Last August, Toyota embarked on a slightly deranged road trip, crossing Canada from coast to coast, to celebrate its 60th year on Canadian soil. 60 years since the company launched its activities here, in a very modest way, need we remind you. To mark the occasion, Toyota had a bunch of us cross the country in its vehicles. Heres the second part of our visual account of the adventure.

　　See also: Toyota in Canada: 60 Years, 60 Pictures From Coast to Coast (Part 1)

　　Toyota Land Cruiser Series 70

　　At the start of the fourth wave of the trip, we made a scheduled stop at Miller Technology, a company specializing in the conversion of old Land Cruiser models for the mining industry, which is very present in this part of the country.

　　And why old Land Cruisers? Because they are more resistant than any other model when subjected to the atrocious conditions found underground. As a general rule, the vehicles are good for three to five years, as opposed to six to nine months for a traditional modern pickup.

　　The Big Nickel

　　With nickel mines in the Sudbury area, its no surprise to discover a monument nicknamed the Big Nickel, a huge coin showing the denominations 1951 design and erected to commemorate the bicentenary of nickel isolation (1751). The monument was inaugurated in 1964.

　　Landscapes

　　The road between North Bay and Thunder Bay is long. Were talking 1139 km, including the route along Lake Superior through the town of Sault-Saint-Marie. Looking at the map, one imagines a long, boring route. Its long, but not boring, and were treated to some very pleasant scenery.

　　Wayne Toyota

　　In Thunder Bay, a city of some 110,000 inhabitants, we made a stop at Wayne Toyota, one of the brands most prolific dealerships in Canada. Not surprisingly, its owners confirmed that pickup trucks accounted for most of its sales, and Priuses for very little.

　　Both the dealership and the brand are very involved in the local community.

　　Toyota Corolla Cross

　　New vehicles were added to the convoy for this fourth wave, including the Corolla Cross subcompact SUV, which once again proved to us its effectiveness as a practical and economical option.

　　ToyotaRAV4

　　At the entrance to Manitoba, the eleven millionth vehicle built by Toyota in Canada, a RAV4 SUV, served as the model for a photo op. The vehicle joined the convoy following our visit to the Toyota plant in Cambridge, Ontario.

　　Centre du Canada

　　Twenty minutes before arriving in Winnipeg, a small monument attracts tourists: the site marking the Centre of Canada. It was the perfect opportunity to mark this important milestone for the convoy, with a photo of the two vehicles destined to cross the entire country, the Crown Signia wagon and the Land Cruiser SUV.

　　The Prairies

　　At the start of this fifth wave of the trip, which would take participants to Calgary, Alberta, I went home for a well-deserved rest. Nevertheless, were reporting on the rest of the groups journey, sharing with you the highlights and some of the stops our colleagues made, starting with this image that sums up what awaited them on another day on the road: wheat fields as far as the eye can see.

　　Saskatchewan

　　A customary photo was also taken at the entrance to Saskatchewan, the province sandwiched between Manitoba and Alberta.

　　Saskatoon

　　The next larger city the convoy visited after Winnipeg was Saskatoon, also Saskatchewans most populous municipality, just ahead of Regina, its capital. Saskatchewan is known as Canadas breadbasket, but the province is also a major player in the petroleum and mining industries, including potash and uranium production, of which it is one of the world leaders.

　　Saskatoon | Photo: Toyota