 Highway 525 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Route information | ||||
| Maintained byMinistry of Transportation of Ontario | ||||
| Length | 35.4 km[1] (22.0 mi) | |||
| Existed | 1956[2]–1972[3] (inGravenhurst) 1982–present | |||
| Major junctions | ||||
| South end |  Highway 596 nearMinaki | |||
| North end | Islington Indian Reserve entrance | |||
| Location | ||||
| Country | Canada | |||
| Province | Ontario | |||
| Divisions | Kenora District | |||
| Major cities | Whitedog | |||
| Highway system | ||||
| ||||
Secondary Highway 525, commonly referred to asHighway 525, is aprovincially maintained secondary highway in theCanadian province ofOntario. It is a short, remote secondary highway that linksHighway 596 to theWabaseemoong First Nations reserve. It is the second-westernmost secondary highway in the province,Highway 673 being the first. The route was commissioned by 1982 along what was formerly Highway 596; a former use of the route number existed between 1956 and 1973 inGravenhurst.
Highway 525 is a very remote highway in northwestern Ontario. There are no settlements along its 35.4-kilometre (22.0 mi) length, and the closest human habitation isMinaki near its southern terminus andWhitedog near its northern terminus. The route begins west of Minaki, branching off from Highway 596, which travels south toKenora. It travels north along a wide strip of land bounded by Sand Lake to the east, and by Swan Lake and Tetu Lake to the west, all part of theWinnipeg River watershed. Zig-zagging in a generally northward direction, the highway passes through thickboreal forest. At approximately its midpoint, the route meets the Cygnet Lake road, which provides access to a remote camp. The highway continues north, curving west immediately before ending at the entrance to the Wabaseemoong (Islington) reserve.[1] The road continues into the reserve to provide access toCaribou Falls and Whitedog.[4]
The current Highway 525 is not the original usage of the number. In 1956, the number was one of several dozen Secondary Highways designated by theDepartment of Highways to improve connections between King's Highways.[5]The highway followed the route of present-dayMuskoka District Road 18 north fromHighway 11 to theMuskoka Centre.[2]It was decommissioned between early 1972 and late 1973, shortly after the establishment of theDistrict Municipality of Muskoka.[3][6]
The current Highway 525 was designated by 1982.[7]Prior to that, the road it followed was an extension of Highway 596 that was designated in the mid-1970s.[8]The route wasgravel surfaced when it was assumed,[7] but has since been paved.[4]
The following table lists the major junctions along Highway 525, as noted by theMinistry of Transportation of Ontario.[1] The entire route is located inKenora District.[4]
| Location | km[1] | mi | Destinations | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unorganized Kenora District | 0.0 | 0.0 | Highway 596 –Kenora,Minaki | ||
| 35.4 | 22.0 | Islington Indian Reserve entrance | Road continues towardsWhitedog andCaribou Falls | ||
| 1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi | |||||
Two new Ontario road numbers appear on the province's 1956 official road map which will be ready for distribution next week. The new numbers are the 500 and 600 series and designate hundreds of miles of secondary roads which are wholly maintained by the Highways Department. More than 100 secondary roads will have their own numbers and signs this year. All of these secondary roads were taken into the province's main highways system because they form important connecting links with the King's Highways
