Route 117, the Trans Canada Highway Northern Route, is a provincial highway within the

Canadian province Canada has ten provinces and three territories that are sub-national administrative divisions under the jurisdiction of the Constitution of Canada, Canadian Constitution. In the 1867 Canadian Confederation, three provinces of British North Amer ...

Quebec Quebec is Canada's List of Canadian provinces and territories by area, largest province by area. Located in Central Canada, the province shares borders with the provinces of Ontario to the west, Newfoundland and Labrador to the northeast, ...

, running between

Montreal Montreal is the List of towns in Quebec, largest city in the Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Quebec, the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, second-largest in Canada, and the List of North American cit ...

and the Quebec/

Ontario Ontario is the southernmost Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada. Located in Central Canada, Ontario is the Population of Canada by province and territory, country's most populous province. As of the 2021 Canadian census, it ...

border where it continues as Highway 66 east of McGarry, Ontario. It is an important road since it is the only direct route between southern Quebec and the

Abitibi-Témiscamingue Abitibi-Témiscamingue () is an administrative region located in western Québec, Canada, along the border with Ontario. It became part of the province in 1898. It has a land area of and its population was 147,082 people as of the 2021 cens ...

region. Route 117 was formerly Route 11 and ran from Montreal north towards

Mont-Laurier Mont-Laurier () is a town and incorporated municipality in western Quebec, Canada, located on the banks of the Lièvre River (''Rivière du Lièvre''), a tributary of the Ottawa River. Known as the "Capital of the Haute-Laurentides", the motto o ...

and then followed the

Gatineau River The Gatineau River (, ) is a river in western Quebec, Canada, which rises in lakes north of the Baskatong Reservoir and flows south to join the Ottawa River at the city of Gatineau, Quebec. The river is long and drains an area of . Toponomy Ac ...

south towards

Gatineau Gatineau ( ; ) is a city in southwestern Quebec, Canada. It is located on the northern bank of the Ottawa River, directly across from Ottawa, Ontario. Gatineau is the largest city in the Outaouais administrative region of Quebec and is also p ...

. This routing is joined with Autoroute 15 from Montreal northwards towards

Mont Tremblant Mont Tremblant () is a mountain of the Laurentian Mountains, reaching an altitude of 932 metres. It is located in the province of Quebec, Canada, in Mont-Tremblant National Park, about 15 km northeast of the town of Mont-Tremblant and east ...

. Route 117 also takes in the former Quebec Routes 58 and 59. Along with Autoroute 15 to

Sainte-Agathe-des-Monts Sainte-Agathe-des-Monts () is a town in the province of Quebec, Canada, in the regional county municipality of Les Laurentides in the administrative region of Laurentides, also known as the "Laurentians" or the Laurentian Mountains (in English) ...

, it is also listed as a branch of the

Trans-Canada Highway The Trans-Canada Highway (Canadian French, French: ; abbreviated as the TCH or T-Can) is a transcontinental federal–provincial highway system that travels through all ten provinces of Canada, from the Pacific Ocean on the west coast to the A ...

Ontario Highway 17 King's Highway 17, more commonly known as Highway 17, is a Provincial highways in Ontario, provincially maintained highway and the primary route of the Trans-Canada Highway through the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Onta ...

is also a branch of the Trans-Canada Highway but is an unrelated route that parallels it by about .

Route description

This description of Route 117 follows it from southeast to northwest. Route 117 starts in Montreal at the

Décarie Interchange The Décarie Interchange, sometimes known as Décarie Circle in English-language radio traffic reports, is a highway interchange located on the island of Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Geography It is one of the busiest interchanges in Montreal as it ...

where Autoroute 40 and Autoroute 15 (Décarie Expressway) meet. Montrealers sometimes unofficially extend Route 117 along the portion of

Décarie Boulevard Autoroute 15 is a highway in western Quebec, Canada. It is also called the Décarie Expressway (English) or (French) between the Turcot and Décarie Interchanges in Montreal and the Laurentian Autoroute (English) or (French) north of Auto ...

that runs parallel to the Décarie Expressway. From the Décarie Interchange, Route 117 goes north on Marcel-Laurin Boulevard to Keller Boulevard. It continues from Laurentian Boulevard to Keller Boulevard, southbound only, or on Lachapelle Street from Keller Boulevard, northbound only, and crosses the

Rivière des Prairies The Rivière des Prairies (; ), called the Back River in English, is a delta channel of the Ottawa River in southwestern Quebec, Canada. The Kanien'kehá:ka called it ''Skowanoti'', meaning "River behind the island". The river separates the citi ...

over the

Lachapelle Bridge Lachapelle Bridge, in French Pont Lachapelle, (1930 and 1975) Also known as Cartierville Bridge. This bridge spans the Rivière des Prairies between the Montreal borough of Ahuntsic-Cartierville and the Laval, Quebec, Laval (Île Jésus) neighb ...

Île Jésus Île Jésus (, ''Jesus Island'') is a river island in southwestern Quebec, separated from the mainland to the north by the Rivière des Mille Îles, and from the Island of Montreal to the south by the Rivière des Prairies. It is the second-larg ...

. It continues through the Laval neighborhoods of Chomedey, Fabreville and Sainte-Rose, northbound as Boulevard Curé-Labelle, Boulevard Chomedey at the former Chenoy's deli, left turn at Boulevard Cartier and back into Boulevard Curé-Labelle, southbound as Boulevard Curé-Labelle. At the

Rivière des Mille Îles The Rivière des Mille Îles (, "Thousand Islands River") is a channel of the Ottawa River in southwestern Quebec, Canada and runs into the Rivière des Prairies. It is long. It divides Île Jésus (the city of Laval) from the North Shore, ...

, it crosses over the

Marius Dufresne Bridge Marius may refer to: People * Marius (name), a male given name, a Roman clan name and family name, and a modern name or surname *Gaius Marius (–86 BC), Roman statesman, seven times consul. * Marcus Aurelius Marius, emperor of the Gallic Empire, ...

to the " North Shore" (of the

). Then, Route 117 runs parallel to Autoroute 15 until

and goes through the

Laurentian Mountains The Laurentian Mountains, also known as the Laurentians or Laurentides, are a mountain range in Canada. The range is long and ranges in height from with peaks over . The Laurentian Mountains extend across Labrador and Quebec within the Laurent ...

. Towns along the route in this section include: *

Rosemère Rosemère () is an affluent suburb of Montreal, in southwestern Quebec, Canada on the north shore of the Rivière des Mille Îles in the Thérèse-De Blainville Regional County Municipality. The town is noted for its green look, due to the high ...

* Sainte-Thérèse * Blainville *

Mirabel Mirabel, Mirabelle or Mirabell may refer to: *Mirabel (name), a female given name Places Austria *Mirabell Palace, in Salzburg Canada *Mirabel, Quebec, a city northwest of Montreal *Montréal–Mirabel International Airport in Quebec *Mirabel ( ...

Saint-Jérôme Saint-Jérôme () ( 2021 population 80,213) is a suburban city located about northwest of Montreal on the Rivière du Nord. It is part of the North Shore sector of Greater Montreal. It is a gateway to the Laurentian Mountains and its reso ...

* Prévost * Sainte-Anne-des-Lacs *

Piedmont Piedmont ( ; ; ) is one of the 20 regions of Italy, located in the northwest Italy, Northwest of the country. It borders the Liguria region to the south, the Lombardy and Emilia-Romagna regions to the east, and the Aosta Valley region to the ...

Sainte-Adèle Sainte-Adèle () is a municipality in Quebec, Canada, and is part of the Les Pays-d'en-Haut Regional County Municipality. It lies on Route 117 about north-west of Montreal. Its tourism-based economy centres on its skiing and hotel industry. Sai ...

Val-Morin Val-Morin () is a municipality in the Laurentides region of Quebec, Canada, part of the Les Laurentides Regional County Municipality. Geography Val-Morin is located in the Laurentian Mountains, along the Rivière du Nord and on the shores of L ...

Val-David Val-David is a village of more than 5,200 inhabitants in the Laurentian Mountains about north of Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Attracting about 100,000 tourists a year, Val-David is predominantly francophone although it has a small anglophone minori ...

After Sainte-Agathe-des-Monts, Route 117 continues as a four-lane divided highway and winds its way through Laurentides Regional County Municipality until it reaches the town of Labelle. From then on to the Ontario border, Route 117 is mostly a standard two-lane highway. In

Grand-Remous Grand-Remous is a town and municipality in La Vallée-de-la-Gatineau Regional County Municipality, Quebec, Canada. The municipality is south of the Baskatong Reservoir, spanning both sides of the Gatineau River. The town is situated at the inter ...

, Route 117 crosses the

and intersects with Route 105, which goes southwest to

Maniwaki Maniwaki is a town in the province of Quebec, Canada. It is situated north of Ottawa, Ontario, on the Gatineau River, at the crossroads of Route 105 and Route 107, near Route 117 (Trans-Canada Highway). The town is the administrative centre fo ...

and

. Towns along the route in this section include: *

Ivry-sur-le-Lac Ivry-sur-le-Lac (, literally ''Ivry on the Lake'') is a village and municipality in the Laurentides region of Quebec, Canada, part of the Les Laurentides Regional County Municipality. The municipality completely encompasses Lake Manitou which is ...

Mont-Blanc Mont Blanc (, ) is a mountain in the Alps, rising above sea level, located right at the France-Italy border, Franco-Italian border. It is the highest mountain in Europe outside the Caucasus Mountains, the List of European ultra-prominent peaks ...

Mont-Tremblant Mont-Tremblant () is a List of cities in Canada, city in the Laurentian Mountains of Quebec, Canada, approximately northwest of Montreal and northeast of Ottawa, Ontario. The current municipality with city status was formed in 2000. Mont-Tremb ...

La Conception La Conception () is a village and municipality in the Laurentides region of Quebec, Canada, part of the Les Laurentides Regional County Municipality. Demographics Population trend: * Population in 2021: 1527 (2016 to 2021 population change: 14.2 ...

Labelle Labelle was an American funk rock band that originated out of the Blue Belles, a girl group who were a popular vocal group of the 1960s and 1970s. The original group was formed after the disbanding of two rival girl groups in the area around ...

Rivière-Rouge Rivière-Rouge (, ) is a city located in the Antoine-Labelle Regional County Municipality, Quebec, Canada. The population as of the 2021 Canadian census was 4,631. History As part of the 2000–2006 municipal reorganization in Quebec, the city w ...

* Nominingue * Lac-Saguay * Lac-des-Écorces *

* Aumond *

From Grand-Remous, the route heads north for some through undeveloped

wilderness Wilderness or wildlands (usually in the plurale tantum, plural) are Earth, Earth's natural environments that have not been significantly modified by human impact on the environment, human activity, or any urbanization, nonurbanized land not u ...

, most of which is part of

La Vérendrye Wildlife Reserve La Vérendrye wildlife reserve is one of the largest reserves in the province of Quebec, Canada, covering of contiguous land and lake area (Assinica wildlife reserve is the largest in the province, but its territory is broken up in four non-cont ...

. While the reserve is popular for a variety of outdoor activities, services along the road are sparse. This section is often considered one of the most dangerous routes in the province because of numerous fatal accidents, some involving

tractor-trailer A semi-trailer truck (also known by a wide variety of other terms – see #Other terms, below) is the combination of a tractor unit and one or more semi-trailers to carry freight. A semi-trailer attaches to the tractor with a type of Tow ...

s. During the winter, the route is often extremely slippery, even during dry and clear days. The few communities along this section are: *

Montcerf-Lytton Montcerf-Lytton is a municipality in La Vallée-de-la-Gatineau Regional County Municipality, Quebec, Canada. Its territory spans both shores of the Désert River, a tributary of the Gatineau River. Its population centres include: Brodeur, Chute- ...

* Cascades-Malignes *

Lac-Pythonga Lac-Pythonga is an unorganized territory in the Outaouais region of Quebec, Canada. It surrounds Lake Pythonga and is the largest of the five unorganized territories in the La Vallée-de-la-Gatineau Regional County Municipality. The Rapid Lak ...

* Réservoir-Dozois *

Matchi-Manitou Matchi-Manitou is an unorganized territory in the Abitibi-Témiscamingue region of Quebec, Canada. It is one of five unorganized territories in La Vallée-de-l'Or Regional County Municipality. Until July 6, 1996, Matchi-Manitou was a vast unorg ...

Val-d'Or Val-d'Or ( , , ; meaning "Golden Valley" or "Valley of Gold") is a city in Quebec, Canada with a population of 32,752 inhabitants according to the 2021 Canadian census. The city is located in the Abitibi-Témiscamingue region near La Vérendrye ...

* Lac-Simon After the intersection with Route 113, which continues north to

Lebel-sur-Quévillon Lebel-sur-Quévillon () is a city (Quebec), city in the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Quebec, located on Quebec Route 113, Route 113 in the Jamésie region. It is located approximately 88 kilometres north of Senneterre ...

, Route 117 heads west to Ontario where it becomes Highway 66. The section between Rouyn-Noranda and Arntfield runs

concurrent Concurrent means happening at the same time. Concurrency, concurrent, or concurrence may refer to: Law * Concurrence, in jurisprudence, the need to prove both ''actus reus'' and ''mens rea'' * Concurring opinion (also called a "concurrence"), a ...

with Route 101. Towns along the route in this section include: *

* Malartic * Rivière-Héva *

Rouyn-Noranda Rouyn-Noranda (; Canada 2021 Census, 2021 population 42,313) is a city on Osisko Lake in the Abitibi-Témiscamingue region of Quebec, Canada. The city of Rouyn-Noranda is coextensive with a territory equivalent to a regional county municipalit ...

In other media

The rivalry in the

Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League The Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League (QMJHL; , LHJMQ), formerly the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League is one of the three major junior ice hockey leagues that constitute the Canadian Hockey League (CHL). The league includes teams in Quebec ...

between the

Val-d'Or Foreurs The are a Canadian junior ice hockey team based in Val-d'Or, in the region of Abitibi-Témiscamingue, Quebec. They play in the Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League, one of the three component leagues of the Canadian Hockey League. The team n ...

and the

Rouyn-Noranda Huskies The Rouyn-Noranda Huskies are a Canadian junior ice hockey team in the Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League based in Rouyn-Noranda, Quebec. The team plays its home games at the Aréna Iamgold, Aréna Glencore. The Huskies finished first overal ...

, the only two QMJHL teams in the Abitibi-Témiscamingue region, is known as ''La Guerre de la 117'' (French for "The War of the 117") due to both teams' home cities, Val-d'Or and Rouyn-Noranda, being located along Route 117.

Major intersections

References

External links

Interactive Provincial Route Map (Transports Québec)
{{Streets in Montreal 117 Quebec 117 Roads in Laval, Quebec Roads in Montreal Transport in Rouyn-Noranda Roads in Abitibi-Témiscamingue Roads in Laurentides

Route description

In other media

Major intersections

See also

References

External links