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Highway 12 (Ontario)
Encyclopedia
King's Highway 12, commonly referred to as Highway 12, is a provincially maintained highway in the Canadian
province of Ontario
. The highway connects the eastern end of the Greater Toronto Area
(GTA) with Kawartha Lakes
(via Highway 7
), Orillia and Midland
. It forms a part of the Trans-Canada Highway
system from north of Sunderland
to Coldwater. Highway 12 connects several small towns along its 146 km (90.7 mi) route, and bypasses
a short distance from many others. The rural portions of the highway feature a posted speed limit of 80 km/h (49.7 mph), often dropping to 50 km/h (31.1 mph) through built-up areas. The entire route is patrolled by the Ontario Provincial Police
.
Highway 12 was first established in 1920 between Highway 2
in Whitby and Lindsay
. The section running east from Sutherland became part of Highway 7 before route numbering came into effect in 1925. Highway 12 was then routed through Beaverton
and around the eastern and northern shores of Lake Simcoe
to Orillia and later to Midland. The section south of Brooklin was transferred to the Regional Municipality of Durham in mid-1997 and redesignated as Durham Regional Highway 12.
easement
(the future location of Highway 407) just south of the community of Brooklin
in the town of Whitby
.
It travels north and joins with Highway 7
on the southern edge of Brooklin. Highway 7 runs west to Markham
, and is signed concurrently
with Highway 12 for 39.1 km (24.3 mi) north of this point. North of Sunderland, Highway 7 separates and travels east to Lindsay; and Highway 12 becomes part of the Central Ontario Route of the Trans-Canada Highway
at this location.
The highway then follows the eastern and northern shores of Lake Simcoe
, bypassing Beaverton
and curving to the northwest towards Orillia. It bypasses Orillia, and shares routing with Highway 11 northwards for about two kilometres between interchanges
131 and 133. At the latter interchange, Highway 12 then heads northwest towards Coldwater, where it routes onto Highway 400 between interchanges 141 and 147.
At Waubaushene, the Trans-Canada Highway follows Highway 400 north to Parry Sound
and Sudbury, while Highway 12 continues west towards Victoria Harbour
, Port McNicoll
, and the Martyrs' Shrine
. The highway ends at a junction with Highway 93 at the western town limits of Midland.
Highway 12 was first introduced into the provincial highway system on February 26, 1920,
along with what would become the short–lived Highway 12A. The highway, initially known as the Whitby–Lindsay Road, was not numbered until the summer of 1925.
The route followed the present–day Highway 12 from Whitby to Sunderland, then travelled east to Lindsay. Assumptions on June 22 and July 2, 1927, extended Highway 7 east from Brampton to Peterborough. In doing so, the route of Highway 12 between Sunderland and Lindsay was renumbered as a part of Highway 7; Highway 12 was then extended north to Orillia, via Beaverton. This was done through two assumptions. On August 17, the majority of the route through Brock
, Thorah and Mara Townships was assumed. Several more miles were assumed on December 28, 1927, extending Highway 12 as far as Orillia.
On August 5, 1931, Highway 12 was extended from Orillia to Midland.
The majority of the route paralleled an existing railway that was constructed over a native portage
.
Highway 12 remained unaltered for several decades, until the mid 1960s, when the Beaverton Bypass was constructed. On November 4, 1966, the 10.3 km (6.4 mi) bypass opened,
routing Highway 12 to the east. Portions of the former route of Highway 12 were renumbered as Highway 48B.
The highway again remained unchanged for several decades, until a short portion of the southern end of the highway was decommissioned in the late 1990s. On April 1, 1997, the portions of Highway 12 south of Brooklin were transferred to the Regional Municipality of Durham, which subsequently redesignated the road as Durham Regional Highway 12.
{| class="wikitable"
!scope="col"|Division
!scope="col"|Location
!scope="col"|km
!scope="col" style="min-width:24em;"|Destinations
!scope="col"|Notes
|-
|rowspan="15"|Durham
|rowspan="2"|Whitby
|bgcolor="#d3d3d3"|−8.1
|bgcolor="#d3d3d3"|
|bgcolor="#d3d3d3"|Section decommissioned on April 1, 1997, since redesignated as Durham Regional Highway 12
|-
|0.0
|Spencers Road
|
|-
|Brooklin
|1.9
|
|Southern end of Highway 7 concurrency
|-
|Whitby
|6.0
|
|
|-
|Manchester
|16.1
|
|
|-
|rowspan="2"|Scugog
|19.0
|
|
|-
|23.2
|
|
|-
|Saintfield
|29.0
|
|
|-
|Sunderland
|38.2
|
|
|-
|rowspan="6"|Brock
|41.0
|
|Northern end of Highway 7 concurrency
|-
|50.9
|
|
|-
|57.0
|
|
|-
|61.1
|
|
|-
|63.6
|
|
|-
|64.3
|
|
|-
|rowspan="2"|Simcoe
|Ramara
|74.1
|
|Formerly Highway 169
|-
|Atherley
|88.9
| – Casino Rama
|
|-
|rowspan="5" colspan="2"|Orillia
|91.4
|Atherley Road
|
|-
|93.6
|West Street
|
|-
|94.9
|Memorial Avenue
|
|-
|96.8
|
|Southern end of Highway 11 concurrency
|-
|99.2
|
|Northern end of Highway 11 concurrency
|-
|rowspan="8"|Simcoe
|Prices Corners
|105.0
|
|
|-
|Oro-Medonte
|115.8
|
|
|-
|rowspan="2"|Severn
|118.9
|Coldwater Road – Coldwater
Woodrow Road
|
|-
|120.6
|
|Exit 141; southern end of Highway 400 concurrency
|-
|Waubaushene
|126.5
|
|Exit 147; northern end of Highway 400 concurrency
|-
|rowspan="2"|Victoria Harbour
|132.7
|Park Street
|
|-
|134.1
|Newton Street
|
|-
|Tay
|139.1
|
|
|-
|colspan="2"|Midland
|145.1
|
|
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....
. The highway connects the eastern end of the Greater Toronto Area
Greater Toronto Area
The Greater Toronto Area is the largest metropolitan area in Canada, with a 2006 census population of 5.5 million. The Greater Toronto Area is usually defined as the central city of Toronto, along with four regional municipalities surrounding it: Durham, Halton, Peel, and York...
(GTA) with Kawartha Lakes
Kawartha Lakes
The city of Kawartha Lakes is a unitary municipality in Central Ontario, Canada. Although called a city, Kawartha Lakes is the size of a typical Ontarian county and is mostly rural....
(via Highway 7
Ontario Highway 7
King's Highway 7, commonly referred to as Highway 7 and historically as the Northern Highway, is a provincially maintained highway in the Canadian province of Ontario...
), Orillia and Midland
Midland, Ontario
Midland is a town located on Georgian Bay in Simcoe County, Ontario, Canada.Situated at the southern end of Georgian Bay's 30,000 Islands, Midland is the economic centre of the region, with a 125-bed hospital and a local airport. It is the main town of the southern Georgian Bay area...
. It forms a part 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...
system from north of Sunderland
Sunderland, Ontario
Sunderland is a community located approximately 100 km northeast of Toronto, Ontario in Brock Township, in the Regional Municipality of Durham, Ontario, Canada.-Business and Commerce:...
to Coldwater. Highway 12 connects several small towns along its 146 km (90.7 mi) route, and bypasses
Bypass (road)
A bypass is a road or highway that avoids or "bypasses" a built-up area, town, or village, to let through traffic flow without interference from local traffic, to reduce congestion in the built-up area, and to improve road safety....
a short distance from many others. The rural portions of the highway feature a posted speed limit of 80 km/h (49.7 mph), often dropping to 50 km/h (31.1 mph) through built-up areas. The entire route is patrolled by the Ontario Provincial Police
Ontario Provincial Police
The Ontario Provincial Police is the Provincial Police service for the province of Ontario, Canada.-Overview:The OPP is the the largest deployed police force in Ontario, and the second largest in Canada. The service is responsible for providing policing services throughout the province in areas...
.
Highway 12 was first established in 1920 between Highway 2
Ontario Highway 2
King's Highway 2, usually referred to simply as Highway 2 is a provincially maintained highway in Ontario. Once the primary east–west route across the southern end of the province, Highway 2 became mostly redundant in the 1960s following the completion of Highway 401, which more or less...
in Whitby and Lindsay
Lindsay, Ontario
Lindsay is a community of 19,361 people on the Scugog River in the Kawartha Lakes region of south-eastern Ontario, Canada. It is approximately west of Peterborough...
. The section running east from Sutherland became part of Highway 7 before route numbering came into effect in 1925. Highway 12 was then routed through Beaverton
Beaverton, Ontario
Beaverton is a community in Brock Township in the Regional Municipality of Durham, Ontario, Canada.Originally part of Thorah Township in Ontario County, Beaverton was first settled in 1822. The settlement is located on Lake Simcoe at the mouth of the Beaver River...
and around the eastern and northern shores of Lake Simcoe
Lake Simcoe
Lake Simcoe is a lake in Southern Ontario, Canada, the fourth-largest lake wholly in the province, after Lake Nipigon, Lac Seul, and Lake Nipissing. At the time of the first European contact in the 17th century the lake was called Ouentironk by the Huron natives...
to Orillia and later to Midland. The section south of Brooklin was transferred to the Regional Municipality of Durham in mid-1997 and redesignated as Durham Regional Highway 12.
Route description
The highway begins at the hydroHydro One
Hydro One Incorporated delivers electricity across the Canadian province of Ontario. It is a Corporation established under the Business Corporations Act with a single shareholder, the Government of Ontario....
easement
Easement
An easement is a certain right to use the real property of another without possessing it.Easements are helpful for providing pathways across two or more pieces of property or allowing an individual to fish in a privately owned pond...
(the future location of Highway 407) just south of the community of Brooklin
Brooklin, Ontario
Brooklin is a community in the Town of Whitby, Ontario, Canada. It is located,North of the urban area of Whitby,at the South junction of Ontario Highways 12 and 7....
in the town of Whitby
Whitby, Ontario
Whitby is a town in Durham Region. Whitby is located in Southern Ontario east of Toronto on the north shore of Lake Ontario, and is home to the headquarters of Durham Region...
.
It travels north and joins with Highway 7
Ontario Highway 7
King's Highway 7, commonly referred to as Highway 7 and historically as the Northern Highway, is a provincially maintained highway in the Canadian province of Ontario...
on the southern edge of Brooklin. Highway 7 runs west to Markham
Markham, Ontario
Markham is a town in the Regional Municipality of York, located within the Greater Toronto Area of Southern Ontario, Canada. The population was 261,573 at the 2006 Canadian census...
, and is signed 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...
with Highway 12 for 39.1 km (24.3 mi) north of this point. North of Sunderland, Highway 7 separates and travels east to Lindsay; and Highway 12 becomes part of the Central Ontario 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...
at this location.
The highway then follows the eastern and northern shores of Lake Simcoe
Lake Simcoe
Lake Simcoe is a lake in Southern Ontario, Canada, the fourth-largest lake wholly in the province, after Lake Nipigon, Lac Seul, and Lake Nipissing. At the time of the first European contact in the 17th century the lake was called Ouentironk by the Huron natives...
, bypassing Beaverton
Beaverton, Ontario
Beaverton is a community in Brock Township in the Regional Municipality of Durham, Ontario, Canada.Originally part of Thorah Township in Ontario County, Beaverton was first settled in 1822. The settlement is located on Lake Simcoe at the mouth of the Beaver River...
and curving to the northwest towards Orillia. It bypasses Orillia, and shares routing with Highway 11 northwards for about two kilometres between interchanges
Interchange (road)
In the field of road transport, an interchange is a road junction that typically uses grade separation, and one or more ramps, to permit traffic on at least one highway to pass through the junction without directly crossing any other traffic stream. It differs from a standard intersection, at which...
131 and 133. At the latter interchange, Highway 12 then heads northwest towards Coldwater, where it routes onto Highway 400 between interchanges 141 and 147.
At Waubaushene, the Trans-Canada Highway follows Highway 400 north to Parry Sound
Parry Sound, Ontario
Parry Sound is a town in Central Ontario, Canada, located on Parry Sound on the eastern shore of Georgian Bay. Parry Sound is located south of Sudbury and north of Toronto. It is the seat of Parry Sound District, a popular cottage country region for Southern Ontario residents. It is also the...
and Sudbury, while Highway 12 continues west towards Victoria Harbour
Tay, Ontario
Tay is a township in Central Ontario, Canada, located in the southern Georgian Bay region. Tay, like many other townships in the surrounding area such as Tiny Township was named after one of the several dogs owned by Sir Peregrine Maitland's wife....
, Port McNicoll
Port McNicoll, Ontario
Port McNicoll is a community in the Canadian province of Ontario. It is located in the Simcoe County township of Tay.-Busy terminal:The community of Port McNicoll was established in 1908 as a Great Lakes port on the southern shores of Georgian Bay...
, and the Martyrs' Shrine
Martyrs' Shrine
The Martyrs’ Shrine is a Roman Catholic church in Midland, Ontario, Canada, which is consecrated to the memory of the Canadian Martyrs, six Jesuit Martyrs and two lay persons from the mission of Sainte-Marie among the Hurons. It is one of nine National Shrines in Canada,including, among others, St...
. The highway ends at a junction with Highway 93 at the western town limits of Midland.
History
The oldest portion of Highway 12 was originally known as the Coldwater Portage and later the Coldwater Road, connecting the modern sites of Orillia and Coldwater by a 14 mi (22.5 km) trail. When Sir John Colborne, then Governor of Upper Canada, surveyed the portage in 1830, he ordered it widened for wagon use. As the area was settled and an increasing need for land connection with the south arose, a new road was proposed from Whitby to Sturgeon Bay. In February 1843, the residents formally petitioned the government to construct the route. The Sturgeon Bay Road, from Coldwater to Sturgeon Bay, was opened as a rough wagon road in 1844. The Atherley Narrows, separating Lake Simcoe from Lake Couchiching, were surveyed in the early 1840s and the first causeway and bridge constructed in the years that followed. The portion of the route between Whitby and Orillia, however, was still under construction during the second half of the decade.Highway 12 was first introduced into the provincial highway system on February 26, 1920,
along with what would become the short–lived Highway 12A. The highway, initially known as the Whitby–Lindsay Road, was not numbered until the summer of 1925.
The route followed the present–day Highway 12 from Whitby to Sunderland, then travelled east to Lindsay. Assumptions on June 22 and July 2, 1927, extended Highway 7 east from Brampton to Peterborough. In doing so, the route of Highway 12 between Sunderland and Lindsay was renumbered as a part of Highway 7; Highway 12 was then extended north to Orillia, via Beaverton. This was done through two assumptions. On August 17, the majority of the route through Brock
Brock, Ontario
Brock is a township in the Regional Municipality of Durham, Ontario, Canada. Brock Township is also a former municipality and geographic township prior to the amalgamation that formed the current municipality.-History:...
, Thorah and Mara Townships was assumed. Several more miles were assumed on December 28, 1927, extending Highway 12 as far as Orillia.
On August 5, 1931, Highway 12 was extended from Orillia to Midland.
The majority of the route paralleled an existing railway that was constructed over a native portage
Portage
Portage or portaging refers to the practice of carrying watercraft or cargo over land to avoid river obstacles, or between two bodies of water. A place where this carrying occurs is also called a portage; a person doing the carrying is called a porter.The English word portage is derived from the...
.
Highway 12 remained unaltered for several decades, until the mid 1960s, when the Beaverton Bypass was constructed. On November 4, 1966, the 10.3 km (6.4 mi) bypass opened,
routing Highway 12 to the east. Portions of the former route of Highway 12 were renumbered as Highway 48B.
The highway again remained unchanged for several decades, until a short portion of the southern end of the highway was decommissioned in the late 1990s. On April 1, 1997, the portions of Highway 12 south of Brooklin were transferred to the Regional Municipality of Durham, which subsequently redesignated the road as Durham Regional Highway 12.
Major intersections
The following table lists the major junctions along Highway 12.{| class="wikitable"
!scope="col"|Division
!scope="col"|Location
!scope="col"|km
!scope="col" style="min-width:24em;"|Destinations
!scope="col"|Notes
|-
|rowspan="15"|Durham
|rowspan="2"|Whitby
Whitby, Ontario
Whitby is a town in Durham Region. Whitby is located in Southern Ontario east of Toronto on the north shore of Lake Ontario, and is home to the headquarters of Durham Region...
|bgcolor="#d3d3d3"|−8.1
|bgcolor="#d3d3d3"|
|bgcolor="#d3d3d3"|Section decommissioned on April 1, 1997, since redesignated as Durham Regional Highway 12
|-
|0.0
|Spencers Road
|
|-
|Brooklin
Brooklin, Ontario
Brooklin is a community in the Town of Whitby, Ontario, Canada. It is located,North of the urban area of Whitby,at the South junction of Ontario Highways 12 and 7....
|1.9
|
|Southern end of Highway 7 concurrency
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...
|-
|Whitby
Whitby, Ontario
Whitby is a town in Durham Region. Whitby is located in Southern Ontario east of Toronto on the north shore of Lake Ontario, and is home to the headquarters of Durham Region...
|6.0
|
|
|-
|Manchester
|16.1
|
|
|-
|rowspan="2"|Scugog
|19.0
|
|
|-
|23.2
|
|
|-
|Saintfield
|29.0
|
|
|-
|Sunderland
Sunderland, Ontario
Sunderland is a community located approximately 100 km northeast of Toronto, Ontario in Brock Township, in the Regional Municipality of Durham, Ontario, Canada.-Business and Commerce:...
|38.2
|
|
|-
|rowspan="6"|Brock
Brock, Ontario
Brock is a township in the Regional Municipality of Durham, Ontario, Canada. Brock Township is also a former municipality and geographic township prior to the amalgamation that formed the current municipality.-History:...
|41.0
|
|Northern end of Highway 7 concurrency
|-
|50.9
|
|
|-
|57.0
|
|
|-
|61.1
|
|
|-
|63.6
|
|
|-
|64.3
|
|
|-
|rowspan="2"|Simcoe
|Ramara
|74.1
|
|Formerly Highway 169
|-
|Atherley
|88.9
| – Casino Rama
Casino Rama
Casino Rama is a large casino, hotel and entertainment complex located on the reserve land of Chippewas of Rama First Nation, in the town of Rama, Ontario, Canada...
|
|-
|rowspan="5" colspan="2"|Orillia
|91.4
|Atherley Road
|
|-
|93.6
|West Street
|
|-
|94.9
|Memorial Avenue
|
|-
|96.8
|
|Southern end of Highway 11 concurrency
|-
|99.2
|
|Northern end of Highway 11 concurrency
|-
|rowspan="8"|Simcoe
|Prices Corners
Prices Corners
Prices Corners may refer to one of two small communities in southern Ontario:*A community within East Garafraxa in Dufferin County*A community within Oro-Medonte in Simcoe County...
|105.0
|
|
|-
|Oro-Medonte
|115.8
|
|
|-
|rowspan="2"|Severn
Severn, Ontario
Severn is a township in south-central Ontario, Canada, located between Lake Couchiching, and the Severn River in Simcoe County...
|118.9
|Coldwater Road – Coldwater
Woodrow Road
|
|-
|120.6
|
|Exit 141; southern end of Highway 400 concurrency
|-
|Waubaushene
|126.5
|
|Exit 147; northern end of Highway 400 concurrency
|-
|rowspan="2"|Victoria Harbour
Victoria Harbour
Victoria Harbour is a natural landform harbour situated between Hong Kong Island and the Kowloon Peninsula in Hong Kong. The harbour's deep, sheltered waters and strategic location on the South China Sea were instrumental in Hong Kong's establishment as a British colony and its subsequent...
|132.7
|Park Street
|
|-
|134.1
|Newton Street
|
|-
|Tay
Tay, Ontario
Tay is a township in Central Ontario, Canada, located in the southern Georgian Bay region. Tay, like many other townships in the surrounding area such as Tiny Township was named after one of the several dogs owned by Sir Peregrine Maitland's wife....
|139.1
|
|
|-
|colspan="2"|Midland
Midland, Ontario
Midland is a town located on Georgian Bay in Simcoe County, Ontario, Canada.Situated at the southern end of Georgian Bay's 30,000 Islands, Midland is the economic centre of the region, with a 125-bed hospital and a local airport. It is the main town of the southern Georgian Bay area...
|145.1
|
|