Ontario Highway 105

Highway 105 is a {{convert|173.5|km|abbr=on}} 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, with bedrock outcroppings, small lakes, muskeg, and boreal forest dominating the landscape.{{cite report

| title = Ontario Geological Survey Map P.2484 – Madsen Area

| publisher = Ministry of Natural Resources

| date = 1982

| url = http://www.geologyontario.mndmf.gov.on.ca/mndmfiles/pub/data/imaging/P2484/P2484.pdf

| access-date = October 21, 2020}}

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 {{convert|100|km|abbr=on}} east of Kenora and {{convert|40|km|abbr=on}} west of Dryden, travelling north. It progresses through a large region of uninhabited lakes, swamplands, forests and rocks for {{convert|103|km|abbr=on}} to Ear Falls, with Red Lake Road and Perrault Falls being the only communities between the two.{{Google maps

| title = Highway 105 – Length and Route

| url = https://www.google.ca/maps/dir/49.8534056,-93.3642107/51.020042,-93.8251625/@50.4449065,-94.1527389,8.5z/data=!4m2!4m1!3e0

| access-date = October 21, 2020}}

The hamlet of Red Lake Road, located {{convert|13|km|abbr=on}} 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.{{cite web

| title = Red Lake Road Train Station

| publisher = Via Rail Canada

| url = https://www.viarail.ca/en/explore-our-destinations/stations/ontario/red-lake-road

| access-date = October 21, 2020}}

Perrault Falls, located {{convert|65|km|abbr=on}} 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.{{cite news

| title = Drive to the "End of the Road" to Red Lake, Ontario

| first1 = Erin | last1 = Rody

| publisher = Northern Ontario Travel

| date = April 30, 2018

| url = https://www.northernontario.travel/sunset-country/highway-105

| access-date = October 21, 2020}}

North of Perrault Falls, Highway 105 travels parallel to a power transmission corridor for most of the remainder of the route.

File:Hwy 105 ON.JPG

Approaching Ear Falls, the route intersects Highway 804, which branches west to the Manitou Falls hydroelectric dam. Within Ear Falls, it crosses adjacent to the 29.3 megawatt Obishikokaang Waasiganikewigamig Generating Station at the outlet of Lac Seul into the English River.{{cite web

| title = Lac Seul/Ear Falls – Obishikokaang Waasiganikewigamig Generating Station (29.3 MW) – Ear Falls: English River

| publisher = Ontario Power Authority

| url = http://www.powerauthority.on.ca/hydroelectric/lac-seulear-falls-obishikokaang-waasiganikewigamig-generating-station-293-mw-ear-falls-english-river

| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20110825053443/http://www.powerauthority.on.ca/hydroelectric/lac-seulear-falls-obishikokaang-waasiganikewigamig-generating-station-293-mw-ear-falls-english-river

| archive-date = August 25, 2011

| access-date = October 21, 2020

| url-status = dead}}

Immediately to the north, Highway 657 branches east to the former Hudson's Bay Company fur trading outpost at Goldpines, now home to several fishing and camping lodges.{{cite web

| title = History – Ear Falls, Ontario

| publisher = Township of Ear Falls

| url = https://ear-falls.com/visitors/history/

| access-date = October 21, 2020}}{{cite web

| title = About Gold Pines Camp

| publisher = Gold Pines Camp

| url = http://www.goldpines.com/about.html

| access-date = October 21, 2020}}

Approximately {{convert|20|km|abbr=on}} north of Ear Falls, Highway 105 passes east of Pakwash Provincial Park and through the community of Snake River. As the route approaches Red Lake from the east, it encounters Highway 125, which branches north to Balmerton and Cochenour, as well as the Red Lake Airport (CYRL), once the busiest airport in the world.{{cite web

| title = Red Lake Airport – CYRL

| publisher = Municipality of Red Lake

| date = 2014

| url = https://www.redlake.ca/web/airport.php

| access-date = October 21, 2020}}

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.{{cite map

| title = Ontario Back Road Atlas

| author = Mapart

| publisher = Peter Heiler Ltd

| year = 2010

| page = 106

| section = E–G4

| isbn = 978-1-55198-226-7}}

{{clear}}

File:ON 105 at Cedar Lake.jpg

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.{{cite web

| title = The Red Lake Gold Rushes

| publisher = Red Lake Regional Heritage Centre

| url = https://www.redlakemuseum.com/the-red-lake-gold-rushes.html

| access-date = October 22, 2020}}

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 (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.{{cite web

| title = Mining in Red Lake

| publisher = Chukuni

| url = http://www.chukuni.com/mining

| access-date = October 22, 2020}}

While the need for a road was evident, the rising use of aircraft was seen as a simpler method of transporting people and materials;{{cite web

| title = By Road

| publisher = Red Lake Regional Heritage Centre

| url = https://www.redlakemuseum.com/by-road.html

| access-date = October 22, 2020}}

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 followed by the onset of World War II would delay its arrival for 20 years.

File:ON 105 south of Red Lake.jpg

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.{{cite book

| title = From Footpaths to Freeways

| pages = 93–94

| last1 = Shragge

| first1 = John

| last2 = Bagnato

| first2 = Sharon

| publisher = Ontario Ministry of Transportation and Communications, Historical Committee

| location = Toronto

| year = 1984

| isbn = 978-0-7743-9388-1}}

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 {{convert|7.3|m|adj=on}} wide road cost approximately CAD$3 million (in $1947, {{inflation|CA|3000000|1947|fmt=c|r=-5}} adjusted for inflation) to build, and featured five timber-framed bridges.

Highway 105 was officially opened in a ceremony attended by Ontario premier George A. Drew 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,{{cite map

| title = Ontario Road Map

| cartography = C.P. Robins

| publisher = Ontario Department of Highways

| year = 1949

| sections = C5–F6}}

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.{{cite report

| title = Annual Report

| publisher = Department of Highways

| date = March 31, 1967

| page = 37}}

Aside from minor realignments, Highway 105 has remained unchanged since then.

{{ONinttop|maint=MTO|length_ref={{cite web

|title = Annual Average Daily Traffic (AADT) counts

|author = Ministry of Transportation of Ontario

|author-link = Ministry of Transportation of Ontario

|year = 2016

|url = https://www.library.mto.gov.on.ca/SydneyPLUS/TechPubs/Portal/tp/tvSplash.aspx

|access-date = October 25, 2020}}|division=Kenora|division_ref=}}

{{ONint

| location_special = Vermilion Bay

| lspan =

| km = 0.0

| road = {{jcon|Hwy|17|tch=y|city=Thunder Bay|city2=Kenora}}

| notes = Southern terminus

}}

{{ONint

| location = Red Lake Road

| km = 13.2

| road = {{jcon|Hwy|609|to Quibell Road}}

| notes = CN flag stop

}}

{{ONint

| location = Perrault Falls

| km = 65.0

| road =

| notes =

}}

{{ONint

| location_special = Unorganized Kenora District

| km = 77.6

| road = Onaway Lac Seul Road – Onaway Lodge

| notes =

}}

{{ONint

| location = Ear Falls

| lspan = 3

| km = 99.9

| road = {{jcon|Hwy|804|town=Manitou Falls}}

| notes =

}}

{{ONint

| km = 101.7

| road = English River Bridge

| rcspan = 2

| notes = none

}}

{{ONint

| km = 103.1

| road = {{jcon|Hwy|657|Gold Pines Road}}

| notes =

}}

{{ONint

| location = Red Lake

| lspan = 2

| km = 170.7

| road = {{jcon|Hwy|125|Balmertown Road}}

| notes =

}}

{{ONint

| km = 173.5

| road = {{jcon|Hwy|618}}

| notes = Northern terminus

}}

{{jctbtm}}

{{Reflist}}

{{Attached KML|display=title, inline}}

{{Ontario King's Highways}}

105

Category:Roads in Kenora District