Canada Road

  1. Location and Background
  2. History
  3. Migrations and Towns
  4. Traveler : Tom Plant
  5. Kids on the Canada Road
  6. Old Canada Road International Corridor
  7. Chaud-Bec Project

  1. Location and Background
Location Map

Various officials sought to open a road between Acadia (Maine) and Canada from an early date. In 1670, French Intendant Jean Talon of Canada and Governor Andigné de Grandfontaine of Acadia had such a road surveyed, but it was never built. Other proposals and surveys were made, but sea travel and portages continued to be the predomiant method to go between the St. Lawrence and the Gulf of Maine. After the War of 1812, two routes were proposed between Maine and Canada, one from Hallowell and one from Bangor. The Bangor route, like the Coos Road, would only be built in segments between towns, which caused its identity as a thoroughfare to be lost. However, the road through Somerset County would be built. Known as the Canada Road, its present configuration is Route 201.
Canada Road Archeological Survey. Alaric Faulkner of the Laboratory of Historical Archeology, University of Maine, with his field crew, Jimmie Faulkner and Kenai Rodrigue. At the southern terminus of the state portion of the Canada Road, Misery Gore, Maine. (Photo by Barry Rodrigue, Summer 1995). Canada Road Geographic Survey. Marc Hébert, Louise Blouin, Lynda Villeneuve, Pierre Poulin, Serge Courville, Barry Rodrigue, François Plamondon, Jean-Pierre Labadie, Edith James, and Kenai Rodrigue (in gun port) of the Laboratory of Historical Geography, Laval University. At Fort Halifax blockhouse, Winslow, Maine. (Photo by Michel Boisvert, Spring 1995).

Canada Road Geograpic Survey. Kenneth White, Jean Morrisette, Eric Waddell, Kenai Rodrigue et André Gladu (left to right). Indian Ledge Petroglyphs, Kennebec River, Embden, Maine. (Photo by Barry Rodrigue, Fall 1996).