The Northern Woods and Water Route is promoted on a sign on Highway 2 just east of the Big Lakes County administration office.

Richard Froese
South Peace News

Plans to revive the Northern Woods and Water Route, which includes the High Prairie area, are back on the road.

Stretching from Dawson Creek to Winnipeg, the name was initiated by McLennan CN employee George Ste- phenson in the 1970s, but ceased to be promoted around the late 1980s.

“The highway has not been promoted for more than 20 years and we are working to change that,” Northern Woods and Water Route president Dale Harrison states in a letter to municipalities.

Highway 2 through the High Prairie area is part of the promotional highway.

Harrison and a delegation travelled along the highway in the summer 2016 to promote the campaign with Alberta stops in Athabasca, Dunvegan and Cold Lake.

During the early years, Stephenson led cavalcades over the highway, which promoted the local region.

“We saw a lot of economic benefits when the cavalcades came through town,” says Town of High Prairie Mayor Linda Cox.
“As the mayor, it is definitely a good idea to try to revive the program and I look forward to welcome more visitors because of the highway.”

While many local municipalities have already received a letter seeking support, the town and Big Lakes County councils are still waiting.

The initial association lobbied the provincial and federal governments to recognize the highway as an inter-provincial highway and have it identified on maps and with signs along the highway.

As a result, the new association has set a goal to produce and distribute 20,000 copies of the Northern Woods and Water Highway Guide in 2017 tourism information centres, including the inter-provincial and international border with the United States.

“Communities and municipalities have been asked to support the association through membership to enable a renewed lobby effort to see improvements and promotion,” Harrison says.

The association also invites municipalities and organizations to contribute information and photos.

“Most people who live along the Northern Woods and Water [Route] don’t even know the highway even exists.
“Unfortunately, the people who worked to establish the highway more than 35 years ago have fallen by the wayside, nobody has spoken about the highway or marketed it for the past 20 years.”

More information is promoted on the website at nwwr.ca.