Northeastern Ontario

Understand

Northeastern Ontario has a sizable Franco-Ontarian population, but most people will also understand English.

Getting there

By plane Air Canada Express provides daily service from Toronto Pearson International Airport (YYZ IATA) to Timmins. Porter Airlines flies to Timmins from Toronto City Island Airport (YTZ IATA).

By train Via Rail mostly bypasses Northeastern Ontario. Service from Toronto, Parry Sound and Sudbury Junction; and Winnipeg, Saskatoon and points west, stops at Hornepayne and Longlac.

By bus Ontario Northland operates the following routes in the region as of Dec 2023:

North Bay - Timmins - Cochrane Sudbury - Timmins - Hearst

Getting around

There is a passenger rail service four days a week from Cochrane to Moosonee on the Polar Bear Express. Highway 11 is in good condition, and can be driven safely with some precautions:

You will not have cellphone/mobile service along some sections. There are stretches of the highway that run 200-300 km without services like gas stations — keep an eye on your fuel levels. The heavy logging trucks that are common on the roads here take a long time to stop. Be sure to give them a lot of space, as cutting one off is a quick ticket to a collision that you will lose. Winter driving can be dangerous for those who are unaccustomed to it or who are unprepared.

See

The Polar Bear Habitat in Cochrane is opportunity to see polar bears not in a zoo that is accessible from Canada's Highway system. Many towns celebrate their mining and forestry heritage with museums. Timmins, in particular, is known for this.

Do

Many towns through the region have outfitters who will equip you with everything you need for fishing, hunting, wilderness canoeing and camping or snowmobiling trips, and can provide guides, or organize the whole trip for you, often to remote private lodges.

Go next

Most travellers through this region are travelling along the Highway 11 corridor, and will continue on their voyage through Nipigon and Thunder Bay (if heading west) or North Bay (if heading east or south). However, you are also very close to the Abitibi-Témiscamingue region of Quebec, and those who are willing to venture past where conventional roads end might consider continuing north to Moosonee.