Highways in Canada - Page 412

DavefromSt.Vital · #**8221** Posted **Mar 21, 2020, 12:40 AM**

Weather looks good for tomorrow. I would do 17 as it is an iconic drive when near the shore of Lake Superior. 11 is mostly driving through bush. However, it depends on what you are driving. 17 has numerous high hills and elevation changes with curves. 11 is far easier for trucks, trailers, etc. Also, you do have snow tires, correct?

Loco101 · #**8222** Posted **Mar 21, 2020, 2:21 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by lio45

Important question for you guys. I'm having to go west and drive and stay north of the border. Which one is the safest/best route, 11 or 17? (I recall this was debated here a while ago.)

Please answer before I'm past Ottawa (tonight)

Thanks in advance

As someone who lives in Northern Ontario, I'd say Hwy 11.

Dengler Ave is correct that the transport trucks sometimes are a bit crazy between North Bay, Temagami and Latchford. Also know that there is a big gap of nothing but wilderness between Hearst and Longlac. Hwy 11 is mainly flat and is faster.

If you need any info about hotels let me know as I have stayed in many places. Your restaurants will be limited but Temiskaming Shores, Cochrane, Kapuskasing and Hearst should have places open for take-out and drive-thru.

If you're in no hurry and want some great scenery, then Hwy 17 is the way to go. I also know that highway well.

I don't know where you started your trip but I would have suggested taking QC Route 117 up to Rouyn-Noranda then Hwy 66 to Kirkland Lake then to Hwy 11. But going by way of Ottawa works well.

Loco101 · #**8223** Posted **Mar 21, 2020, 2:25 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by DavefromSt.Vital

Weather looks good for tomorrow. I would do 17 as it is an iconic drive when near the shore of Lake Superior. 11 is mostly driving through bush. However, it depends on what you are driving. 17 has numerous high hills and elevation changes with curves. 11 is far easier for trucks, trailers, etc. Also, you do have snow tires, correct?

He has to have them by law if his vehicle is registered in Quebec. We just had a big snowfall today in Timmins and Hwy 11 had been closed between Kapuskasing and Geraldton but is open now.

Dengler Avenue · #**8224** Posted **Mar 21, 2020, 2:45 AM**

Plus Highway 11 passes through many more francophone towns than Highway 17 so Lio’s gonna feel at home.

Loco101 · #**8225** Posted **Mar 21, 2020, 2:51 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dengler Avenue

Plus Highway 11 passes through many more francophone towns than Highway 17 so Lio’s gonna feel at home.

Haha, true. Majority francophone towns along the highway are Earlton and everywhere between Smooth Rock Falls and Hearst.

Dengler Avenue · #**8226** Posted **Mar 21, 2020, 4:27 PM**

https://apple.news/AGSXOgvwMTnuecU69JP7lmA
Wow, even interprovincial travels are off limits. I wonder how far Lio’s got.

DavefromSt.Vital · #**8227** Posted **Mar 21, 2020, 4:40 PM**

The source story for those without Apple news:

https://www.thestar.com/politics/provinc...-to-avoid-travel-to-other-provinces.html

While Trudeau is urging people not to engage in inter-provincial travel, it is still possible, although the Northwest Territories has imposed restrictions.

DavefromSt.Vital · #**8228** Posted **Mar 21, 2020, 4:48 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Loco101

He has to have them by law if his vehicle is registered in Quebec.

Actually, the requirement is December 1 - March 15 so there is a chance he does not have them currently. Also, you can get a seven day exemption if you are planning a trip out of Quebec. Of course that exemption is used far more for people heading south than west!

https://www.caaquebec.com/en/on-the-road...-tire-exemption-practical-in-many-cases/

lio45 · #**8229** Posted **Mar 21, 2020, 4:55 PM**

Greeting from Hearst. Good advice from all, very appreciated

I have to be in Vancouver ASAP and have been officially deemed "essential" so I shouldn't be held (except by bad weather).

And yeah, summer tires would have been suicide. Saw many semi trucks (4 so far) in the ditch off Hwy 11.

Dengler Avenue · #**8230** Posted **Mar 21, 2020, 4:59 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by lio45

Greeting from Hearst. Good advice from all, very appreciated

I have to be in Vancouver ASAP and have been officially deemed "essential" so I shouldn't be held (except by bad weather).

And yeah, summer tires would have been suicide. Saw many semi trucks (4 so far) in the ditch off Hwy 11.

You see, this is what happens when Ontario discourages tire chains...

Man... Good luck traversing TCH through Interior B.C. Apparently Revelstoke MP is hell of a deathtrap.

Acajack · #**8231** Posted **Mar 21, 2020, 5:06 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by lio45

Greeting from Hearst. Good advice from all, very appreciated

I have to be in Vancouver ASAP and have been officially deemed "essential" so I shouldn't be held (except by bad weather).

And yeah, summer tires would have been suicide. Saw many semi trucks (4 so far) in the ditch off Hwy 11.

Lio is in 'Urss!

lio45 · #**8232** Posted **Mar 22, 2020, 3:42 PM**

Not anymore. Saskatchewan now. (Stopping briefly for lunch and coffee at Tim's.)

Dengler Avenue · #**8233** Posted **Mar 22, 2020, 3:50 PM**

Wow. Fast.

lio45 · #**8234** Posted **Mar 22, 2020, 3:54 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Acajack

Lio is in 'Urss!

The girl manning the drive-thru window at the Hearst McDonald's was black and perfectly French-speaking, so it seems that even Hearst is getting international immigration from Francophonie countries!

(Didn't ask but she looked more Haitian than Subsaharan African.)

There are a number of things to do in Hearst, AND there are a number of international immigrants in Hearst! Impressive. (They might even have a Costco - I didn't check.)

lio45 · #**8235** Posted **Mar 22, 2020, 3:56 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dengler Avenue

Wow. Fast.

Time is of the essence, there an even-more-serious-reason-than-coronavirus that I'm not stopping and shaking SSPer hands along the way :p

Acajack · #**8236** Posted **Mar 22, 2020, 4:44 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by lio45

The girl manning the drive-thru window at the Hearst McDonald's was black and perfectly French-speaking, so it seems that even Hearst is getting international immigration from Francophonie countries!

(Didn't ask but she looked more Haitian than Subsaharan African.)

There are a number of things to do in Hearst, AND there are a number of international immigrants in Hearst! Impressive. (They might even have a Costco - I didn't check.)

No Costco north of Sudbury in that part of the country.

Loco101 · #**8237** Posted **Mar 23, 2020, 12:11 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by lio45

Greeting from Hearst. Good advice from all, very appreciated

I have to be in Vancouver ASAP and have been officially deemed "essential" so I shouldn't be held (except by bad weather).

And yeah, summer tires would have been suicide. Saw many semi trucks (4 so far) in the ditch off Hwy 11.

Did you stay at the Companion Hotel?

Loco101 · #**8238** Posted **Mar 23, 2020, 12:11 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Acajack

Lio is in 'Urss!

Some of the people I work with are from there and they like to say it that way to make me laugh.

Loco101 · #**8239** Posted **Mar 23, 2020, 12:19 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by lio45

The girl manning the drive-thru window at the Hearst McDonald's was black and perfectly French-speaking, so it seems that even Hearst is getting international immigration from Francophonie countries!

(Didn't ask but she looked more Haitian than Subsaharan African.)

There are a number of things to do in Hearst, AND there are a number of international immigrants in Hearst! Impressive. (They might even have a Costco - I didn't check.)

Yes, there has been a push to get French-speaking immigrants in our region. There are some in Timmins as well. There is a good chance that the person who served you is a student at Université de Hearst which is the only exclusively French language university in Ontario. It's also one of the smallest universities in Canada.

rousseau · #**8240** Posted **Apr 7, 2020, 2:12 AM**

I think I've confirmed for myself that I don't think any of the 400 highways in Ontario will ever increase the speed limit beyond 100 km/h. Because today I drove between 140 and 150 km/h on the 401 to Toronto and back and was passed several times. And I wasn't passing cars by much, either.

The traffic was amazingly free-flowing and light. Not only were there were no bumper-to-bumper slowdowns or complete stoppages, there were long empty stretches with barely a car or two. Never experienced anything like it. And I'm now certain that we won't be speeding the 401 up. Why?

1. We do not have German-calibre lane discipline in Ontario. We're a lot better than Americans at keeping the passing lane clear, but we're not Germans. It wouldn't be safe to go any faster than we do already.

2. If the limit was 120 km/h I would have gone up to 170 km/h (50 km/h over the limit is an immediate licence suspension and your car is impounded for 7 day, so Ontario drivers are careful not to do that). I don't think we really want that many drivers going 170 km/h on the 401. I know I'm a good driver, I've got German stock in my ethnic heritage, but I'm not so sure about the rest of you...

This will all be moot once things return to normal because traffic levels will organically prohibit speeding anyway. So perhaps the debate, if there is one, is a red herring.