The First Trans-Canada Auto Trip

Halifax: August 27, 1912 <<<    >>> Victoria: October 17, 1912

Daily News: September 8, 1997

The Longest Street

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Today's Statistics: Travelling from St. Catharines, Ontario, to Gravenhurst, Ontario
Distance: 199 km Driving Hours: 5 h Fuel: 64 l Weather: Sunny Temperature: Min. 6 Max. 22

The Reo began this day back on its trailer as it was towed back to Toronto. The side-trip to St. Catharines was over and it was time to get back on the original route.

The first stop of the day was downtown Toronto, where the Reo was unloaded once again, practically in the shadow of the famous CN Tower. A public ceremony was held to publicize the contract signing between John Nicol and publishers Little Brown Canada. John's book on this trip is due out by Christmas 1998.

The Reo finally found its way to Yonge St. and began the long drive to Gravenhurst. Yonge St. is listed in the Guiness Book of World Records as the longest street in the world. It runs from the shores of Lake Ontario in downtown Toronto to Thunder Bay, a distance of over 1800 km. Construction of the route was begun in 1794, under the direction of Lieutenant-Governor John Simcoe, to provide a military and commercial route to Northern Ontario. Portions of the route followed paths that had been used by the first nations travellers for centuries.

Travelling out of Toronto along Yonge St. took the Reo from skyscrapers and traffic jams through scenic farmland and alongside Lake Simcoe. Gravenhurst, on beautiful Lake Muskoka, marked the end of day 13 for the Reo and the 1997 pathfinders.

CN Tower








The CN Tower, the world's tallest free-standing structure, overlooks the Skydome, home of the BlueJays and the Argonauts




















Bay St.







The Reo on Bay St., the heart of Toronto's financial district.











Muskoka




Beautiful Muskoka Lake is part of the Trent Waterway which links The Georgian Bay with Lake Simcoe, including 37 locks.









Picture of the Day ... The men from Autotrim came out to do some detailing on the RV.


On this day in 1912 ...

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