Major Mackenzie Drive
Major Mackenzie Drive, often shortened to Major Mac, is a major east-west arterial road in southern York Region, Ontario, Canada, just north of Toronto. It is a [List of numbered roads in List of numbered roads in York Region|York Region|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 as Coleraine Drive which immediately curves sharply at the boundary to head north towards Bolton.
Name
The road is named after Lex MacKenzie, a former local politician and World War I veteran, 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 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'.
History
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 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. The 427 extension opened on September 18, 2021.
Communities
Communities Major Mackenzie Drive passes through as it runs across York Region, listed by municipality:Vaughan
- Maple
- Kleinburg
- Woodbridge
- Patterson
- Thornhill Woods
Richmond Hill
- Downtown Richmond Hill
- Yongehurst
- Beverley Acres
- Headford
Markham
- Victoria Square
- Cathedraltown
- Cachet
- Berczy Village
- Wismer Commons
- Mount Joy
- Greensborough
- Cachet