A new map showcasing forgotten bridges, odd signs, and even submerged roads in Ontario has been created by a first-year civil engineering student from the University of Waterloo.
Jonathan Silverman shares that he’s been intrigued by transportation since he was a kid on family road trips, always noticing when things seemed out of the ordinary.
“I’ve always been interested in transportation, especially roads, and I would notice things in the car and, looking through maps, I would notice these unique things,” he said.
Growing up in Thornhill, Silverman developed a keen interest in the history surrounding Ontario’s highway network. He made the map so people “can look at this map and make their commute that much more interesting because people drive past all these things every day and they have no idea.”
You can find the map on his website, Jonathan’s Junction. He also shared it on Reddit, where he engaged with others who contributed insights about different areas of the province.
LISTEN | Take a trip down the Ontario Oddities highway map:
The Morning Edition – K-W6:06Take a trip down the Ontario Oddities highway map
A University of Waterloo civil engineering student has mapped out some strange highway histories across Ontario on a new online platform. Jonathan Silverman discusses his project and what these past highways indicate for future provincial transport.
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West Montrose Covered Bridge is the last remaining covered bridge in Ontario and is listed as a point of interest on the map. (Paula Duhatschek/CBC)
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Abrupt ends and covered bridges
An especially helpful contributor from Sudbury provided details about intriguing spots along Highway 69 heading north to Sudbury as well as Highway 6 going south toward Manitoulin Island, including unused bridges at Key River. Other interesting points include: The submerged section of Highway 2 south of Ottawa that was flooded after constructing the St. Lawrence Seaway; The sudden end of Highway 125 into Red Lake near the Manitoba border; The location close to Sault Ste. Marie where Highway 17 changes direction; Several abandoned sections of Highway 6 between Fergus and Durham; The West Montrose Covered Bridge, built back in 1881; and An unused segment of Highway 407 near Oshawa.Ontario really is ‘Yours to Discover’
Bradley Nazar from Pickering mentioned that he enjoys unusual roadside attractions and finds Silverman’s map to be an excellent resource. “Whenever I’m driving on a highway up north and I see something out of the ordinary with a highway alignment or an old bridge, I always wonder what the story behind it is,” he said. “His map goes a ways to answering quite a few of them.” Nazar explained that he takes his sons camping in provincial parks every summer using back roads to reach their destinations. This approach helps him appreciate more about what makes up this province’s stories. “If I see a historic sign or monument that’s interesting, we pull over to look. It’s kind of like a scavenger hunt for us,” he said. “It’s cheesy, but off the big highways, the whole Ontario ‘Yours to Discover’ motto really rings true.” Silverman expressed how pleased he is with people’s enthusiasm for contributing information to enhance his map. The interest has been so great – over 25,000 views as of Friday – that he’s added an “On the Way Oddities” section on his site where users can enter their destination and receive recommendations for quirky sites along their route.Source link
