with the establishment of the provincial highway network on february 26, 1920, the department of public highways, predecessor to today's ministry of transportation of ontario, sought to establish a network of reliable roads through the southern part of the province. through july and august 1920, a highway east of ottawa to pointe-fortune at the quebec boundary, known as the montreal road, was assumed by the department. this original routing of highway 17 followed what is now montreal road, st joseph boulevard, and the old montreal road eastward out of ottawa; mcteer rd past cumberland; delabaie rd and laurier street through rockland; regional road 55 (old highway 17 through clarence, principale st through wendover) and regional road 26 (old highway 17) between wendover and plantagenet; villeneuve rd east of plantagenet; blue corner road and bay road (regional road 24) to l'original; john street, pharand street, and main street (regional road 4) to hawkesbury; front rd along the shore of the ottawa river from hawkesbury to chute-a-blondeau and des outaouais rd just west of pointe-fortune, and regional road 17 elsewhere.