Torrance, Ontario. 15 April, 1996
Monday 0800 hrs we are headed out on our journey. It is sad to leave Marg and Raymond as I really had a good time while there. I was treated like family but all good things must come to an end. Anyhow I have Calgary to look forward to.
The day starts out nice and sunny. We are traveling west on Highway # 169 to connect to Trans Canada Highway # 69. We get onto the Trans Canada at Parry Sound and # 69 goes as far as Sudbury where it ends and joins Trans Canada Highway # 17 from Ottawa. We will be on Highway # 17 as far as the Manitoba border.
After Parry Sound there isn’t too much to see except a lot of barren waste land and it is here that you know if you have car trouble you don’t expect to see any body else to help. The speed along Highway # 17 is 90 kph max. You seem to be able to do what you want though as you don’t see too many members of the OPP.
One thing I did notice here is you know you are coming into some sort of civilization as you soon see lots of billboards along the Highway. This is more so in Ontario than anywhere else. I guess it has to be something to do with there being nothing between the towns and the Powers that be not wanting drivers not used to the area panicking.
At Sudbury the # 69 bypasses the town. We gas up at Lively and then get back onto the # 17 and continue on with the journey. By Blind River we run into a snowstorm and some places it is really bad and the visibility is next to nothing. By Sault Ste. Marie I decide to stay for the rest of the day. Just east of the Sault we gas up again. We then find a really nice motel along the Trans Canada and crash for the rest of the day.
I turn on the TV to get the weather forecast for tomorrow. It is a decent forecast and I then grab a shower then I snack on the food Aunt Betsy packed for me. There isn’t that much to do so I watch TV and sleep. When I wake up I give my friend Jackie a call to let her know how far I have got, and to let Don know I am doing ok as I know he is worried about me.
