Wawa & White River

Why This Section Deserves Its Own Page

The stretch of Highway 17 between Sault Ste. Marie and Thunder Bay, particularly the section running through Wawa and White River, is the most isolated corridor on the Trans-Canada in Ontario. This is where the highway earns its reputation. The boreal forest closes in. Towns disappear. Cell service drops out for hours at a time. Fuel stations become something you plan around rather than assume.

For first-time cross-country drivers, this stretch is often the biggest surprise. You cannot rely on Google Maps showing you a gas station because the ones it shows might keep irregular hours, or might be closed for the season. The advice from every experienced Trans-Canada driver is simple: fill up at every opportunity. Do not gamble.

Wawa: The Goose and the Gateway

Wawa's name comes from the Ojibwe word for "wild goose," and the town has leaned into that identity since 1963 when they erected the Wawa Goose. Standing 28 feet tall with a 20-foot wingspan, this steel Canada goose is one of the most photographed roadside attractions on the Trans-Canada. It sits at the junction of Highway 17 and Highway 101, right where you cannot miss it.

The goose is the reason most people stop, but Wawa has more substance than that. The town sits at the edge of Lake Superior's wild eastern shore, and the surrounding area includes some genuinely impressive scenery. Scenic High Falls, about 15 minutes from town, is a powerful waterfall on the Magpie River that is easily accessible from a short trail. Sandy Beach on Wawa Lake is a decent swimming spot in summer.

Wawa has basic services: a few gas stations, a grocery store, a handful of motels and restaurants. It is not a resort town. It is a highway town that exists partly because the Trans-Canada needs a supply point here. Accept it for what it is and be grateful it exists.

White River: Winnie the Pooh's Real Origin

White River has one claim to fame, and it is a good one. In 1914, a Canadian soldier named Lieutenant Harry Colebourn was passing through White River by train on his way to serve in World War I. At a stop, he purchased a black bear cub from a trapper for $20. He named the bear Winnipeg, after his hometown, and she became the mascot of his regiment.

When Colebourn shipped overseas to England, he left Winnipeg at the London Zoo. A young boy named Christopher Robin Milne visited the bear frequently and loved her. His father, A.A. Milne, used that relationship as the inspiration for Winnie-the-Pooh. The rest is literary history.

White River celebrates this connection with a Winnie the Pooh statue and a small park with a playground and picnic tables. There is also an annual Winnie's Hometown Festival. The town itself is tiny, but the Pooh stop is a surprisingly satisfying bit of highway trivia, especially if you are travelling with children.

The Road Between

The roughly 90-kilometre stretch of Highway 17 between Wawa and White River has been the subject of construction and improvement for years. Sections have been blasted, repaved, and had culverts replaced. At times, portions of this road have been gravel only, turning vehicles into dust-caked messes. Check Ontario 511 for current road conditions before driving this section, especially in shoulder seasons.

The scenery along this stretch is relentless boreal forest. Spruce, birch, rock cuts, and the occasional lake glimpse. It is beautiful in its own austere way, but it is also monotonous. If you are driving this at night, be extremely alert for moose. This stretch has some of the highest moose-vehicle collision rates in Ontario. Moose are active at dawn and dusk and are nearly invisible against the dark tree line.

Beyond White River: The Push to Marathon and Thunder Bay

From White River, the highway continues northwest through equally sparse country to Marathon (about 100 km), then to Terrace Bay, Nipigon, and eventually Thunder Bay. Marathon and Terrace Bay are small pulp-and-paper towns with basic services. The bright spot is Pukaskwa National Park, accessible from a turnoff near Marathon. Pukaskwa is Lake Superior's only national park and offers some of the most remote wilderness camping in Ontario. Even if you do not camp, the visitor centre and the Coastal Hiking Trail are worth the detour.

Practical Survival Guide for This Stretch

• Fuel: Fill up in Sault Ste. Marie, Wawa, White River, and Marathon. Do not skip any of these.
• Cell service: Expect dead zones lasting 30 minutes to over an hour. Download offline maps before entering this stretch.
• Food: Pack snacks and water. Restaurant options are limited and hours are unpredictable in the smaller communities.
• Moose: Drive with high beams when there is no oncoming traffic. Watch the shoulders. If you see one moose, there may be another nearby.
• Emergency: If you break down, stay with your vehicle. Flag down another driver or wait for an OPP patrol. Do not wander into the bush.
• Winter: This section can close due to whiteout conditions. Carry a winter survival kit: blankets, candles, non-perishable food, extra washer fluid.