It’s Monday, you know what that means?
We’re continuing our deep dive into the history behind Milton’s street names. Last week, we looked at Chambers Place and Teetzel Drive. This week, we’re focusing on Childs Drive, Tonelli Lane, and Whitlock Avenue.
Every week, we interview Milton Historical Society John Challinor and ask him for 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.
Zeroing in on Childs Drive, Challinor says Syd Childs was a popular mayor of Milton with a unique background.
Audio PlayerOnline documents say Childs worked at PL Robertson – a major factory in Milton’s history – before getting into politics.
Challinor says Childs would have dealt with a lot of development at the time, adding that Milton would have gone from a population of roughly 4,000 at the beginning of his mayoral tenure to roughly 16,000 people. A big issue that Childs would have had to deal with at the time was the closing of the aeronautics plant in Malton when the Avro Arrow was cancelled. Challinor says he would’ve been tasked with helping the many residents who worked at that plant find new jobs and create new economic stability for the community.
Shifting gears, let’s talk about a hockey legend. John Tonelli is a four-time Stanley Cup champion. Not just that, he happened to be a part of a team that won four Stanley Cups in a row.
Tonelli has been awarded many special achievements in his life, including having his #27 jersey retired by the New York Islanders and being inducted into the Milton Sports Hall of Fame. However, the most applicable in this story is being the namesake for Tonelli Lane. Challinor discusses the street and the legacy of John Tonelli.
Audio PlayerChallinor reflects back on his early years, noting how he and his brother went to high school with Tonelli. He calls Tonelli not just a great athlete, but also a very smart man. In his post-NHL years, the Milton boy managed to earn a lot on investments, which allowed him to retire peacefully. Looking back on the run with the Islanders, Challinor says Milton was very proud of him at the time as it was great to see a Miltonian reaching such great heights.
Our last street this week has a very unique story.
Whitlock Avenue is named for Ed Whitlock and can be found in the Ford Neighbourhood. Challinor says Ed Whitlock was a record-setting marathon runner… even in his 80’s!
Audio PlayerHe adds that Whitlock was a very unassuming character. He was an engineer by profession who came to Milton from England. Whitlock was a runner all through school, but as he entered his professional career he fell out of the hobby. He didn’t take it back up until he was 41, where he focused on middle-distance running (800m and 1500m).
Using an age-grading method, the New York Times says Whitlock’s marathon (42.195km) time of 2:54:48 at the age of 73 is equivalent of a 20-year-old running 2:03:57, which would have been the fastest marathon ever run in 2010.
READ: Milton is now home to a world record holder
Sadly, Whitlock died of cancer in 2017 at the age 86.
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.
Two of our streets this week were suggested by the Milton Sports Hall of Fame on our Instagram page. 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.
