Canada Guide
Manitoba and Saskatchewan
Yellowhead Route (Hwy 16)
Highway 16, one of central Canada's most appealing long-distance drives, is better known as the Yellowhead Route – taking its name from a light-haired Iroquois explorer and guide who was called Tête Jaune ("yellow head") by the voyageurs, the French-speaking boatmen who plied the waterways transporting people, furs and supplies. It's a good alternative to the Trans-Canada Highway, with more interesting sights along the way – including several towns, like Dauphin, where some of the culture of original groups has been preserved – and also more varied scenery. This not only includes vast tracts of prairie, but also some of the aspen parklands and boreal forest to the north. And if you have the time you can easily make a foray into the enticingly wild Prince Albert National Park. The Yellowhead route also runs through Saskatoon, 781km from Winnipeg, which makes a good point at which to break a journey and has several important historic sites in the vicinity that help bring alive the region's history.