King's Highway 105, commonly referred to as Highway 105, is a
provincially maintained highway in the
Canadian province of
Ontario. Located in the
Kenora District of
northern Ontario, the highway extends for from an intersection with
Highway 17 between
Kenora
Kenora (), previously named Rat Portage (french: Portage-aux-Rats), is a city situated on the Lake of the Woods in Ontario, Canada, close to the Manitoba boundary, and about east of Winnipeg by road. It is the seat of Kenora District.
The his ...
and
Dryden with the
Red Lake mining area to the north. The route also passes through the town of
Ear Falls near its midpoint. Highway 105 was built to provide access to the large gold deposits at Red Lake, which were only accessible by boat or plane between their discovery in 1926 and the opening of the highway in 1946. Highway 105 passes through long stretches of isolated forest and lakeland, with no services available between the distanced communities along the route.
Route description
Highway 105 is a route which connects Highway 17 between Kenora and Dryden with the Red Lake mining area. Gold was discovered by brothers Lorne and Ray Howey under an overturned tree in 1925, setting off a
gold rush that would see several new towns built in the remote northern region.
The highway provides the only road connection with the rest of the province. The vast majority of land surrounding the route is precambrian
Canadian Shield
The Canadian Shield (french: Bouclier canadien ), also called the Laurentian Plateau, is a geologic shield, a large area of exposed Precambrian igneous and high-grade metamorphic rocks. It forms the North American Craton (or Laurentia), the anc ...
, with bedrock outcroppings, small lakes,
muskeg
Muskeg (Ojibwe: mashkiig; cr, maskīk; french: fondrière de mousse, lit. ''moss bog'') is a peat-forming ecosystem found in several northern climates, most commonly in Arctic and boreal areas. Muskeg is approximately synonymous with bog or ...
, and
boreal forest dominating the landscape.
Due to the long distance between services, which are unavailable outside of Red Lake, Ear Falls and Perrault Falls, travellers should be prepared before setting out along the highway.
The route begins at a junction with Highway 17 on the west side of
Vermilion Bay, approximately east of Kenora and west of Dryden, travelling north. It progresses through a large region of uninhabited lakes, swamplands, forests and rocks for to Ear Falls, with
Red Lake Road and
Perrault Falls being the only communities between the two.
The hamlet of Red Lake Road, located north of Highway 17, features a
railway flag stop along the
Canadian National transcontinental railway, as well as an intersection with
Highway 609 westward to
Quibell.
Perrault Falls, located north of Highway 17, features the namesake waterfall between Perrault and Wabaskang Lakes. A restaurant, store and gas station can be found at the Perrault Falls Adventure area near the highway.
North of Perrault Falls, Highway 105 travels parallel to a power transmission corridor for most of the remainder of the route.
Approaching Ear Falls, the route intersects
Highway 804, which branches west to the
Manitou Falls
Manitou (), akin to the Iroquois ''orenda'', is the spiritual and fundamental life force among Algonquian groups in the Native American theology. It is omnipresent and manifests everywhere: organisms, the environment, events, etc. ''Aasha ...
hydroelectric dam. Within Ear Falls, it crosses adjacent to the 29.3 megawatt Obishikokaang Waasiganikewigamig Generating Station at the outlet of
Lac Seul
Lac Seul is a large, crescent shaped reservoir in Kenora District, northwestern Ontario, Canada. It is approximately long. It has a maximum (regulated) depth of 47.2 m, with a surface elevation of 357 m above sea level. Its level is raised ...
into the
English River.
Immediately to the north,
Highway 657 branches east to the former
Hudson Bay Company fur trading outpost at
Goldpines, now home to several fishing and camping lodges.
Approximately north of Ear Falls, Highway 105 passes east of
Pakwash Provincial Park
Pakwash Provincial Park is a park in Northwestern Ontario, on the eastern shore of Pakwash Lake. It is located about northwest of the town of Ear Falls.
Classified as a natural environment park, it offers camping and day use, including canoeing ...
and through the community of
Snake River
The Snake River is a major river of the greater Pacific Northwest region in the United States. At long, it is the largest tributary of the Columbia River, in turn, the largest North American river that empties into the Pacific Ocean. The Snake ...
.
As the route approaches Red Lake from the east, it encounters Highway 125, which branches north to
Balmerton and
Cochenour
Red Lake is a municipality with town status in the Canadian province of Ontario, located northwest of Thunder Bay and less than from the Manitoba border. The municipality consists of six small communities—Balmertown, Cochenour, Madsen, McKen ...
,
as well as the
Red Lake Airport
Red Lake Airport is located north of Red Lake, Ontario, Canada.
Red Lake Airport is located south of the community of Cochenour, Ontario. The airport serves as a point of call for air carriers offering scheduled passenger service, and an op ...
(CYRL), once the busiest airport in the world.
After swerving through Red Lake, the highway ends at Howey Street, which continues west as Highway 618 to several mines and the community of
Madsen.
History
Red Lake gold rush
The Red Lake area was first established in the mid-to-late 1920s following the discovery of gold by brothers Lorne and Ray Howey and their crews on July 25, 1925. Prospectors had been searching the Red Lake area as early as 1922 in search of
lode gold deposits. Lorne, leading a separate expedition from his brother, discovered gold in a quartz vein under an uprooted tree as his crew prepared to leave for the Goldpines area.
It would take until the end of the year for news to travel and the ensuing gold rush to begin. By the end of 1926, Red Lake was established, with thousands of people enduring the six night trek from
Hudson
Hudson may refer to:
People
* Hudson (given name)
* Hudson (surname)
* Henry Hudson, English explorer
* Hudson (footballer, born 1986), Hudson Fernando Tobias de Carvalho, Brazilian football right-back
* Hudson (footballer, born 1988), Hudso ...
(near
Sioux Lookout) to Howey Bay. A dam was constructed where the English River drains from Lac Seul between 1928 and 1930 to provide power to the mining operations, around which the town of Ear Falls would be established.
While the need for a road was evident, the rising use of aircraft was seen as a simpler method of transporting people and materials;
the airport at Howey Bay (Red Lake) was the busiest airport in the world in 1936 and 1937.
In addition, the government was hesitant to invest in a road not knowing the potential prosperity of the new discovery. While both the towns and mine operators lobbied the government for a permanent road connection to Red Lake, the
Great Depression
The Great Depression (19291939) was an economic shock that impacted most countries across the world. It was a period of economic depression that became evident after a major fall in stock prices in the United States. The economic contagio ...
followed by the onset of
World War II would delay its arrival for 20 years.
Red Lake Road
Following the end of the war, advances in machinery and construction techniques as well as new deposits found near Red Lake resulted in an increased push for a road link with the rest of the province. Mine owners, such as
Jack Hammell, as well as the Red Lake Chamber of Commerce continued to petition the government in the face of quickly increasing mine output.
The government conceded, and on February 28, 1946, Minister of Highways
George Doucett formally confirmed that the province would construct a new highway to Red Lake.
After deciding on a route, work began immediately. In April 1946, the province tendered eight contracts of 16-kilometre (10-mile) segments, with work carried out on each simultaneously. 3500 tonnes of equipment was brought by water to assist in construction, which proceeded throughout the remainder of the year. The first truck drove the length of the new gravel highway on December 5, 1946. Twelve days later on December 17, Minister Doucett traversed the route with a convoy of trucks in just under 4 hours. The new wide road cost approximately CAD$3 million (in 1947, $ adjusted for inflation) to build, and featured five timber-framed bridges.
Completion and paving
Highway 105 was officially opened in a ceremony attended by Ontario premier
George A. Drew
George Alexander Drew (May 7, 1894 – January 4, 1973) was a Canadian politician. He served as the 14th premier of Ontario from 1943 to 1948 and founded a Progressive Conservative dynasty that would last 42 years. He later served as leade ...
and minister George Doucett on August 27, 1947. The ceremony took place at Perrault Falls, where minister Doucett broke through the final barrier on the highway, followed by the playing of the
national anthem. Minister Doucett was given a bear cub by one of the construction companies for all his efforts towards the creation of the route.
The new road was gravel surfaced its entire length,
which quickly gave rise to numerous potholes. By the 1960s, the provincial government was once again being pressured to improve access to Red Lake. Construction began to pave the route in 1962 and was completed in the summer of 1967.
Aside from minor realignments, Highway 105 has remained unchanged since then.
Major intersections
References
{{Ontario King's Highways
105 105 may refer to:
*105 (number), the number
*AD 105, a year in the 2nd century AD
*105 BC, a year in the 2nd century BC
* 105 (telephone number)
* 105 (MBTA bus)
* 105 (Northumberland) Construction Regiment, Royal Engineers, an English military unit ...
Roads in Kenora District