History
Sioux Lookout and Hudson were both originally accessible only by rail and water when they were established as stops on the Grand Trunk Railway shortly after 1900; roads would not reach the remote area until 1920. The road connecting Sioux Lookout and Hudson with the Ignace–Dryden Road was initially under the upkeep of the Department of Northern Development. On April 1, 1937, that department was merged into the Department of Highways (DHO), after which the provincial highway network was expanded into northern Ontario.
Shortly after the merger, the DHO began to assume highways throughout northern Ontario. On October 6, 1937, Highway 72 was established, connecting Highway 17 with both Sioux Lookout and Hudson. On the 1938–39 Official Ontario Road Map, the distance from Dinorwic to Sioux Lookout is listed as 48.0 miles (77.2 km), and from Dinorwic to Hudson as 53.0 miles (85.3 km). This routing remained in place until at least 1953. By 1954, however, the branch leading to Hudson was renumbered as Highway 116. Highway 72 has, aside from minor realignments, remained unchanged since then.
Read more about this topic: Ontario Highway 72
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