ShonTron
Moderator
I had to look up where that was - it's about Highway 7 through Eastern Ontario - I figured by the title, it would be about the by-passed sections of Highway 69 between Waubaushene and Sudbury.
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- Thread starter Haljackey
- Start date
jamincan
Active Member
There are all sorts of places like this on any highway in Ontario. I'm curious why business was so much better in the past than now. The population is much higher now, but perhaps we don't do road trips anymore? This is somewhat supported by the fact that the ferry to Manitoulin Island has cut back its schedule and now only operates with one boat.
Woodbridge_Heights
Senior Member
Construction of controlled acesss freeways such as the 401 and 407 contributes to 1) much faster travel through communities meaning fewer stops for a set trip length 2) removal of a traffic pattern through a community's core and thus not seeing shops or businesses at the side of the road and enticing you to make a stop 3) Even where rest stops are implemented along highways due to contracts, etc they tend to be more corporate chains rather than smaller local shops.
ShonTron
Moderator
Over the years as well, there's consolidation of the locations where motorists can fuel, gas up and rest. With more reliable cars, service centres are fewer and farther between. There are Tim Horton's at Highways 7 and 62 in Madoc, Highways 7 and 30 in Havelock, at Highway 37 in Tweed and Highway 43 in Perth now. There's still a busy Shell station at Highway 41 in Kaladar, but really, there's no need for many more roadside services than that, except for the few residents in that rather unpopulated part of southern Ontario.
1overcosc
Active Member
That area makes Muskoka look like Yonge & Bloor. It's population density is about 2 people per square kilometre and there's a large chunk of land out there with zero cell reception--the only area in Southern Ontario without it.
My parents used to own a cottage in that region (it was a bit north of Arden) and the nearest retail of any kind was a minuscule corner store 30 kilometres away that was only open for a few hours each day. You can drive for a hundred kilometres down those backroads without seeing a single building or car other than yours.
If you ever want to see what true Canadian wilderness looks like without trekking all the way up north, head over there. It's a great place for fishing and boating, and stargazing--the milky way is bright enough to cast a shadow there.
waterloowarrior
Senior Member
Agreed, it used to be that people travelling from Ottawa to Toronto would stay in these hotels along 7. Now with better roads/vehicles and more people used to driving longer distances, the vast majority would just drive the 4-5 hours between the cities.
People not from the area are also more used to a higher standard of quality and more likely to stop at a branded station with well-lit pumps and payment at the pump like the Shell at Kaladar or Petrocan at Sharbot Lake than the unbranded, decrepit looking unbranded service station. Same thing goes for hotels... if doing the Southern Ontario to Ottawa trip over two days, it's more likely people will seek a brand name hotel or quaint B&B beforehand than stopping along the highway at an old generic motel
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nfitz
Superstar
Yes. It's prejudiced, but I always avoid ratty looking gas stations if I can. If the profit margins are so low they haven't repainted in 10 years, the more chance they are watering down the gas, or something.
I expect that 99% of the time, the gas is fine. But I don't need the hassle.
BurlOak
Senior Member
Its old gas and not watered down that you most have to worry about. Gas only has a shelf life of 6 to 12 months and it becomes much less volatile. Many moterbikers drain the gas in the fall to avoid using stale gas in the spring. For a lawnmower, which is not a high performance engine, it is not as common for the 6 month over-winter period, but it would become difficult to start the engine with year old gas.
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nfitz
Superstar
That's good to know.
The only time I've noticed anything in years, was from a ratty-looking, but well-used Citgo in the Catskills. Might have been nothing (engine just didn't sound right, have quite enough power till I filled up again), but now I make sure the tank is full before leaving the Interstate in that area.
I've been making mental notes of what gas stations I get good mileage from, and which ones I don't. It can vary as much as 50km on a tank depending on where I fill up, and this is for the same trip along the same route. I've found MacEwen and PetroCan get me the best mileage, while Ultramar gets me the worst.
innsertnamehere
Superstar
there are a lot of other factors as well.. How hard you hit the gas at a light, your average speed over the route (get stuck behind someone moving slowly and you can cut gas consumption considerably), how much you have the air conditioning on, etc. all effect fuel efficiency quite considerably. My car has an "Average fuel economy" guage on it that I like to play with, and taking the same trip using the same tank of gas can vary in fuel mileage considerably simply based on the day.
nfitz
Superstar
Ah, but is there bias?
What if you always filled up at Ultramar at the bottom of the hill, for a long drive up river, but at MacEwen and PetroCan for a long drive down river?
Seriously though - is it going to vary by location for a given brand? In a small area, they might all be getting their fuel from the same source.
I've filled up at various different points with various different brands travelling the same route (Burlington to Ottawa, usually via the 401). I do notice a difference when there's a headwind or a tailwind (my car tracks L/100km for each trip and for each tank, so I have all of that info on the fly), but barring that, I'm usually pretty consistent with how much I can get from a tank if I'm doing highway driving. I'm just saying, from personal experience, Ultramar is worse for fuel economy, which may explain why their gas is usually a few cents cheaper per litre than most other gas stations (this is especially true in Ottawa).
Obviously my experience isn't scientific, but I've done my best to keep track and figure out which stations to avoid and which to use.
DarnDirtyApe
Active Member
Ethanol content might be a factor - regular fuel can have up to 10% Ethanol content, which would translate to a 3-5% drop in mileage. Temperature can also have a small impact on mileage, as gas does expand slightly in warm weather. Some pumps will automatically adjust for this, but older stations might be more likely not to have this technology.
innsertnamehere
Superstar
Looks like Murray wants to Twin highway 17 past Arnprior.. hopefully they mean as a 400 series highway rather than just twinning, but still some progress. could the 417 be coming to Renfrew soon?
http://www.insideottawavalley.com/n...es-all-party-support-for-highway-17-twinning/
http://www.insideottawavalley.com/n...es-all-party-support-for-highway-17-twinning/