Woodbine Avenue consists of two north-south road sections in central Ontario:
- The southern section in Toronto begins as Lake Shore Boulevard turns northward at Ashbridges Bay.[1] Woodbine then continues north to O'Connor Drive.
- The northern section runs from Steeles Avenue at the Toronto-Markham border to the shore of Lake Simcoe, ending at Lake Drive in Georgina.[2]
York Region designates this section as an arterial road.[3] It runs parallel to Highway 404 as York Regional Road 8.[2]
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History
The road's origins date back to 1800 when surveyor John Stegman laid out farm properties and their supporting concession roads, including what has become today's Woodbine Avenue.[4]
Had the orientation of the O'Connor Drive bridge (over Taylor-Massey Creek) at the head of Woodbine Avenue been placed on a North-South axis instead of the current Northeast-Southwest arrangement, Woodbine Avenue would have continued north into the residential Parkview Hills area (via the current Woodbine Heights Boulevard) and connected directly with St. Clair Avenue East.
In Toronto, the portion of Woodbine Avenue north of Eglinton Avenue to Highway 401 was removed when the Don Valley Parkway was constructed in the 1960s. Another section from Highway 401 to Steeles Avenue was lost when Highway 404 was built in the 1970s, although the Parclo A4 interchange with Steeles included a Y-junction modification to accommodate Woodbine traffic. Victoria Park Avenue, a major north-south arterial in the City of Toronto, terminates shortly after the intersection with Steeles, so Woodbine Avenue takes up most of the traffic.
Woodbine Avenue is presently six lanes from Steeles Avenue to Highway 7, and four lanes between Highway 7 and Major Mackenzie Drive, plus there is a a centre turning lane. North of Major Mackenzie Drive, Woodbine narrows to a two-lane rural road, though with occasional left-turn lane. Recent housing developments since the early 2000s have necessitated the widening of Woodbine to cope with increased traffic levels. However, due to existing properties around Victoria Square, the intersection of Woodbine Avenue and Elgin Mills Road, it has been proposed to re-align the arterial around that junction as the Woodbine Bypass. [5]
Today
On Christmas Eve, in 2001, the Woodbine Building Supply fire occurred. The store was located at the intersection of Danforth and Woodbine. It was one of the biggest fires in Toronto's history, as 170 firefighters were required to bring the six-alarm blaze under control. The building was less than 50 metres from residences in the neighborhood and more than 50 families had to evacuate their homes on Christmas morning. One person was killed and another was severely disfigured. Police and insurance quickly suspected arson and several people have been convicted.
Distinction from Woodbine Racetrack
Woodbine Racetrack is in Etobicoke, Ontario, and not anywhere close to Woodbine Avenue. Greenwood Race Track used to be located at the south end of Woodbine Avenue until it was demolished in 1994. Greenwood Race Track was the original Woodbine Racetrack until the construction of the current Woodbine Racetrack in 1956. The name was then transferred to the new facility. Known as "Old Woodbine Race Track" for several years, the facility changed its name to Greenwood Race Track after nearby Greenwood Avenue.[6]
Attractions
- Woodbine Beach
- Woodbine Park
References
- ^ "southernmost portion of Woodbine, from Kewbeach Avenue to O'Connor Drive in Toronto". Google Maps. http://maps.google.ca/maps?f=d&hl=en&saddr=kewbeach+ave+and+woodbine+ave,+toronto+ON&daddr=woodbine+ave+and+oconnor+dr,+Toronto,+ON&layer=&sll=43.700225,-79.318167&sspn=0.003421,0.006609&ie=UTF8&z=13&ll=43.683019,-79.307041&spn=0.054746,0.105743&om=1. Retrieved 2007-03-02.
- ^ a b "northernmost portion of Woodbine, from Lake Simcoe in Georgina to Davis Drive in Newmarket". Google Maps. http://maps.google.ca/maps?f=d&hl=en&saddr=davis+dr+and+woodbine+ave,+newmarket,+ON&daddr=woodbine+and+Lake+Dr+E,+Georgina,+York,+Ontario,+Canada&layer=&sll=44.212726,-79.449005&sspn=0.21704,0.422974&ie=UTF8&z=10&ll=44.201897,-79.455185&spn=0.434159,0.845947&om=1. Retrieved 2007-03-02.
- ^ Marshall, Macklin, Monaghan (January 2001). "Assessment of the Existing Transportation System (York Region Transportation Master Plan background report)" (PDF). pp. Figure 1 - Future Road Network and Urbanized Areas. http://www.york.ca/NR/rdonlyres/pypyps35pr4vxaij7zvvvblwzwzpwr2hsp37opcy5t3adv2pwhhqmrhofkdb4qglfhrutac6phv2bybu27jhthtvuh/TMP+-+Assessment+of+Ex+Trans+Sys.pdf. Retrieved 2007-03-01. The map identifies current and planned arterial designated roads in York Region, including Woodbine.
- ^ Town of Whitchurch-Stouffville, Ontario. "A brief history of Whitchurch-Stouffville - Part 1". http://www.townofws.com/history.asp. Retrieved 2007-03-01.
- ^ [1]
- ^ Woodbine Entertainment. "Woodbine Racetrack". http://www.woodbineentertainment.com/woodbine/. Retrieved 2007-03-05.
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