Ontario Highway 49 (#1) History - The King's Highways of Ontario

The first King's Highway 49 was a tiny connector highway that linked Kleinburg to Highway 50 near Bolton. The highway was first designated in 1936 at a length of only 5.6 km (3.5 miles). A Preliminary Route Plan was prepared dated May 28, 1936, showing the proposed route of a new King's Highway through York County. The route of Highway 49 began in Kleinburg and continued west to the boundary between York and Peel Counties, where the route ended at Highway 50. The route was assumed as King's Highway 49 by the Department of Highways of Ontario (DHO) on August 5, 1936. Highway 49 had been paved by York County prior to being assumed as a provincial highway in 1936. Interestingly, the route of Highway 49 extended approximately 1/4 mile east of the junction of Highway 27 and ended at the Vaughan Plank Road (today's Islington Avenue) in Kleinburg. The rather odd east terminus of the highway remained the same right up until 1961, when the entire route of Highway 49 was decommissioned as a King's Highway and transferred to York County. The route of Highway 49 was transferred on May 20, 1961. It may be of interest to note that Old Highway 49 still retains its route number to this day; the road is still known as York Regional Road 49 today. The King's Highway 49 designation was utilized again in Ontario, on a different, unrelated Highway 49 that was designated between Picton and Deseronto in 1965.