Major Mackenzie Drive
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Major Mackenzie Drive, often shortened to Major Mac,[2][3] is a major east-west arterial road in southern York Region, Ontario, Canada, just north of Toronto. It is a York regional road, numbered as York Regional Road 25, and passes through the three cities of southern York Region: Vaughan, Ontario, Richmond Hill, and Markham. It does not continue outside of York Region as an east-west road, but does cross into Brampton (in Peel Region) as Coleraine Drive which immediately curves sharply at the boundary to head north towards Bolton.
Name
[edit | edit source]The road is named after Lex MacKenzie, a former local politician and World War I veteran (with Major being a reference to his military rank),[4][5][6] although the road is officially spelled "Major Mackenzie" with a lowercase K.
The section west of Yonge Street was originally known as Maple Side Road (after the community of Maple though which it passed)[4] while the portion east of Yonge was Seventeenth Avenue before being named after Lex Mackenzie, although a bypassed cul-de-sac near Warden Avenue is still named Old '17th Avenue'.[7]
History
[edit | edit source]The road was laid out by early settlers as a concession road across the original York County to divide the land into farms. Most of the farmland has now been developed (although some remains protected in eastern Markham within the Rouge National Urban Park) as residential development expanded northwards in York Region.
In 2020, a new alignment of Major Mackenzie was constructed in tandem with the northward extension of Highway 427 between Huntington Road and York Road 27 (former Highway 27). The 427 extension opened on September 18, 2021.[8][9]
Communities
[edit | edit source]Communities Major Mackenzie Drive passes through as it runs across York Region, listed by municipality:
Vaughan
[edit | edit source]- Maple
- Kleinburg
- Woodbridge
- Patterson
- Thornhill Woods
Richmond Hill
[edit | edit source]- Downtown Richmond Hill (north side)
- Yongehurst
- Beverley Acres
- Headford
Markham
[edit | edit source]- Victoria Square
- Cathedraltown
- Cachet
- Berczy Village
- Wismer Commons
- Mount Joy
- Greensborough
- Cachet
Road information
[edit | edit source]- Transportation: Mainly York Region Transit Routes 4, 6, and 25; Major Mackenzie West Terminal; serving the Viva Blue line
Road status
[edit | edit source]- Zoning: Mainly low-density residential in Vaughan and Markham, some developing, medium-density in Richmond Hill,
- Speed: Anywhere from 50–80 km/h with 60 km/h being the most common,
Future
[edit | edit source]There are plans for a future connection between Major Mackenzie Drive and Mayfield Road in Brampton.[10] The project is part of the Highway 427 Extension Area Transportation Master Plan, which aims to improve traffic flow and connectivity in the area.[11][12] The new roadway is designated as Arterial A2 in the plan and will be a six-lane north-south connection.[13] However, a specific construction timeline has not been announced yet.[14]
Landmarks
[edit | edit source]Notable sites along Major Mackenzie from east to west:
| Landmark | Cross street / location | Notes | Image |
|---|---|---|---|
| CPKC Vaughan Intermodal | Highway 50 | Canadian Pacific Kansas City intermodal freight terminal | File:CPKC Vaughan Intermodal facility.jpg |
| Kortright Centre for Conservation | Humber River | Large urban conservation area | File:Bird Chase.jpg |
| Canada's Wonderland | Highway 400 | Canada's largest theme park, opened in 1981 | File:Wonder Mountain at Canadas Wonderland.jpg |
| Major Mackenzie West Terminal | Amusement Drive | York Region Transit bus terminal | File:Major Mackenzie West Terminal.jpg |
| Cortellucci Vaughan Hospital | Jane Street | 342 bed hospital, opened in 2021 | File:Cortellucci Vaughan Hospital, January 2022.jpg |
| Vaughan City Hall | Keele Street | File:VaughanCityHall16.jpg | |
| Maple GO station | East of Keele Street | Station on the GO Transit Barrie Line | File:Maple Station building.JPG |
| Mackenzie Richmond Hill Hospital | Trench Street | 506 bed hospital, formerly York Central Hospital from its opening in 1963 until 2012 | File:MackenzieRichmondHillHospital3.jpg |
| Angus Glen Community Centre | Angus Glen Boulevard | Community centre in Markham's Angus Glen neighbourhood | File:Angus Glen Community Centre (21687763145).jpg |
| Angus Glen Golf Club | Kennedy Road | Hosted the Canadian Open in 2002 and 2007 and golf events in the 2015 Pan American Games | File:9th Hole South Course Angus Glen.png |
| Rouge National Urban Park | Easternmost section of street to York-Durham Line | Urban national park centred around the Rouge River watershed | File:The Rouge River just south of Twin Rivers Drive in Toronto.jpg |
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References
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