Ontario Highway 169

Highway 169 entered Gravenhurst along Bethune Drive.

The former route of Highway 169 has remained relatively unaltered since it was downloaded in 1998. It begins at an intersection with Highway 12 approximately 11 km (6.8 mi) north of the Trent Severn Waterway and 16 km (9.9 mi) east of the Atherley Narrows. It proceeds north at a point where Highway 12 begins to curve west towards Orillia, passing through meadows and forests and the occasional ranch. It passes through the community of Udney, curves northeast and intersects the Monck Road while curving back northwards. The Mnjikaning First Nation territory backs onto the highway at this location, but primary access is via Simcoe County Road 44. The route continues in a straight line through the communities of O'Connell and Fawkham, crossing the Black River immediately south of the latter. Gently curving to the northeast, it enters the village of Washago, after which it interchanges with Highway 11 south of the Severn River.[4][5]

While Highway 169 no longer exists a provincial route, Highway 11 continues to travel north today as a divided four-lane expressway, crossing the Severn River into the Canadian Shield, where the terrain is rougher, rockier, and dotted with lakes and swamps. Former Highway 169 splits from Highway 11 at the southern entrance to Gravenhurst (Exit 169), with the latter curving to the east. The route resumes independently, exiting the expressway and entering the town through a rock cut. It follows Bethune Drive, Brock Street and Bay Street through the town. Exiting Gravenhurst, the highway follows close to the western shore of Lake Muskoka, serving recreational cottages. The route passes north of the Devils Gap Trail, which follows the old Bala–Gravenhurst Colonization Road, then passes through the community of Torrance where it encounters a junction with District Road 13.[4][5]

Approximately 5 kilometres (3.1 mi) northwest of Torrance, former Highway 169 passes through Bala shortly after curving north at an intersection with District Road 38. The highway presses north, crossing both a Canadian National and Canadian Pacific railway in two separate locations. After intersecting Muskoka District Roads 29 and 26, it enters the community of Glen Orchard. Within that community, the route intersects the former western terminus of Highway 118 (which now ends at Highway 11), then gradually curves west to hug the southern shore of Lake Joseph. After a winding 10 kilometres (6.2 mi) drive west, the highway enters Foot's Bay and ends at the former route of Highway 69.[4][5]

Highway 169 east of Orillia

Highway 169 was created in the mid-1970s as part of a renumbering plan of existing highways; it originally formed the southerly leg of Highway 69. Due to the complex nature of that highway, only the history of the Brechin – Foot's Bay road is covered here.

Highway 69 was first designated on August 5, 1936. At that time, it connected Atherley and Washago along the Rama Road, now Simcoe County Road 44.[6] On April 1, 1937, the Department of Northern Development merged into the Department of Highways (DHO) (the predecessor to the modern Ministry of Transportation), opening roads north of the Severn River for improvement. The road between Gravenhurst and Parry Sound, and on to Pointe au Baril, subsequently became an extension of Highway 69, with the road between Washago and Gravenhurst becoming a concurrency with Highway 11. The section of road between Washago and Gravenhurst was assumed by the DHO on June 9, while the section between Gravenhurst and the Muskoka – Parry Sound boundary was assumed on August 25.[7]

In 1952, the southern 17.8 kilometres (11.1 mi) of the route, along the east side of Lake Couchiching via what is now Simcoe County Road 44, was transferred to local municipalities and a new, longer route was designated to the east, merging with Highway 12 north of Brechin.[8][9] This routing remained in place until May 15 1976, when the province redirected the southern portion of Highway 69 along the route of Highway 103, between Waubaushene and Foot's Bay, in order to create a more direct route between Toronto and Sudbury. The route of Highway 69 between Foot's Bay and Brechin was consequently renumbered as Highway 169.[2]

Highway 169 remained unmodified throughout its two decades of existence. On January 1, 1998, both sections of Highway 169 were transferred to the municipalities in which they were located; the southern section was transferred to Simcoe County, and the northern section to the District Municipality of Muskoka.[3] Both sections are still numbered 169, though they are now county roads.[4]

The following table lists intersections along Ontario Highway 169, as indicated in the 1997 MTO Highway Distance Table.[1] 

Division	Location	km	mi	Destinations	Notes
Simcoe	Ramara	0.00	0.00	Highway 12 – Whitby, Orillia
		6.90	4.29	County Road 46 – Dalrymple
		11.90	7.39	County Road 45 (Monck Road) – Sebright
	Washago	22.70	14.11	County Road 49 (Fairgrounds Road)
		24.40	15.16	County Road 44 (Rama Road)
		25.00	15.53	Quetton Street
		25.80	16.03	Highway 11 south – Orillia, Toronto	Washago Bypass; beginning of Highway 11 concurrency
	Severn Bridge	27.30	16.96	County Road 52 east (Coopers Falls Road) – Coopers Falls Canal Road west
Simcoe–Muskoka boundary		28.00	17.40	Severn River bridge
Muskoka		28.50– 28.60	17.71– 17.77	District Road 13 west (Southwood Drive)
	Gravenhurst	38.30– 39.70	23.80– 24.67	District Road 19 west (Sedore Road / Beiers Road)	Northbound exit located 1.40 km (0.87 mi) north of southbound exit
		43.90	27.28	Highway 11 north – Huntsville, North Bay	End of Highway 11 concurrency
		44.20	27.46	District Road 18 north (Muskoka Road South)
	Muskoka Lakes	61.70	38.34	District Road 30 (Walker's Point Road)
		67.40	41.88	District Road 13 (Southwood Road)
		71.90	44.68	District Road 38
		78.60	48.84	District Road 29 north (Acton Road)
		79.30	49.27	District Road 26 north (Mortimer's Point Road)
		81.90	50.89	Highway 118 east – Port Carling, Bracebridge	Glen Orchard
		91.40	56.79	Highway 69 – Parry Sound	Foot's Bay
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi