A historic map of John Street in the Township of Markham
John Street is an east-west arterial road in the Town of Markham, Ontario. It is one of the oldest roads in the Township of Markham and forms the backbone of the 200 year old community of Thornhill.
The street originally ran east from Yonge Street across a tributary of the Don River, at which point it branched north to what is now Leslie Street and south on German Mills Road. This was a travelled road which did not match the alignment of any concession road or lot line and was constructed along the most convenient route to farms and mills to serve the needs of the inhabitants at that time. In the late 1900s an extension was made across Highway 404 and through an industrial area to connect to Woodbine Avenue, east of which it joins with Esna Park Drive.
John Street has had a major impact in shaping the community; the parallel Green Lane/14th Avenue east-west road allowance has never been fully opened and Leslie Street still diverts from the route laid out by the township survey to join Don Mills Road near the former easterly end of John Street.
History
This road, along with any side streets in Thornhill[citation needed], are one of the oldest roads in Markham, with over 200 years of history[citation needed]. The road is believed to be built in the 1800s, named after John Colborne. Colborne Street, immediately south of John Street, was also named after John Colborne. [1]. John Street was believed to be built around 1828-1836. Prior to that, Thornhill was a little community with houses along York Regional Road 1. John Street allowed eastward developments. The development of Thornhill in the 1800s stopped at what is nowadays Henderson Avenue, and along the section of John Street between Yonge Street and Henderson Avenue are developments from that time. [2] The area is now preserved under the Town of Markham's Heritage Department. Along John Street in this area, the road signs are labelled as "Old Thornhill Circa 1794". This part of John Street is also considered as the heart of Old Thornhill.
The road is also home to the Sutton Frizzel's house. Originally located on Yonge and Royal Orchard, it was moved in the 1900s due to the widening of Yonge Street. It was built by the Tory Loyalist in the 1800s, and its original occupants played a significant role in the Rebellions of 1837. [1]
In the 20th century, as Markham's population rapidly grows, John Street was extended to its current length, with modern housings along the road.
In 2004, the corner of John and Bayview is under redevelopment of medium dense residential. This new redevelopment is referred to as "Olde Thornhill Village". [3]
John Street is served to relieve traffic on Steeles Avenue, and Highway 7. John Street also serve as an extension of York Regional Road 71 (14th Avenue). Some other roads that are extensions of York Regional Road 71 are Alden Road, Esna Park Drive, John Street, and parts of Centre Street in City of Vaughan.
Description
John Street has four lanes between Woodbine Avenue and Bayview Avenue, which means there are two lanes per direction. During that section of the road, there are occasional traffic lights. This part of John Street has 1 bridge, and 1 steep valley. Between Leslie Street, and Bayview Avenue, the street heads into a steep valley, and rise up again shortly to meet Aileen Road. During that part of the road, John Street has 7 intersections with traffic light. The road is fairly straight, and heads towards the northwest direction. Between Bayview Avenue, and Yonge Street, John Street has two lanes, which means there is only one lane per direction. During that section of the road, there are several stop signs. This part of John street goes up and down through valleys and ridges. As it approaches to Pomona Mills Park, the landscape smoothen up. During this section of the road, the roadway is very narrow with a sign near Yonge Street, warning people that roads could be dangerous at times because the street is very narrow.
Intersecting roads
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Public transit
The York Region Transit operates the YRT Route #2 (Milliken), servicing almost the entire route of John Street east of Henderson Avenue. In addition, the Toronto Transit Commission also serves the industrial park near the east end of John Street with TTC Route #224C.
Attractions
- Sutton Frizzell's House, 18 John Street. [1]
- Thornhll Cemetery (1867) [2]
- Pomona Mills Park [3]
- Thornhill Community Centre has two ice rinks rink, 3 community halls, an auditorium and a library.
- John Welsh House (known as Thornlea), 288 John Street, now 'Santorini Bar & Grill'[4]
- Thornhill Square, 300 John Street, is Thornhill's largest shopping mall.[5]
- R.J. Clathworthy Arena is equipped with one ice rink.
- Bishops Cross Park has a major baseball and soccer field, along with playgrounds and running track.
Road status
John Street is complete and paved. It is a modern urban road between Woodbine Avenue and Bayview Avenue, and more like a suburban road near Yonge Street, due to the influence of Old Thornhill. The road was re-paved recently in 2006. Currently, no potholes are reported.
Zoning
Between Woodbine Avenue and Highway 404, all zonings are industrial. Between Highway 404, and Bayview Avenue, a mix of light railroad industrial and medium-density residence along the road. When the road approaches to Yonge Street, light residential areas are found.
Source
[] Maps
TTC/ Transit maps
- Multi-Languages Transit Guide Versions 1/2
Geolinks Canada/ Streetscale
John Street (Markham) is at 43°48'39?N 79°23'02?W? / ?43.810933, -79.383774Coordinates: 43°48'39?N 79°23'02?W? / ?43.810933, -79.383774
Others
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