This is a vey interesting post, and I could not help but put my little bit of local history knowledge in. I live in the Barrie area, and in 1954 they put the 400 series highway in. Prior to this date anyone travelling north from Toronto would have to follow the infamous Highway 11 route north to Muskoka or other summer destinations. Present day Highway 11 goes North from Barrie at the 400 Extension. Before 1954 people travelling north from Toronto would travel north on Yonge St through Bradford and other small towns before reaching Barrie. When you got to Barrie you would have to go through town, making several turns to get back out to Highway 11 to Orillia. Apparently there was quite the traffic problem in town on weekends before they put the 400 in. We don't have any brass lamps here any more, and the wooden park bench probably has a homeless person sleeping on it, but yes you can still follow most of the original route. Yonge St is still called Yonge St here, for at least a portion of the original route. The official name is Simcoe County Road 4 south of Barrie now, but everyone still calls it Highway 11. And yes it does run for hundreds of kilometers north of here too, the Trans Canada Highway is both Highways 11 and 17 in places way north of us. For a version more like what you are looking for, try the Ridge Road (city folks call it Shanty Bay Road) in Oro-Medonte Township (between Barrie and Orillia) in the fall when the leaves start to turn. Just a little bit of snap in the air, smelling the first woodstove smoke. Very picturesque and well worth the visit. I would imagine Westernstar9 that the Yonge St / Highway 11 that I know wouldn't be to far off from say in about 1950. Things don't change here as fast as other places.
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