, passing the Thessalon Township Heritage Museum southeast of Little Rapids.
Wedging between Basswood Lake and the Byrnes Lake White Birch Provincial Conservation Reserve, it enters the unorganized portions of Algoma District. It passes through Wharncliffe, crosses the Mississagi River
and encounters Highway 554, which travels east to Kynoch
.
North of Highway 554, the route is generally parallel to the river and Mississagi River Provincial Park
. After passing west of Wakomata Lake on its journey through completely undeveloped forest and muskeg
, it reaches a junction with Highway 556 southwest of Aubrey Falls Provincial Park. Thereafter, the highway roughly follows the Wenebegon River through Wenebegon River Provincial Park to Wenebegon Lake. Highway 129 encounters the entrance to Five Mile Provincial Park and meets Highway 667, which travels east through Sultan
, becoming the Sultan Industrial Road
and connecting with Highway 144.
From this junction, the route travels northwest towards Highway 101, where drivers must turn right to continue north on the route. Both highways travel concurrently
northeast for 7.6 kilometres (4.7 mi), at which point Highway 101 branches off to the east.
Highway 129 continues north alongside the Sudbury – White River CPR line. It ends at the southern town limits of Chapleau, where a local road continues north into the Chapleau Crown Game Preserve
, the largest game preserve in the world.
Though opened, this initial road was almost impassible, and certainly dangerous. Despite this, it quickly gained notoriety for its breathtaking scenery and seemingly-limitless hunting and fishing potential.
However, the poor condition of the road often left a terrible impression on tourists. John Austin Moore described his voyage up the road during the summer of 1951:
The route was extended south on February 27, 1957,
absorbing the entire length of Highway 559, itself designated in 1956. The Highway 559 designation has since been reused in Parry Sound District.
In 1961, the partially-gravel surfaced highway was designated as the Chapleau Route of the Trans-Canada Highway, despite being only a spur in the network at that time.
This designation lasted until as early as 1974 and as late as 1978.
Highway 129 was the last King's Highway to be paved; the section immediately south of Aubrey Falls remained a gravel road
as late as 1982.
The one-lane Rapid River Bridge was replaced by an adjacent two-lane bridge in the second quarter of 2010.
{| class=wikitable
!scope=col|Division
!scope=col|Location
!scope=col|km
!scope=col|Destinations
!scope=col|Notes
|-
|rowspan="4"|Algoma District
|rowspan="2"|Thessalon
|0.0
|
|
|-
|0.9
|Thessalon town limits
|
|-
|rowspan="2"|Unorganized Algoma
|30.8
|
|
|-
|96.6
|
|
|-
|rowspan="5"|Sudbury District
|rowspan="4"|Unorganized Sudbury
|184.3
|Five Mile Provincial Park entrance
|
|-
|189.7
|
|
|-
|210.1
|
|
|-
|217.7
|
|
|-
|Chapleau
|220.7
|Chapleau town limits
|Highway ends at southern town limits
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....
. Located in the Algoma
Algoma District, Ontario
Algoma District is a district and census division in Northeastern Ontario in the Canadian province of Ontario. It was created in 1858 comprising territory as far west as Minnesota...
and Sudbury
Sudbury District, Ontario
The Sudbury District is a district in Northeastern Ontario in the Canadian province of Ontario. It was created in 1894 from townships of eastern Algoma District and west Nipissing District....
districts, the highway extends for 221 kilometres (137.3 mi) from a junction with Highway 17 in Thessalon
Thessalon, Ontario
Thessalon is a town in the Canadian province of Ontario, located at the junction of Highway 17 and Highway 129. It is surrounded by but not part of the municipality of Huron Shores, and is part of the District of Algoma....
to the town of Chapleau
Chapleau, Ontario
Chapleau is a township in Sudbury District, Ontario, Canada. It is home to one of the world's largest wildlife preserves. Chapleau has a population of 2,354 according to the Canada 2006 Census....
, just north of Highway 101. The route is isolated and lightly travelled throughout its length; while providing access to several remote settlements, the only sizable communities along the route are the two termini. The highway was established in 1956 along the Chapleau Road. From the early-1960s to mid-1970s, Highway 129 was designated as the Chapleau Route of the Trans-Canada Highway
Trans-Canada Highway
The Trans-Canada Highway is a federal-provincial highway system that joins the ten provinces of Canada. It is, along with the Trans-Siberian Highway and Australia's Highway 1, one of the world's longest national highways, with the main route spanning 8,030 km...
.
Route description
Sultan, Ontario
Sultan is an unincorporated community in the Unorganized North Part of Sudbury District in northeastern Ontario, Canada.The local economy is based primarily on hunting and related tourism. In the past the logging industry formed the mainstay of the economy...
, Kormak
Kormak, Ontario
Kormak is an unincorporated area and ghost town in the Unorganized North Part of Sudbury District in Northeastern Ontario, Canada.Formerly a lumber mill town with an estimated population of 170 at its peak, the town was established in 1942 by Charles Korpela and Oscar Maki. It was populated...
and Nemegos
Nemegos, Ontario
Nemegos is an unincorporated place and community in geographic Halsey Township in the Unorganized North Part of Sudbury District in Northeastern Ontario, Canada...
, as well as provincial parks such as Aubrey Falls, Five Mile Lake and Wakami Lake,
the only community located directly on the highway's route between its termini is Wharncliffe.
There are no services, including fuel, between Highway 17 and Highway 667.
The route begins in the town of Thessalon at Highway 17, north of Lake Huron
Lake Huron
Lake Huron is one of the five Great Lakes of North America. Hydrologically, it comprises the larger portion of Lake Michigan-Huron. It is bounded on the east by the Canadian province of Ontario and on the west by the state of Michigan in the United States...
.
It travels northeast through the Municipality of Huron Shores, passing the Thessalon Township Heritage Museum southeast of Little Rapids.
Wedging between Basswood Lake and the Byrnes Lake White Birch Provincial Conservation Reserve, it enters the unorganized portions of Algoma District. It passes through Wharncliffe, crosses the Mississagi River
Mississagi River
The Mississagi River is a river in Algoma and Sudbury Districts, Ontario, Canada, that originates in Sudbury District and flows to Lake Huron at Blind River, Algoma District.-Etymology:...
and encounters Highway 554, which travels east to Kynoch
Kynoch
Kynoch was a manufacturer of ammunition, later incorporated into ICI but remaining as a brand name for sporting cartridges.-History:Kynoch was established in Witton in Birmingham in 1862 by Scottish entrepreneur George Kynoch when he opened a percussion cap factory in Witton. In 1895 he built an...
.
North of Highway 554, the route is generally parallel to the river and Mississagi River Provincial Park
Mississagi River Provincial Park
Mississagi River Provincial Park is a protected area on the Mississagi River in Algoma and Sudbury Districts, Ontario, Canada. It has an Ontario Parks designation of Waterway Class. The park encompasses the river and lakes on the river from Mississagi Lake to Bark Lake, and further downstream to a...
. After passing west of Wakomata Lake on its journey through completely undeveloped forest and muskeg
Muskeg
Muskeg is an acidic soil type common in Arctic and boreal areas, although it is found in other northern climates as well. Muskeg is approximately synonymous with bogland but muskeg is the standard term in Western Canada and Alaska, while 'bog' is common elsewhere. The term is of Cree origin, maskek...
, it reaches a junction with Highway 556 southwest of Aubrey Falls Provincial Park. Thereafter, the highway roughly follows the Wenebegon River through Wenebegon River Provincial Park to Wenebegon Lake. Highway 129 encounters the entrance to Five Mile Provincial Park and meets Highway 667, which travels east through Sultan
Sultan, Ontario
Sultan is an unincorporated community in the Unorganized North Part of Sudbury District in northeastern Ontario, Canada.The local economy is based primarily on hunting and related tourism. In the past the logging industry formed the mainstay of the economy...
, becoming the Sultan Industrial Road
Sultan Industrial Road
The Sultan Industrial Road is a private road in the Canadian province of Ontario. Originally built as a resource route for E. B. Eddy's logging and lumber operations in the northwestern Sudbury District, the road is now owned and operated by Domtar following its acquisition of E. B. Eddy in 1998...
and connecting with Highway 144.
From this junction, the route travels northwest towards Highway 101, where drivers must turn right to continue north on the route. Both highways travel concurrently
Concurrency (road)
A concurrency, overlap, or coincidence in a road network is an instance of one physical road bearing two or more different highway, motorway, or other route numbers...
northeast for 7.6 kilometres (4.7 mi), at which point Highway 101 branches off to the east.
Highway 129 continues north alongside the Sudbury – White River CPR line. It ends at the southern town limits of Chapleau, where a local road continues north into the Chapleau Crown Game Preserve
Chapleau Crown Game Preserve
The Chapleau Crown Game Preserve is an animal preserve area in Ontario, Canada, north-east of Lake Superior. It is situated in the Algoma and Sudbury Districts. It is officially classified as a Crown Game Preserve by the Government of Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources.All animals are protected...
, the largest game preserve in the world.
History
Highway 129 was first designated between Aubrey Falls and Chapleau in 1956, following the Thessalon–Chapleau Highway, a dirt road along the banks of the Mississagi River that opened to traffic on January 28, 1949.Though opened, this initial road was almost impassible, and certainly dangerous. Despite this, it quickly gained notoriety for its breathtaking scenery and seemingly-limitless hunting and fishing potential.
However, the poor condition of the road often left a terrible impression on tourists. John Austin Moore described his voyage up the road during the summer of 1951:
- "Our first trip by car took us over the famed Chapleau Road, the scenery and unique loneliness of which have been often reported in magazines. And surely its condition not long after it had opened to travel, when we first drove it in June 1951, was unforgettable. One trip over its 145 miles was almost guaranteed to shorten your life"
The route was extended south on February 27, 1957,
absorbing the entire length of Highway 559, itself designated in 1956. The Highway 559 designation has since been reused in Parry Sound District.
In 1961, the partially-gravel surfaced highway was designated as the Chapleau Route of the Trans-Canada Highway, despite being only a spur in the network at that time.
This designation lasted until as early as 1974 and as late as 1978.
Highway 129 was the last King's Highway to be paved; the section immediately south of Aubrey Falls remained a gravel road
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'...
as late as 1982.
The one-lane Rapid River Bridge was replaced by an adjacent two-lane bridge in the second quarter of 2010.
Major intersections
The following table lists the major junctions along Highway 129.{| class=wikitable
!scope=col|Division
!scope=col|Location
!scope=col|km
!scope=col|Destinations
!scope=col|Notes
|-
|rowspan="4"|Algoma District
|rowspan="2"|Thessalon
Thessalon
Thessalon is a town in the Canadian province of Ontario, located at the junction of Highway 17 and Highway 129. It is surrounded by but not part of the municipality of Huron Shores, and is part of the District of Algoma....
|0.0
|
|
|-
|0.9
|Thessalon town limits
|
|-
|rowspan="2"|Unorganized Algoma
|30.8
|
|
|-
|96.6
|
|
|-
|rowspan="5"|Sudbury District
|rowspan="4"|Unorganized Sudbury
|184.3
|Five Mile Provincial Park entrance
|
|-
|189.7
|
|
|-
|210.1
|
|
|-
|217.7
|
|
|-
|Chapleau
Chapleau, Ontario
Chapleau is a township in Sudbury District, Ontario, Canada. It is home to one of the world's largest wildlife preserves. Chapleau has a population of 2,354 according to the Canada 2006 Census....
|220.7
|Chapleau town limits
|Highway ends at southern town limits