Ontario Highway 105

Highway 105
Route information
Maintained by the Ministry of Transportation
Existed:	1947[citation needed] – present
Major junctions
South end:	Highway 17 near Vermilion Bay
North end:	Highway 618 in Red Lake
Highway system
Ontario provincial highways 400-series • Former ← Highway 102 Highway 108 →

King's Highway 105, commonly referred to as Highway 105, is a provincially maintained highway in the Canadian province of Ontario.

Its history is traced to the discovery of gold and the opening of gold mines in the area around Red Lake in 1926. Since the amount of gold in Red Lake was far greater than anyone expected, it was instantly realised that a road link was needed to fully utilize the gold mines, to export the minerals to the rest of the province. Until a road was constructed to Red Lake, the only way to reach the town was via boat, canoe, airplane, or seaplane, and this is how townspeople and miners came to and left from Red Lake and its mines.

A road was not initially considered, due to how remote the town was from most other settlements, despite the very productive gold mines of the area. It would have been very expensive and extremely difficult to build a road through the remote, hilly, forest- and lake-filled area. Even after a road was finally decided, there were several large hurdles to overcome before the province could actually building it: Red Lake and the surrounding mines were in an extremely remote area of the province, and many questioned if a road to a subarctic town was required, especially given the financially turbulent times of the Great Depression.

World War II

During World War II, the Government of Canada listed certain industries that were "protected" from exemptions, conscriptions of workers, and rationing. Among these, were mining. In 1942, mining was removed from the list of "protected" wartime industries to ration goods, material and people for the war effort while World War II raged in Europe. When the miners were called up to the battlefields to become soldiers, the mines closed up and the need for a road diminished considerably. However, the mines resumed their activity upon World War II's end, producing gold in enormous quantities once more. The Department of Highways quickly constructed a gravel road from Vermilion Bay to Red Lake in the 1940s. It was designated as Highway 105, and the entire 180 km (110 mi) length of the road was paved by the early 1960s. Since opening, realignments and straightening of the road has shortened the road to 173.7 km (107.9 mi).

Even today, Highway 105 remains one of the most isolated roads in Ontario and one of the most isolated major highways in all of North America. It is advised that travellers fuel up and load supplies in Dryden, Kenora or Red Lake before travelling down this road, as rest stops are few and far between.

See also

• Highway 125 - A short spur highway leading north to Cochenour, Ontario

References

External links

• History of Highway 105