Moving from Southern ON to Lethbridge, AB

[sydney8295]

We're renting a large uhaul with trailer for a motorcycle to move from southern Ontario to Lethbridge Alberta beginning of May. I've been reading up about preferred highways and stops to take along the way. I'd love to hear more thoughts and opinions. It's our first time driving west.
I read that taking Hwy 11 in Ontario is preferred when driving large trucks or hauling trailers. It seems that just after Emo we'd have to take Hwy 71 up to Kenora then head West to cross the Manitoba border.

 

[moonstone]

We've only driven out to AB once (in a pickup towing a large trailer) but driven to Thunder Bay many times (from near Barrie ON) on both routes. Taking Hwy 11 is a much flatter route and preferable by truckers and folks towing trailers even though it is slightly longer, as opposed to taking the 400 then hugging the shore of Lake Superior on Hwy 17. Taking Hwy 17 from Sudbury to Thunder Bay is shorter and very scenic, a few times you are driving along the side of a cliff with a huge drop off to Lake Superior. It is definitely a fair weather route. That being said, the southern route through the USA is even shorter. Our son drove the pickup and trailer that we took to AB home that way and said although it goes through some smaller towns and on smaller (non interstate highways) it was a nicer drive. He crossed into the US somewhere south of Regina and then back into ON at SS Marie. You can put your start and end cities into Google maps and see the various routes. When we drove out west on Hwy 11 & then 17 through Ontario it was the worst part of the trip. It is just 2 lanes with very few passing lanes and it was in very rough shape. I actually emailed the Minister of Transportation to say what a disgrace it was and an embarrassment to any other Canadians driving through Ontario. Once you cross into MB the Trans Canada (Hwy 17) is a 4 lane divided highway with a wide grass median all the rest of the way west.

The other thing with the northern ON section is that gas stations, hotels/motels and restaurants are few and far between. Pack a small cooler with drinks and snacks no matter which route you take. If you are near an Ontario Tourism office (there's one right beside Hwy 400 at the south end of Barrie) go in and get a free paper map of Ontario. It's nice to see the big picture instead of on a little phone, GPS or laptop screen. Have a safe trip!

~Diane

 

[sydney8295]

We've only driven out to AB once (in a pickup towing a large trailer) but driven to Thunder Bay many times (from near Barrie ON) on both routes. Taking Hwy 11 is a much flatter route and preferable by truckers and folks towing trailers even though it is slightly longer, as opposed to taking the 400 then hugging the shore of Lake Superior on Hwy 17. Taking Hwy 17 from Sudbury to Thunder Bay is shorter and very scenic, a few times you are driving along the side of a cliff with a huge drop off to Lake Superior. It is definitely a fair weather route. That being said, the southern route through the USA is even shorter. Our son drove the pickup and trailer that we took to AB home that way and said although it goes through some smaller towns and on smaller (non interstate highways) it was a nicer drive. He crossed into the US somewhere south of Regina and then back into ON at SS Marie. You can put your start and end cities into Google maps and see the various routes. When we drove out west on Hwy 11 & then 17 through Ontario it was the worst part of the trip. It is just 2 lanes with very few passing lanes and it was in very rough shape. I actually emailed the Minister of Transportation to say what a disgrace it was and an embarrassment to any other Canadians driving through Ontario. Once you cross into MB the Trans Canada (Hwy 17) is a 4 lane divided highway with a wide grass median all the rest of the way west.

The other thing with the northern ON section is that gas stations, hotels/motels and restaurants are few and far between. Pack a small cooler with drinks and snacks no matter which route you take. If you are near an Ontario Tourism office (there's one right beside Hwy 400 at the south end of Barrie) go in and get a free paper map of Ontario. It's nice to see the big picture instead of on a little phone, GPS or laptop screen. Have a safe trip!

~Diane

Hi Diane,

Thank you for your advice! We're most likely going to avoid going through the US as we'll have 2 dogs, 2 cats, and each be driving (one in the 20+foot uhaul w/ trailer and the other in the sedan with the animals). I read somewhere that having full cargo and driving through the US can be a problem as they may think we're trying to sneak in to the country. We'd also need a complete manifest of everything in each vehicle and I don't even know what we'd need for the animals.

I think we'll take Highway 11 after Thunder Bay and then 71 back up to avoid those hills. It will be a fairly large u-haul dragging a trailer with a motorcycle and myself either ahead or behind in the sedan. The flatter the better to avoid any potential problems.

I've been told a lot that driving through Ontario will be the worst part of the trip. I'm originally from Northern Ontario, where the logging trucks and mine trucks have destroyed the roads. so that I'm accustomed to, and the highway from North Bay to Timmins also has few passing lanes and they get farther and fewer the farther north you go.

When you say Northern Ontario, do you mean highway 11 from North Bay, Tamiskaming Shores, Hearst etc? I was looking at taking Highway 11 from Thunday Bay to Kenora basically. We'd be leaving for that half from Elliot Lake.

 

[moonstone]

With all your pets and all that stuff you are wise to stay in ON, although when our oldest DS drove a large U-Haul truck full of household things which was towing his car (loaded with clothes & linens) on a U-Haul trailer from Orillia to Tampa when he moved down last July, he was not questioned about the truck or car contents at the border at all. Our DiL & I spent many hours writing detailed lists of everything in all the tubs and totes and all the US customs guys asked was if he had any alcohol or tobacco!

After you leave Thunder Bay you drive on a combined 11/17 for a few miles then they separate and you'll stay on 17 going towards Kenora and then the MB border. North and west of Thunder Bay is not very hilly. The hilliest part of the ON drive is on Hwy 17 between SS Marie and Thunder Bay. By taking Hwy 11 from Thunder Bay to Kenora (via Fort Francis) you will run into more hills and it is quite a bit longer of a drive than staying on 17. When I referred to Northern ON I meant anywhere from Sudbury when taking 17, or North Bay when taking Hwy.11, towards the MB border. If you are leaving from Elliot Lake then you are kind of stuck taking the hilly lake route on 17, the Trans Canada Hwy, as its too far out of your way to back track and get on Hwy 11 east of Timmins. At least you shouldn't run into any snow and you will be ahead of the giant starving mosquitoes!

Hubby has driven a tractor trailer on all the highways in ON from east to west and south to north when he worked the Wintario Lottery draws and hauled the lottery machines to a different town every Thursday many years ago. I was lucky to accompany him on many trips. His worst trip was driving between Terrace Bay and Marathon in a snowstorm. A woman in a car in front of him slowed down so much he could not get the truck (Two 40 ft trailers on a Kenworth) up a hill. He ran out of gears to downshift to and the whole rig began sliding backwards with the trailers starting to jackknife and coming very close to going over the cliff. He and his co-worker had their seatbelts off and the doors open ready to jump out and let the truck go when it finally got hung up on the little guardrail and stopped. The next trip we took that way in the winter was in a car and he felt much more at ease!


~Diane

 

[sydney8295]

Based on all your fantastic information we're changed our travel arragements specifically to avoid SS to Thunday Bay. We'll bypass and head to Timmins taking 11/17. I'm originally from Timmins so it'll be a nice chance to stop in and say hello before moving on. I'd rather avoid unnecessary risk and although it would have been nice to stop in Elliot Lake to see family, it seems like it will add a very unnerving day of driving to an already long trip.

Thank goodness for that guardrail! I can't imagine how scary that would have been and is exactly the type of thing I'm looking to avoid at all costs. That's another reason for tavelling through CAN instead of US. I read that you should prepare a manifest in case you're stopped and nearly all out belongings are already packed in storage that will go right into the truck. We would have to unpack, track and repack to write that out, and I'm the type who would rathwr have it and not need it than need it and not have it.

It's good to know that after Thunder Bay it's a smoother ride. I can avoid a detour there and use the main highway towards Kenora. And taking Highway from North Bay forward is something I'm quite familiar with which is comforting for sure. I've never been passed Hearst so I will make sure to be filled with gas and snacks for that portion of the journey.

Again, Diane, thank you so much for your advice. I feel much more confident in my planning and route!

 

[bizaro86]

I have no advice for your drive, but wanted to welcome you to Alberta!

 

[PrairieGirl]

You will be driving through southern Saskatchewan (yes, it's flat) and if you want to take a break along the way, stop in Moose Jaw. The tunnels there are fascinating!

Tunnels of Moose Jaw – Moose Jaw, SK Canada

www.tunnelsofmoosejaw.com

Check this place out if you plan to stay a day https://templegardenshotel.com/

Welcome to the West and be prepared to hang on to your hat in Lethbridge!

 

[SDawn]

Thunder Bay resident here and I hate the highways around here! LOL

Since you're going early May, you should hopefully be missing all the boats and campers on the highway for opening fishing season (May long). There is a lot of transport traffic. Personally, I hate highway 102. That's the highway you'll hit when you come into Thunder Bay. That's the highway all the truckers take as it's the shortest route. It doesn't have may passing lanes and is very curvy. There have been many transport accidents on that highway.

That's the highway you'll hit when you come into Thunder Bay. I prefer the Harbour Expressway extension going towards Kakabeka Falls (which you should see anyways if you are passing through!). It will be a lot quieter up to Sistonen's corner, then highway 102 joins it along with the transports.

I'd say to gauge how the transport traffic is at that time, or even the weather. If there aren't many, take highway 102 and the main highway 17 to Kenora, it'll be faster. If there are a lot and you're getting frazzled, take the highway through Emo. When we take our trailer we prefer to go that way (but we cut through the US and go to Winnipeg). It takes a bit longer but it is a more leisurely drive. The mill closed in that area a few years ago so there are not too many transports.

You'll hit construction on highway 11 between Greenstone and Nipigon. They are also finishing the 2 laning between Nipigon and Thunder Bay, so you'll hit some construction there, but waits won't be too bad in early May.

 

[SDawn]

@moonstone
Do you know how many Thursday nights I spent as a kid watching those numbers slowly come up checking the tickets my dad bought?? lmao. (I think they were Thursday's?) Anyways, never won. lol

 

[moonstone]

@moonstone
Do you know how many Thursday nights I spent as a kid watching those numbers slowly come up checking the tickets my dad bought?? lmao. (I think they were Thursday's?) Anyways, never won. lol

Lol, yes lots of folks were glued to the TV every Thursday with tickets in hand. The most we ever won was $100. (back when employees were allowed to buy tickets). Quite a few draws are on YouTube.

Funny story; The first Christmas DH worked for the OLG fell on a Friday so the draw, as usual, was on Thursday, Christmas Eve. Christmas time draws were always in Toronto so the crew wasn't out of town. I went to my in-laws to spend the evening and we all watched the draw. My numbers matched all beginning the numbers on a draw for $50K (a little more than the amount of our mortgage) except for the very last number which was off by 1 number! There was no smaller prizes for having the first few numbers on that draw. I thought we were going to be mortgage free at 26 yrs of age! I gave DH heck when he got home as that last machine was one that he loaded and he was on the controller to roll the machines! I also later told Faye Dance that her timing was off when she said 'roll the machines Roy' as maybe if she had delayed a second or 2 my number would have dropped. Ahh well, DH had 33 good years with them and got paid to see a lot of the province.


~Diane

 

[sydney8295]

How are the gas stations after the Northern Ontario Highway 11 stretch? Thinking of stopping in Hearst & Nipigon before hitting Thunder Bay since there's few gas stations along that section. But afterwards do they become more frequent?

 

[moonstone]

How are the gas stations after the Northern Ontario Highway 11 stretch? Thinking of stopping in Hearst & Nipigon before hitting Thunder Bay since there's few gas stations along that section. But afterwards do they become more frequent?

There are a few. but some have only card lock pumps for the truckers and others have limited hours (ie; no late evenings). I know on the trip west driving our son's pickup and hauling a heavy trailer it was burning a lot of gas and we were worrying that we wouldn't make it to a station that our GPS was directing us to, but we pulled in running on fumes! My advice is to top up when you pass an open gas station even if you are only down 1/2 a tank. Just be prepared for sticker shock on the prices!

~Diane

 

[SDawn]

How are the gas stations after the Northern Ontario Highway 11 stretch? Thinking of stopping in Hearst & Nipigon before hitting Thunder Bay since there's few gas stations along that section. But afterwards do they become more frequent?

There are gas stations along the route just outside of Thunder Bay if you were driving right through and up highway 102. No need to turn into town if you don't want to. After the outskirts of Thunder Bay you won't hit another station until shabaqua corners, which is where the highway splits. A lot of the gas stations are smaller family owned stores which close early sometimes. So as moonstone suggested, just fill up when you see a station.

There's a No Frills and a Walmart when you turn off the expressway towards highway 102 (on Dawson Road) if you needed to stop for anything. There's a Tim's by there as well. But depending on the time of day you drive through, it might be really congested there and I wouldn't recommend trying to navigate their parking lot with a trailer. You can just keep going down the highway about 20 minutes to Dawson General Store for gas and some good food. (Check out their facebook page.