Like water, development often takes the route of least resistance and if the truth be known, the location of The Queensway is probably an excellent example.
It has been said that the route of The Queensway out of Toronto was originally going to align with Melton Drive. According to Dorothy Clarke, at 2240 Dixie Road, discussions took place about the purchase of their house, which aligns with Melton Drive. But as time went on, more development started to take place just south of the hydro right-of-way, east of Dixie Road in Sherway, and also, in 1972, Edrich Construction built along Melton east of Stanfield Road. The cost to the plan to use Melton as The Queensway would not have been practical.
According to Sheldon Nablo, an Applewood Acres resident who was employed by Toronto Township Hydro, the utility had earlier acquired property on Stanfield Road for its Greening Sub Station, which effectively put a nail on the lid of the plan to connect Melton Drive with the Queensway out of Toronto. This property was actually blocking any suggested alignment. To this day that property remains without its intended station on site.
The Queensway finally found its home under the high-tension wires of the massive hydro towers and instantly became a major corridor for traffic in and out of Mississauga and Toronto.
According to the minutes of the Annual General Meeting of the North Applewood Homeowners’ Association, held March 18, 1975, the then member of Council Ron Searle, spoke briefly on the plans for the extension of The Queensway and the need for some form of sound abatement measures. Councillor Searle spoke in favour of using ‘berms’. Regardless of what form of sound abatement was selected, the Association voted to support the plans for the extension of The Queensway.
A meeting, sponsored by The Region of Peel, was held at Applewood Public School on June 3, 1975. Only those living along Melton Drive were invited and about 55 people attended. Concern was expressed that there was no provision for sound abatement measures or a fence, and secondly, that Haines Road (later changed to Cody Lane) would be open to The Queensway from both sides. Residents demanded that some form of sound abatement be undertaken and that also Haines be closed to Melton Drive. The residents learned at that meeting that The Queensway was planned to begin in August 1975 and to be completed within one year. A petition was then drawn up and sent to Council. Also, it was agreed that a newsletter would be prepared and delivered to the community.