ɐ mədʒˈɔːɹᵻɾi ʌv hˈaɪweɪ twˈɛlv fˈɑːloʊz ðə hɪstˈɔːɹɪk wˈɪtbi ænd stˈɜːdʒən bˈeɪ ɹˈoʊd, kənstɹˈʌktᵻd ɪnðə mˈɪd wˈʌn θˈaʊzənd ˈeɪthˈʌndɹɪd z tə kənˈɛkt wˈɪtbi ænd pˈɛnɪtˌæŋɡwɪʃˌiːn, bˈoʊθ ɪmpˈoːɹtənt nˈeɪvəl pˈoːɹts ʌvðə tˈaɪm.
A majority of Highway 12 follows the historic Whitby and Sturgeon Bay Road, constructed in the mid-1800s to connect Whitby and Penetanguishene, both important naval ports of the time.