Secondary Highway 658, commonly referred to as Highway 658, is a
Redditt
. For a decade, Highway 658 was numbered as Highway 666, leading to numerous sign thefts and a petition by members of a church on the route. This petition eventually led to the route being renumbered in late 1985.
Route description
Highway 658 is a 25.3 kilometres (15.7 mi) highway located within Kenora District northwest of the city of Kenora. It travels through communities lying north of
boreal forest and rock outcroppings of the Canadian Shield. In the town of Redditt, the highway ends at a train station served by Via Rail.[2]
History
Highway 658 was originally designated on July 21, 1966, travelling north from Highway 17, west of
This route and most other secondary highways in the area were transferred to the
Greater Sudbury Municipal Road 4
.
The current iteration of Highway 658 was originally designated as Highway 128, a route which came into existence on January 18, 1956. In 1975, the route was one of several King's Highways redesignated as Secondary Highways; it was given the number 666. Local citizen and two churches located along the route began to petition the MTO in 1982, requesting the number be changed due to concerns with its connotation as the "number of the beast". The route number was officially changed to 658 on November 1, 1985, though signs indicating "Formerly Highway 666" were attached to reassurance markers along the highway.[5]
^Canadian Press (October 23, 1985). "Devil Taken Off the Road". Ontario. Ottawa: The Citizen. p. A5. Retrieved February 8, 2021 – via Newspapers.com. You have to understand. For people who take the Bible very literally, this is a real concern." - Merv Farrow; "Although Highway 658 becomes official Nov. 1...
Highway 17A
