Yellowhead Highway
Encyclopedia
The Yellowhead Highway is a major east-west highway connecting the four western Canadian
provinces of British Columbia
, Alberta
, Saskatchewan
, and Manitoba
. Although part of the Trans-Canada Highway
system, the highway should not be confused with the more southerly, originally-designated Trans-Canada Highway. The highway was officially opened in 1970. In the 1980s the green and white Trans-Canada logo began to be used to designate the roadway.
The main Yellowhead Highway has been designated as Highway 16 for its entire length since 1977. Prior to this, only the Alberta and British Columbia portions of the highway were designated with this number. The Manitoba portion from the Trans Canada Highway 10 km west of Portage la Prairie to the Saskatchewan
border was designated as Highway 4, while the Saskatchewan portion (which was redesignated as Highway 16 in 1976) had two numbers designated. From the Manitoba border to Saskatoon
, the highway was designated as Highway 14 while the portion from Saskatoon to Lloydminster
and the Alberta border was designated as Highway 5. Prior to the opening of the Yellowhead Highway, Highways 5 and 14 both ran the width of Saskatchewan - the respective eastern and western portions of these highways retain their original designations.
The highway is named for the Yellowhead Pass
, the route chosen to cross the Canadian Rockies
. The pass, and the highway are named after a fur trader and explorer named Pierre Bostonais. He had yellow streaks in his hair, and was nicknamed "Tête Jaune
" (Yellowhead).
In the west, the highway begins at Masset, British Columbia
on Haida Gwaii, heading south along Graham Island
for 101 km to Skidegate. It then connects via a 172 km-long ferry
route to Prince Rupert
, then passes southeastward for 724 km through to Prince George
, then goes another 268 km through to Tête Jaune Cache
, enters Alberta
through the Rocky Mountains
near Jasper
(100 km from Tête Jaune Cache), and passes through Edmonton another 366 km later, and Saskatoon 532 km later, before meeting the main Trans-Canada Highway
1 near Portage la Prairie, Manitoba
, 697 km from Saskatoon. It then overlaps the TCH into Winnipeg. Officially, the eastern end of the Yellowhead Highway is at the corner of Portage Avenue and Main Street
in Winnipeg. The total length of the Yellowhead Highway, including ferries, is 2,960 km.
The highest point on the highway, at 1163.9 m, is Obed Summit near Obed, Alberta
.
A spur of the Yellowhead Highway, Highway 5, also known as the Southern Yellowhead Highway, connects the main highway at Tête Jaune Cache, British Columbia
midway between the Alberta-British Columbia border and Prince George
. The highway continues past Kamloops
before following the Coquihalla Highway to Hope
. Unlike Highway 16, route 5 is not branded as being part of the Trans-Canada system and retains the original Yellowhead signage (whereas Highway 16 uses the Trans-Canada Highway logo).
The Yellowhead Highway Association has been lobbying to continue the Southern Yellowhead Highway designation past Hope
to Abbotsford
. This would cause the segment of the Trans Canada Highway between Hope and Abbotsford to have a dual designation.
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...
provinces of British Columbia
British Columbia
British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...
, Alberta
Alberta
Alberta is a province of Canada. It had an estimated population of 3.7 million in 2010 making it the most populous of Canada's three prairie provinces...
, Saskatchewan
Saskatchewan
Saskatchewan is a prairie province in Canada, which has an area of . Saskatchewan is bordered on the west by Alberta, on the north by the Northwest Territories, on the east by Manitoba, and on the south by the U.S. states of Montana and North Dakota....
, and Manitoba
Manitoba
Manitoba is a Canadian prairie province with an area of . The province has over 110,000 lakes and has a largely continental climate because of its flat topography. Agriculture, mostly concentrated in the fertile southern and western parts of the province, is vital to the province's economy; other...
. Although 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, the highway should not be confused with the more southerly, originally-designated Trans-Canada Highway. The highway was officially opened in 1970. In the 1980s the green and white Trans-Canada logo began to be used to designate the roadway.
The main Yellowhead Highway has been designated as Highway 16 for its entire length since 1977. Prior to this, only the Alberta and British Columbia portions of the highway were designated with this number. The Manitoba portion from the Trans Canada Highway 10 km west of Portage la Prairie to the Saskatchewan
Saskatchewan
Saskatchewan is a prairie province in Canada, which has an area of . Saskatchewan is bordered on the west by Alberta, on the north by the Northwest Territories, on the east by Manitoba, and on the south by the U.S. states of Montana and North Dakota....
border was designated as Highway 4, while the Saskatchewan portion (which was redesignated as Highway 16 in 1976) had two numbers designated. From the Manitoba border to Saskatoon
Saskatoon
Saskatoon is a city in central Saskatchewan, Canada, on the South Saskatchewan River. Residents of the city of Saskatoon are called Saskatonians. The city is surrounded by the Rural Municipality of Corman Park No. 344....
, the highway was designated as Highway 14 while the portion from Saskatoon to Lloydminster
Lloydminster
Lloydminster is a Canadian city which has the unusual geographic distinction of straddling the provincial border between Alberta and Saskatchewan...
and the Alberta border was designated as Highway 5. Prior to the opening of the Yellowhead Highway, Highways 5 and 14 both ran the width of Saskatchewan - the respective eastern and western portions of these highways retain their original designations.
Yellowhead Pass
The Yellowhead Pass is a mountain pass across the Continental Divide of the Canadian Rockies. It is located on the border between the Canadian provinces of Alberta and British Columbia, and lies within Jasper National Park and Mount Robson Provincial Park....
, the route chosen to cross the Canadian Rockies
Canadian Rockies
The Canadian Rockies comprise the Canadian segment of the North American Rocky Mountains range. They are the eastern part of the Canadian Cordillera, extending from the Interior Plains of Alberta to the Rocky Mountain Trench of British Columbia. The southern end borders Idaho and Montana of the USA...
. The pass, and the highway are named after a fur trader and explorer named Pierre Bostonais. He had yellow streaks in his hair, and was nicknamed "Tête Jaune
Tête Jaune
Tête Jaune aka. Pierre Bostonais aka. Pierre Hastination an Iroquois-Métis trapper/furtrader/explorer who worked for the North West Company and Hudson's Bay Company during the 18th and 19th centuries...
" (Yellowhead).
In the west, the highway begins at Masset, British Columbia
Masset, British Columbia
Masset , formerly Massett, is a village in Haida Gwaii in British Columbia, Canada. It is located on the northern coast of Graham Island, the largest island in the archipelago, and is approximately west of mainland British Columbia. It is the western terminus of the Yellowhead Highway...
on Haida Gwaii, heading south along Graham Island
Queen Charlotte Islands
Haida Gwaii , formerly the Queen Charlotte Islands, is an archipelago on the North Coast of British Columbia, Canada. Haida Gwaii consists of two main islands: Graham Island in the north, and Moresby Island in the south, along with approximately 150 smaller islands with a total landmass of...
for 101 km to Skidegate. It then connects via a 172 km-long ferry
Ferry
A ferry is a form of transportation, usually a boat, but sometimes a ship, used to carry primarily passengers, and sometimes vehicles and cargo as well, across a body of water. Most ferries operate on regular, frequent, return services...
route to Prince Rupert
Prince Rupert, British Columbia
Prince Rupert is a port city in the province of British Columbia, Canada. It is the land, air, and water transportation hub of British Columbia's North Coast, and home to some 12,815 people .-History:...
, then passes southeastward for 724 km through to Prince George
Prince George, British Columbia
Prince George, with a population of 71,030 , is the largest city in northern British Columbia, Canada, and is known as "BC's Northern Capital"...
, then goes another 268 km through to Tête Jaune Cache
Tête Jaune Cache, British Columbia
Tête Jaune Cache is an unincorporated rural area and the site of an important abandoned historic town in British Columbia, Canada. Its population is approximately 500. It is located on the Fraser River in the Robson Valley at the intersection of Yellowhead Highways 5 and 16...
, enters Alberta
Alberta
Alberta is a province of Canada. It had an estimated population of 3.7 million in 2010 making it the most populous of Canada's three prairie provinces...
through the Rocky Mountains
Rocky Mountains
The Rocky Mountains are a major mountain range in western North America. The Rocky Mountains stretch more than from the northernmost part of British Columbia, in western Canada, to New Mexico, in the southwestern United States...
near Jasper
Jasper, Alberta
Jasper is a specialized municipality in western Alberta, Canada. It is the commercial centre of Jasper National Park, located in the Canadian Rockies in the Athabasca River valley....
(100 km from Tête Jaune Cache), and passes through Edmonton another 366 km later, and Saskatoon 532 km later, before meeting the main 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...
1 near Portage la Prairie, Manitoba
Manitoba
Manitoba is a Canadian prairie province with an area of . The province has over 110,000 lakes and has a largely continental climate because of its flat topography. Agriculture, mostly concentrated in the fertile southern and western parts of the province, is vital to the province's economy; other...
, 697 km from Saskatoon. It then overlaps the TCH into Winnipeg. Officially, the eastern end of the Yellowhead Highway is at the corner of Portage Avenue and Main Street
Portage and Main
Portage and Main is an intersection in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. It is located in the heart of downtown Winnipeg at the place where Portage Avenue and Main Street intersect. Together these two streets create the most iconic and famous street corner in Canada.Portage and Main is the hub of some...
in Winnipeg. The total length of the Yellowhead Highway, including ferries, is 2,960 km.
The highest point on the highway, at 1163.9 m, is Obed Summit near Obed, Alberta
Obed, Alberta
Obed is an unincorporated community in west-central Alberta, Canada within Yellowhead County. It lies 50 km west of Edson, Alberta via the Yellowhead Highway.Obed Lake and Obed Lake Provincial Park are located immediately east of the community....
.
A spur of the Yellowhead Highway, Highway 5, also known as the Southern Yellowhead Highway, connects the main highway at Tête Jaune Cache, British Columbia
Tête Jaune Cache, British Columbia
Tête Jaune Cache is an unincorporated rural area and the site of an important abandoned historic town in British Columbia, Canada. Its population is approximately 500. It is located on the Fraser River in the Robson Valley at the intersection of Yellowhead Highways 5 and 16...
midway between the Alberta-British Columbia border and Prince George
Prince George, British Columbia
Prince George, with a population of 71,030 , is the largest city in northern British Columbia, Canada, and is known as "BC's Northern Capital"...
. The highway continues past Kamloops
Kamloops, British Columbia
Kamloops is a city in south central British Columbia, at the confluence of the two branches of the Thompson River and near Kamloops Lake. It is the largest community in the Thompson-Nicola Regional District and the location of the regional district's offices. The surrounding region is more commonly...
before following the Coquihalla Highway to Hope
Hope, British Columbia
Hope is a district municipality located at the confluence of the Fraser and Coquihalla rivers in the province of British Columbia, Canada. Hope is at the eastern end of both the Fraser Valley and the Lower Mainland region, and is at the southern end of the Fraser Canyon...
. Unlike Highway 16, route 5 is not branded as being part of the Trans-Canada system and retains the original Yellowhead signage (whereas Highway 16 uses the Trans-Canada Highway logo).
The Yellowhead Highway Association has been lobbying to continue the Southern Yellowhead Highway designation past Hope
Hope, British Columbia
Hope is a district municipality located at the confluence of the Fraser and Coquihalla rivers in the province of British Columbia, Canada. Hope is at the eastern end of both the Fraser Valley and the Lower Mainland region, and is at the southern end of the Fraser Canyon...
to Abbotsford
Abbotsford, British Columbia
Abbotsford is a Canadian city located in the Lower Mainland of British Columbia, adjacent to Greater Vancouver. It is the fifth largest municipality in British Columbia, home to 123,864 people . Its Census Metropolitan Area, which includes the District of Mission, is the 23rd largest in Canada,...
. This would cause the segment of the Trans Canada Highway between Hope and Abbotsford to have a dual designation.
See also
- Numbered highways in Canada
- British Columbia Highway 5
- British Columbia Highway 16
- Alberta Highway 16
- Saskatchewan Highway 16Saskatchewan Highway 16Highway 16 is a provincial paved highway in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan. It is the Saskatchewan section of the Yellowhead Highway, and also the Trans-Canada Highway Yellowhead section. The main purpose of this highway is to connect Saskatchewan with Canadian cities such as Edmonton and...
- Manitoba Highway 16
- Murder of Tim McLeanMurder of Tim McLeanThe murder of Tim McLean occurred on the evening of July 30, 2008. McLean, a 22-year-old Canadian man, was stabbed, beheaded and cannibalized while riding a Greyhound Canada bus about west of Portage La Prairie, Manitoba traveling the Trans Canada Highway...