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Secondary Highway 658, commonly referred to as Highway 658, is a provincially maintained highway in the Canadian province of Ontario, located in Kenora District. The highway extends 25.3 kilometres (15.7 mi) between the city of Kenora and the community of 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 Highway 17A, the Trans-Canada Highway. It is mostly rural, being surrounded by ranches and equipment sheds as well as the 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.
Highway 658 was originally designated on July 21, 1966, travelling north from Highway 17, west of Whitefish. The route was 19.3 kilometres (12.0 mi) long, passing west through Worthington and turning north to near Fairbank Provincial Park.
This route and most other secondary highways in the area were transferred to the Regional Municipality of Sudbury when it was established on January 1, 1973, and is now known as 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.
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 658
Highway 128 (1956–1975)
Highway 666 (1975–1985)
Highway 17 – Kenora
Highway 17 / TCH – Kenora
Highway 17A – Thunder Bay, Winnipeg
