The
world's longest highway -- the Trans-Canada
-- is the nation's "Main Street," and in many
towns along the way, it is Main
Street."
More
than 3,000 miles of road stretch between St.
John's, Newfoundland and Victoria, British
Columbia, connected by several two ferry
rides and thrilling scenery. This is roadway
that leads through the Atlantic Provinces and
Quebec, then through the forests of the
Canadian Shield, in Ontario, lonely miles
across the vast prairie lands in the middle
of the country, and (in the western stretch)
the magnificent Canadian Rockies, and the
Pacific Coast. The highway leads through all
Canadian provinces except one (Prince Edward
Island).
There
are several alternate Trans-Canada routes.
The most traveled is the main -- southern --
route, that stays within a hundred miles of
the U.S. border through Quebec and Ontario --
along the northern shores of the Great Lakes.
A scenic option leads farther north into the
dense northern forests of Ontario, providing
access to wild rivers, untouched lakes, small
towns, and much wildlife. An optional
southern route leaves Thunder Bay (atop Lake
Superior) and proceeds west, through lake
country, to Fort Francis, and then curves
north to meet the main Trans-Canada at
Kenora.
At
Portage La Prairie, west of Winnipeg, you
have a major choice to make.
Highway
1 -- the main Trans-Canada route -- crosses
the southern edge of the three prairie
provinces. The northern route (Highway 16)
runs through Yorkton and Saskatoon (both in
Saskatchewan), and then heads into Alberta at
Lloydminster.
The
southern prairie route (Hwy. 1) passes Regina
and Moose Jaw, and arrives at Calgary before
climbing into the Rockies. The northern route
(Hwy. 16) continues across the mid-section of
Alberta, through Edmonton, and becomes the
Yellowhead Highway, leading through Jasper
National Park and the northern Rockies. It
loses its Trans-Canada status near the
British Columbia Border, where you can take
the Yellowhead South Highway (Hwy. 5) to meet
the main Trans-Canada route at
Kamloops.
Back
on the main route, just west of Calgary, the
highway visits Banff, Yoho, and Glacier
National Parks, crossing five mountain
ranges, and dropping into the Fraser River
Canyon before reaching Vancouver. The
Trans-Canada continues, after a ferry ride,
to its end, on Vancouver Island.
You'll
find the Trans-Canada Highway story on nine
provincial pages.
Have
a great trip!
