About

Welcome to the Ontario Highway 11 Homepage.  This is an unofficial account of the many towns, villages, and hamlets that are found on what some call the world’s longest street – Ontario’s Highway 11.

So just what is this?

This website is part virtual road trip, part commentary, part community exhibition, and part travel guide. Running from Yonge Street in Toronto to Atwood Avenue in Rainy River, Highway 11 crosses Ontario like no other highway.

Have you ever wondered…

  • What are these towns like?
  • Do these places even exist?
  • What is there to do in that town?
  • Am I gonna run out of gas if I don’t fill up in _________?

If you’ve ever asked these questions, this site is for you — take a virtual town-to-town journey along Highway 11 from Barrie to Rainy River online at the unofficial homepage of Ontario’s Highway 11.  Take your pick of where to start and just go.

Each community along the highway has a page detailing my opinions on the town, giving you some idea of its amenities, facilities, and, most importantly, its history and its  idiosyncrasies.  The vast majority of my personal observations come from time I spent exploring, vacationing or working in these communities in 2005, 2006 and 2008 and 2013.  Although I have made the odd update since then, my posts have been left largely untouched.

In addition, this site also profiles parts of Highway 17, the TransCanada, running from Nipigon to White River, the Timmins area and the Nipissing region.

So, why do this?

I have travelled most of Highway 11 and I found myself more than just acquainted with some of these communities – I was becoming fascinated by them.

Ontario’s Highway 11 is pretty special.  It runs from Canada’s largest city through some of Canada’s smallest.  It starts in the heart of southern Ontario and travels across some of the most remote parts of the province.  It forms the backbone of the province and is a lifeline to its most remote regions.

There are many sites that show pictures of funny things along the sides of highways.  But few websites chronicle the cities, towns, villages, and hamlets that bring life to these stretches of pavement. Highway 11 is much more than just lonely stretch of asphalt that acts as a conveyor belt for goods and people from north to south.  Those who can’t take a road trip can now take a virtual one.

Don’t take this site too seriously.

In addition to preserving the stories of our heritage and the histories of our towns, this website is intended to be a bit of fun while promoting the many unique communities along Highway 11.  To note: I was born, raised, and continue to live in Ontario’s south.

While I try to present things as accurately as possible, please remember that the community profiles and associated commentary are just made up of my own opinions. They are not fact. Write-ups are often based on short visits and quick impressions rather than lengthy visits or detailed research.

If there’s a comment you don’t like feel free to email me or post your thoughts directly on the page.  Just don’t take anything here as gospel.  They’re just the random musings from a guy form southern Ontario who thinks northern Ontario is pretty neat and wants to share some of the stories that other people might not ever get to know without visiting these towns.

Site Map / Town List

The Northwest:  Rainy RiverSleemanPinewood / DawsonStrattonBarwickEmoDevlin / La ValleeFort FrancesMine CentreSeine River VillageAtikokanSapawe / KashabowieShebandowan / Shebaqua Corners – Kakabeka FallsRosslyn VillageOld Fort WilliamThunder BayWild Goose Pass LakePearl / DorionHurkett – Red RockNipigon

The Interior:  Lake Helen – Lake NipigonBeardmoreJellicoeNakina / ArolandGeraldtonLong LakeLonglacEmpty Highway – Constance LakeHearstHallébourg / Val CotéMatticeLowtherReesor SidingReesorOpasatikaHarty / Val RitaKapuskasingKitiganMoonbeamFauquierGregoire Mills / StricklandFraserdaleSmooth Rock FallsDriftwoodCochraneTunis / Nellie LakeIroquois FallsPorquis Junction

Temiskaming:  Monteith / Val GagnéMathesonHoltyreRamoreWavellSesekinikaKenogami LakeSwastikaKirkland LakeLarder LakeVirginiatown / KearnsKrugerdorfEnglehartCharlton and DackMatachewanElk LakeKenabeekEarltonThornloeDymondNew Liskeard HaileyburyNorth CobaltCobaltLatchfordHighland TrailTemagamiMarten RiverTilden Lake / Cooks MillsNorth Bay

Muskoka:  PowassanTrout CreekSouth River – SundridgeBurk’s FallsKatrine / EmsdaleScotia / Novar / MelissaHuntsvillePort Sydney / UttersonBracebridgeMuskoka FallsGravenhurstKahshe Lake / Severn BridgeOrilliaNorth ShoreBarrie

The South:  St. Paul’sStroudInnisfilBarclayChurchillCoulson’s HillBradfordHolland MarshHolland LandingNewmarketAuroraRichmond HillThornhillWillowdale – York Mills – LawrenceEglintonSt. ClairRosedaleBloorCollegeDundasFrontQueen’s Quay

Detour – Timmins and Area:  ShillingtonHoylePorcupineSouth PorcupineSchumacherTimminsKamiskotiaConnaughtBarber’s Bay

Detour – Superior Shores:  CaversPays PlatRossportSchreiberTerrace BayNeysColdwellNosloJackfishMarathonHeron BayPic RiverHemloPic Mobert North/SouthManitouwadgeWhite RiverHornepayne

Detour – Nipissing and Restoule:  CallanderWade’s LandingNipissing VillagePiebirdChristian Valley / AlsaceRestouleRestoule Provincial ParkCommanda

Everything on the net these days needs a disclaimer

Highway11.ca (this website) is a light-hearted look at Yonge Street and Highway 11 in Ontario and the communities along the way. This website is not and does not represent any region, district, municipality, government, or community in any manner, officially or unofficially. Any comments made on this website reflect subjective opinion(s) and do not represent fact, or make any claim to being fact. The data and information made available on this website is for entertainment purposes only and are not represented to be error free or up-to-date. Opinions, advice and all other information expressed by participants in discussions or as comments submitted to this website are those of the author, not the website. You rely on any information on this website at your own risk. No responsibility is assumed for any errors. Nothing on this website constitutes or is intended to constitute any offer, promise, contract, or guarantee of any kind. This website may provide links to web pages, web sites, and various resources or locations on the internet. This website has no control over the information you access via such links, does not endorse that information, and is not be responsible for it or for the consequences of your use of that information. If you have any questions, comments, or have anything to add please email me:  info (at) highway11 (dot) ca.

Most photos are my own where they are not my own I have usually noted it on the page (it is usually obvious that a photo isn’t mine because mine are terrible.)