Northern Ontario Resource Trail

Northern Ontario Resource Trail
Highway 808 (1966-1983)
Route information
Length: 236.9 km[1] (147.2 mi)
Existed: December 6, 1966 – 1983
Major junctions
South end:  Highway 599 in Pickle Lake
North end: Windigo Lake
Location
Counties: Kenora
Major cities: Pickle Lake
Highway system
Roads in Ontario

The Northern Ontario Resource Trail is a mainly gravel road in the Canadian province of Ontario, which travels north from Pickle Lake to the northern shore of Windigo Lake. It links several winter roads and ice roads that serve communities in extreme Northern Ontario to Highway 599.

The first 60 kilometres of the route, from Pickle Lake to the Otoskwin River, also held the tertiary highway designation of Highway 808 within Ontario's provincial highway system from 1966 to 1983, before it was decommissioned.

Route description

Although this road is well-maintained year-round, it is extremely lightly travelled, and is in a very remote section of the province. Motorists should stock up on supplies in Pickle Lake, and be prepared for remote bush travel. It is recommended to fill up on gasoline and supplies, and check weather conditions before travelling down this road, since there are no gas stations or any other services on the Northern Ontario Resource Trail north of Pickle Lake. A spare tire is also a good idea, as it may be several hours (at least) for assistance to arrive. Cellular phones are useless in this area, since there are no nearby cell phone relay towers in the wilderness. Caution must be used while driving as well, as there are some steep grades on the route. Although the speed limit is 80 km/h (50 mph), there are many sections where such a speed can not be maintained.

Communities served

The Northern Ontario Resource Trail serves several communities via ice/winter roads that branch from it:

History

The Trail first started out as an extension of Highway 599, north of Pickle Lake. It was extended to the Otoskwin River in 1966, and was 60 km long (excluding southern parts of Highway 599).

On December 6, 1966, the northernmost 60 km portion of Highway 599 from Pickle Lake to the Otoskwin River was re-designated as Highway 808. This designation lasted until 1983, when it was decommissioned as an official Provincial Highway. The southernmost three km of the trail is paved, while the remaining length is gravel. The road is maintained year-round, due to its importance as a connection to natural resources sites and to ice/winter roads connecting remote First Nations communities in the Kenora District.

Major intersections

The following table lists the major junctions along Northern Resource Trail, as noted by the Ministry of Transportation of Ontario.[1] The entire route is located in Kenora District. 

Locationkm[1]miDestinationsNotes
Central Patricia0.00.0 Highway 599 south – Pickle Lake, Ignace
 58.836.5
Otoskwin River crossing; end of former Highway 808 designation
Windigo Lake236.9147.2
Windigo Lake shoreline
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi

References

  1. 1 2 3 Google (January 16, 2014). "Northern Ontario Resource Trail - length and route" (Map). Google Maps. Google. Retrieved January 16, 2014.
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