First Stop Timmins

They say that Shania Twain comes from Timmins.  It's hard to believe that someone so famous came from this little town of 41 thousand people!

Timmins is a very pretty town on the Mattagami River.  It's the 4th largest city in Northeastern Ontario.  The economy here is based on natural resource extraction and is supported by industries related to lumbering and the mining of gold, zinc, copper, nickel and silver.   Now it makes sense;  some of the signs I saw on my drive up here "DANGER" "DO NOT ENTER"  "BLASTING ZONE!" are everwhere.

The drive up Highway 11 was pretty uneventful even with all of the road construction.   This must be the year to dig up and repave the roads!   Looks like they are doing a major widening of Hwy 400 North of King Road.   Lots of construction on Highway 11. I'm surprised that more truckers aren't using it, rather it appears (because of the lack of traffic) they are either going up Hwy 144 or Hwy 1 North of Sault Ste Marie.  It appears they have 1 lane open where the washout happened at Alona Bay.  They are getting through with alternating traffic -- What a nightmare, I'm glad did the big detour.

Some observations today:

• Rockcliffe Pottery is just south of North Bay.  This is the Dutch woman who used to make the pottery set I used to give Auntie Ling for Birthday/Christmases.  I did take the exit (301 for future reference) thinking it would be a fun side-trip, but the road sign said it was 36km away so I'd lose at least an hour of sunlight to make the detour.  Hold that thought, maybe on my way home :)
  
• Highway 11 turns from 2 lanes to 1 lane just outside of North Bay.   All 362km of it!  That's like driving from Oshawa to Cornwall with one lane in each direction!  Speed limit is 90km/hr.  They have pull-out lanes every 15-20 km, can you imagine Dad being stuck behind transport trailers for 1/2 hr or more?!  Thankfully, not much traffic so I put the red rocket on cruise control at about 105 km/hr.   I only saw 1 OPP the entire trip, and he was getting gas at Englehart about 90 minutes out of Timmins
  
• My plan to drive only during daylight is a good one.  There are no fences between the treelines and the road.   Watch for Moose signs are everywhere.
  
  
• Nature sightings consisted of only 2 critterish characters so far
     
  
• I wanted to stop at the Thornloe Cheese Factory, but figured my car would stink pretty quickly.  Apparently a family run business for 70 years
  
• I saw this giant Buffalo, but wasn't sure why it was there (Earlton).
  
• I was really surprised to see that up here (north of North Bay) there is so much farm industry; acres and acres as far as you can see of corn, grains, potatoes.  Apparently a big dairy producer as well.
  
• Also super surprised to hear that about 50% of the people who live between North Bay and Timmins are Francophones
  
• Saw a huge Wood Factory in Englehart.  Acres and acres and acres of logs piles up at this factory to make this type of building product that is like pressboard.
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I have to give credit to others for these photos.  I didn't take any today.

Maybe tomorrow.   And on that note, I think I'll take a shower and read for a bit before bed.  Plan to hit the road around 9 again.  Long 8.5 hour drive to Thunder Bay.   Probably on this 2 lane blacktop again.   I did say I wanted to meander!

Hugs, Olives Mum oxox