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Highway 17B (Ontario)
Encyclopedia
Highway 17B was formerly the highway designation for five business route
s of Highway 17
, the main route of the Trans-Canada Highway
through the Canadian
province of Ontario
. Each was the original route of Highway 17 through the town or city that it served, and was subsequently given the 17B designation when a newer bypass
route was constructed to reduce traffic pressure on the urban street network.
All five of the original 17B routes have been decommissioned by the Ministry of Transportation
, and are now maintained only by their local municipalities. However, in some cases the "Highway 17B" name may still be informally used by local residents to refer to the routes, and old highway shields may still be visible along the route in some locations.
One additional highway route was given the Highway 17B designation in 2009, following a jurisdictional dispute between the Ministry of Transportation and the Garden River First Nation
.
extended from the Queensway
along Richmond Road to Carling Avenue
, thence easterly to Bronson Avenue
. It then headed north along Bronson to the one-way pair of Chamberlain Avenue eastbound and Catherine Street westbound between Bronson and another pair of one-way streets, Kent Street
northbound and O'Connor Street southbound. It travelled along those streets between Catherine/Chamberlain and Wellington Street
, and thence easterly, passing Parliament Hill
. The route then continued easterly along Rideau Street and Montreal Road
, rejoining the Queensway at Beacon Hill North.
travelled along Main Street from the western city limits to Algonquin Avenue, where it split into two one-way routes, McIntyre Street for westbound traffic and Oak Street for eastbound traffic. The 17B designation travelled along McIntyre and Oak between Algonquin Avenue and Fisher Street, and Fisher Street constituted the remainder of the easterly route, rejoining Highway 17 at the Northgate Square shopping mall.
McIntyre and Oak Streets, as well as the small portions of Fisher Street and Algonquin Avenue which connected the two one-way streets, were also designated as part of Highway 11B.
travelled southerly along Great Northern Road from Second Line to McNabb Street, thence along Pim Street to Wellington Street.
From there it followed a loop of one-way streets through downtown Sault Ste. Marie, travelling westbound along Wellington to Cathcart Street, then west along Cathcart to Huron Street. Along Huron Street, the route met the Canadian terminus of the Sault Ste. Marie International Bridge
before turning eastbound along Queen Street to Andrew Street, southbound along Andrew to Bay Street, easterly to Pim Street, northerly back to Queen, easterly along Queen to Church Street, and then northerly along Church back to the intersection of Pim and Wellington.
From that point, it travelled easterly along Wellington Street and Trunk Road and rejoined Highway 17 at Black Road.
Although the route is no longer officially part of the provincial highway system, some signage remains identifying the route as 17B.
was a short loop which travelled along Lakeside Drive, Frances Street, Huron Street and River Street. At the eastern terminus of Highway 17B, River Street continued northward as Highway 129
.
extended eastward from Highway 17 along Arthur Street to the corner of May Street at the shore of the Kaministiquia River
. It turned north along May Street, and continued along Memorial Avenue and Algoma Street to the corner of Bay Street, then turned east along Bay Street to Water Street along the shore of Thunder Bay
. It then travelled northeasterly along Water Street to Cumberland Street, continuing northeasterly to Hodder Avenue in the east end of the city, thence northerly along Hodder until rejoining Highway 17 at Trowbridge Falls Park.
The entire route through Thunder Bay was cosigned as 17B and 11B.
, from Echo Bay to Sault Ste. Marie
, after the opening of a new expressway
alignment in the area. Although the official provincial designation was Highway 638
, the Garden River First Nation
— through which the route passes — has insisted on the designation of Highway 17B instead, even going so far as to post their own non-official Highway 17B signs on the route.
As of February 2009, at the eastern terminus with Highway 17, the highway has been officially rebadged as Highway 17B. The signage is in evidence until the intersection of Highway 638
at Echo Bay, after which the route no longer has any official identification. The western terminus of 17B at Highway 17 features no 17B signage whatsoever. The intersection is identified from 17 simply as Bar River Road.
In February 2010, Garden River's band council publicly warned that they would consider imposing tolls
on the routes of both Highway 17 and Highway 17B through their territory if the provincial government did not assist the council with a funding shortfall of approximately $1 million.
Business route
A business route in the United States and Canada is a short special route connected to a parent numbered highway at its beginning, then routed through the central business district of a nearby city or town, and finally reconnecting with the same parent numbered highway again at its...
s of Highway 17
Highway 17 (Ontario)
King's Highway 17, more commonly known as Highway 17, is a provincially maintained highway and the primary route of the Trans-Canada Highway through the Canadian province of Ontario. It begins at the Manitoba border west of Kenora and ends south of Arnprior at the western terminus of Highway 417, ...
, the main 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...
through the Canadian
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....
. Each was the original route of Highway 17 through the town or city that it served, and was subsequently given the 17B designation when a newer bypass
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....
route was constructed to reduce traffic pressure on the urban street network.
All five of the original 17B routes have been decommissioned by the Ministry of Transportation
Ministry of Transportation (Ontario)
The Ministry of Transportation of Ontario is the provincial ministry of the government of Ontario which is responsible for transport infrastructure and related law in Ontario. The ministry traces its roots back over a century to the 1890s, when the province began training Provincial Road Building...
, and are now maintained only by their local municipalities. However, in some cases the "Highway 17B" name may still be informally used by local residents to refer to the routes, and old highway shields may still be visible along the route in some locations.
One additional highway route was given the Highway 17B designation in 2009, following a jurisdictional dispute between the Ministry of Transportation and the Garden River First Nation
Garden River First Nation
Garden River First Nation, also known as Ketegaunseebee , is an Ojibwa band located at Garden River 14 near Sault Ste. Marie....
.
Ottawa
The 17B route in OttawaOttawa
Ottawa is the capital of Canada, the second largest city in the Province of Ontario, and the fourth largest city in the country. The city is located on the south bank of the Ottawa River in the eastern portion of Southern Ontario...
extended from the Queensway
Queensway (Ottawa)
The Queensway is a major controlled-access freeway running through Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, from Kanata in the west to Orleans in the east. It is the primary east-west transportation artery in the Ottawa-Gatineau area....
along Richmond Road to Carling Avenue
Carling Avenue
Carling Avenue is a major east-west arterial road in the west end of Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. It runs from March Road in Kanata to Bronson Avenue in the Glebe...
, thence easterly to Bronson Avenue
Bronson Avenue (Ottawa)
Bronson Avenue is a major north-south arterial road in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. It runs from downtown at Sparks Street in the north through Centretown, past the Glebe and Carleton University and turns into the Airport Parkway, which is an expressway to the Macdonald-Cartier International...
. It then headed north along Bronson to the one-way pair of Chamberlain Avenue eastbound and Catherine Street westbound between Bronson and another pair of one-way streets, Kent Street
Kent Street (Ottawa)
Kent Street is a major street in downtown Ottawa, Canada. One block west of Bank Street, Kent is one way running north. It begins at the Queensway at the south and ends at Wellington Street. The street has fewer storefronts than Bank Street. South of downtown it is mainly small and medium sized...
northbound and O'Connor Street southbound. It travelled along those streets between Catherine/Chamberlain and Wellington Street
Wellington Street (Ottawa)
Wellington Street is an important street in Ottawa, Canada most notable for being one of the first two streets laid out in Bytown in 1826 Wellington Street (French: Rue Wellington) is an important street in Ottawa, Canada most notable for being one of the first two streets laid out in Bytown in...
, and thence easterly, passing Parliament Hill
Parliament Hill
Parliament Hill , colloquially known as The Hill, is an area of Crown land on the southern banks of the Ottawa River in downtown Ottawa, Ontario. Its Gothic revival suite of buildingsthe parliament buildings serves as the home of the Parliament of Canada and contains a number of architectural...
. The route then continued easterly along Rideau Street and Montreal Road
Montreal Road (Ottawa)
Montreal Road is a major east-west Ottawa road that links Lowertown to Vanier, and eastern neighbourhoods of Ottawa. Until downloading in 1998, it was part of the provincially managed Highway 17B....
, rejoining the Queensway at Beacon Hill North.
North Bay
The 17B route in North BayNorth Bay, Ontario
North Bay is a city in Northeastern Ontario, Canada. It is the seat of Nipissing District, and takes its name from its position on the shore of Lake Nipissing.-History:...
travelled along Main Street from the western city limits to Algonquin Avenue, where it split into two one-way routes, McIntyre Street for westbound traffic and Oak Street for eastbound traffic. The 17B designation travelled along McIntyre and Oak between Algonquin Avenue and Fisher Street, and Fisher Street constituted the remainder of the easterly route, rejoining Highway 17 at the Northgate Square shopping mall.
McIntyre and Oak Streets, as well as the small portions of Fisher Street and Algonquin Avenue which connected the two one-way streets, were also designated as part of Highway 11B.
Sault Ste. Marie
Highway 17B in Sault Ste. MarieSault Ste. Marie, Ontario
Sault Ste. Marie is a city on the St. Marys River in Algoma District, Ontario, Canada. It is the third largest city in Northern Ontario, after Sudbury and Thunder Bay, with a population of 74,948. The community was founded as a French religious mission: Sault either means "jump" or "rapids" in...
travelled southerly along Great Northern Road from Second Line to McNabb Street, thence along Pim Street to Wellington Street.
From there it followed a loop of one-way streets through downtown Sault Ste. Marie, travelling westbound along Wellington to Cathcart Street, then west along Cathcart to Huron Street. Along Huron Street, the route met the Canadian terminus of the Sault Ste. Marie International Bridge
Sault Ste. Marie International Bridge
The Sault Ste. Marie International Bridge, often known just as the International Bridge, spans the St. Marys River between the United States and Canada connecting the twin cities of Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan and Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario. It serves as the northern terminus of Interstate 75...
before turning eastbound along Queen Street to Andrew Street, southbound along Andrew to Bay Street, easterly to Pim Street, northerly back to Queen, easterly along Queen to Church Street, and then northerly along Church back to the intersection of Pim and Wellington.
From that point, it travelled easterly along Wellington Street and Trunk Road and rejoined Highway 17 at Black Road.
Although the route is no longer officially part of the provincial highway system, some signage remains identifying the route as 17B.
Thessalon
The Highway 17B route through ThessalonThessalon, 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....
was a short loop which travelled along Lakeside Drive, Frances Street, Huron Street and River Street. At the eastern terminus of Highway 17B, River Street continued northward as Highway 129
Highway 129 (Ontario)
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 from a junction with Highway 17 in Thessalon to the town of Chapleau, just north of Highway 101...
.
Thunder Bay
Highway 17B through Thunder BayThunder Bay
-In Canada:Thunder Bay is the name of three places in the province of Ontario, Canada along Lake Superior:*Thunder Bay District, Ontario, a district in Northwestern Ontario*Thunder Bay, a city in Thunder Bay District*Thunder Bay, Unorganized, Ontario...
extended eastward from Highway 17 along Arthur Street to the corner of May Street at the shore of the Kaministiquia River
Kaministiquia River
The Kaministiquia River is a river which empties into western Lake Superior at the city of Thunder Bay, Ontario. Kaministiquia is an Ojibwe word meaning " with islands" due to two large islands at the mouth of the river...
. It turned north along May Street, and continued along Memorial Avenue and Algoma Street to the corner of Bay Street, then turned east along Bay Street to Water Street along the shore of Thunder Bay
Thunder Bay (Ontario)
Thunder Bay is a large bay on the north shore of Lake Superior. The bay is about 50 km long and 22 km wide. It is bordered to the east by the Sibley Peninsula at the southern tip of which is Thunder Cape, marking the entrance to the bay for ships approaching from the east...
. It then travelled northeasterly along Water Street to Cumberland Street, continuing northeasterly to Hodder Avenue in the east end of the city, thence northerly along Hodder until rejoining Highway 17 at Trowbridge Falls Park.
The entire route through Thunder Bay was cosigned as 17B and 11B.
Garden River
In 2007, the province of Ontario redesignated a former portion of Highway 17 in the Algoma DistrictAlgoma 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...
, from Echo Bay to Sault Ste. Marie
Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario
Sault Ste. Marie is a city on the St. Marys River in Algoma District, Ontario, Canada. It is the third largest city in Northern Ontario, after Sudbury and Thunder Bay, with a population of 74,948. The community was founded as a French religious mission: Sault either means "jump" or "rapids" in...
, after the opening of a new expressway
Limited-access road
A limited-access road known by various terms worldwide, including limited-access highway, dual-carriageway and expressway, is a highway or arterial road for high-speed traffic which has many or most characteristics of a controlled-access highway , including limited or no access to adjacent...
alignment in the area. Although the official provincial designation was Highway 638
Highway 638 (Ontario)
Secondary Highway 638, commonly referred to as Highway 638, is a secondary highway located in the District of Algoma in Ontario. The highway measures in length, extending from Echo Bay eastward through the communities of Sylvan Valley, Leeburn and Ophir, where it turns southward and runs south...
, the Garden River First Nation
Garden River First Nation
Garden River First Nation, also known as Ketegaunseebee , is an Ojibwa band located at Garden River 14 near Sault Ste. Marie....
— through which the route passes — has insisted on the designation of Highway 17B instead, even going so far as to post their own non-official Highway 17B signs on the route.
As of February 2009, at the eastern terminus with Highway 17, the highway has been officially rebadged as Highway 17B. The signage is in evidence until the intersection of Highway 638
Highway 638 (Ontario)
Secondary Highway 638, commonly referred to as Highway 638, is a secondary highway located in the District of Algoma in Ontario. The highway measures in length, extending from Echo Bay eastward through the communities of Sylvan Valley, Leeburn and Ophir, where it turns southward and runs south...
at Echo Bay, after which the route no longer has any official identification. The western terminus of 17B at Highway 17 features no 17B signage whatsoever. The intersection is identified from 17 simply as Bar River Road.
In February 2010, Garden River's band council publicly warned that they would consider imposing tolls
Toll road
A toll road is a privately or publicly built road for which a driver pays a toll for use. Structures for which tolls are charged include toll bridges and toll tunnels. Non-toll roads are financed using other sources of revenue, most typically fuel tax or general tax funds...
on the routes of both Highway 17 and Highway 17B through their territory if the provincial government did not assist the council with a funding shortfall of approximately $1 million.