It’s Monday, you know what that means…
We are continuing our weekly feature of diving into the history behind Milton street names. Last week, we covered Cobban Road, Syer Drive, and Cathcart Crescent. This week, we have three streets named after former Premiers (Davis Lane, Robarts Drive, and Frost Court), as well as the listener-suggested Hugh Street / Hugh Lane combination.
Every week, we interview Milton Historical Society John Challinor and ask him about the stories behind several local street names. If you weren’t aware, Challinor and the late great historian, Jim Dills, wrote the book on Milton street names, having written Milton Streets back in 2007.
Challinor discusses the decision to focus on Davis Lane, Robarts Drive, and Frost Court this week.
He says that in his opinion, the three men are the greatest Premiers in the history of Ontario.
Davis Lane is found in the Dempsey neighbourhood and was first named in 2000. Bill Davis served as the Ontario Premier from 1971 to 1985, succeeding John Robarts. During that time, he established a number of universities (including Trent and Brock), created the community college system, and helped launch the network that is now known as TVOntario (TVO).
Robarts Drive is also located within the Dempsey neighbourhood, and just so happened to also have been named in 2000. John Robarts served as the Ontario Premier from 1961 to 1971, succeeding Leslie Frost. Challinor says Robarts is responsible for the establishment of five universities in Ontario, including York University. He also helped open the Ontario Science Centre and Ontario Place, launched GO transit in the province, and was the premier that introduced nuclear power to Ontario.
Frost Court is found in the Ford neighbourhood. Leslie Frost was the Ontario Premier from 1949 to 1961. He was nicknamed ‘Old Man Ontario’ due to his lengthy 12-year term. Challinor says Frost was the man behind the 400-series super highways. He established what became OHIP for residents, and helped develop the Fair Employment Practices Act and Fair Accommodation Practices Act that started a human rights movement within the province and led to the Ontario Human Rights Code in 1962 and later legislation.
Our final street this week is a unique combination. Hugh Street can be found in what is considered Old Milton. It is located to the northeast of Milton’s Town Hall between Robert Street (the Milton Fairgrounds) and Mary Street. Through a wide alleyway that is now titled as Hugh Lane, Hugh Street technically extends to Main Street East… but where does the name ‘Hugh’ come from?
Residents may also recognize the name Hugh Foster as being the namesake for the Town of Milton’s Hugh Foster Hall, located to the southwest of Town Hall.
There are actually six streets named after the Foster family:
- Hugh Street — Named for Hugh Foster;
- Sarah Street — Named for Sarah Foster, his second wife;
- Thomas Street — Named for Thomas Foster, his eldest son;
- Mary Street — Named for Mary Foster, his daughter;
- Pearl Street — Named for a relative of Hugh Foster; and,
- Foster Court — Named for Hugh Foster.
If you’re looking to understand how Milton’s streets were named, you should check out the book written by Challinor and Dills. Published by the Milton Historical Society back in 2007, it sold out in about six weeks and has since been long out of print. That said, according to Challinor, you can still find a copy at the Milton Public Library. With nearly 15-years having passed since the initial publication, and the extensive town growth in that time, an updated book is likely to come.
You can also take a walk with the late Jim Dills down Milton’s Main Street in 2002.
If you have a suggestion on what you’d like to learn about next week, let us know! We’re currently working on names that we find interesting, as well as suggested names. You can message our Facebook page, Twitter account, Instagram page, or even email us at News1013@mbcmedia.ca. Otherwise, we’ll just continue asking about local street names that interest us.
