This plaque stands at the halfway point of the Trans-Canada Highway, which runs from St John's, Newfoundland, to Victoria, British Columbia. Its construction, in conjunction with the provinces, was authorized by the federal parliament in 1949. The official opening for through traffic of this 4,859-mile route, of which about 1,453 miles are within Ontario, took place on September 3, 1962. However, with the completion of a section of Highway 11 between Longlac and Hearst in 1944, it had been possible previously to cross Ontario from Quebec to Manitoba within this province. The opening of the Trans-Canada Highway provided a superior and shorter artery, drawing together widely separated regions of Ontario.

Location

On a cairn near Chippewa Falls at the approximate midpoint of the route, Highway 17, about 13 km east of Batchawana Bay

Themes

• Industry and trade
• Politics and law
• Transportation systems and communications