Photo: Town of Milton
The Town of Milton and the Milton Historical Society (MHS) will induct six people into the Milton Walk of Fame.
The Walk of Fame recognizes current and former Milton citizens who have achieved national and/or international recognition as top achievers in top-level fields including athletics, arts and entertainment, business and industry, government and public service, and health and science.
“Through our continued partnership with the Milton Historical Society, it is a pleasure to honour and congratulate this latest group of Miltonians to be inducted into Milton’s Walk of Fame,” says Milton Mayor Gord Krantz.
The 2023 inductees are:
- Henry Cargill (1836-1903) (Posthumous) – International Lumber Merchant
- Born in Nassagaweya Township, Henry Cargill was an international lumber merchant, award winning farmer as well as a municipal and federal elected representative. With the declining number of white pine on his Nassagaweya properties, Mr. Cargill began to concentrate his business interests in Bruce County and by the late 1870s purchased the largest wetland in Southwestern Ontario, known as the Greenock Swamp. Soon after reestablishing his lumber concerns he laid out a town site which would become Cargill, Ontario. He brought prosperity to Bruce County and became its largest employer. Cargill provided the village with a school house, library books, three churches and offered its citizens protection from fire with a water tower. Henry Cargill was a great humanitarian and considered a model of good labour relations.
- Nick Greaves – Musician
- Nick Greaves is the cofounder and lead guitarist for the Canadian Indie Rock group, The Most Serene Republic (TMSR), alongside childhood friends and fellow Milton locals Ryan Lenssen and Adrian Jewett. Mr. Greaves also acted as the band’s creative director, responsible for album art direction and photography. In 2006 he took on the role of band manager. Between 2005 and 2015, TMSR produced five albums, three on the record label Arts & Crafts, supporting those efforts with extensive live tours across North America and Europe. The Most Serene Republic was nominated for a JUNO Award in 2010 and is one of Milton’s most successful bands. In 2010, Nick started the band’s record label imprint, Home Of The Rebels, releasing their albums from 2010 onwards. In 2014, Mr. Greaves joined the indie band Wildlife and has released numerous albums with the group. Nick currently works as a film editor and photographer in the advertising Industry.
- Adrian Jewett – Musician
- Adrian Jewett was born in Mississauga, spent two years in Etobicoke, two years in Hamilton, and then two years in St.Germain, a town near Paris, France; before moving to Milton, Ontario where he attended grade school at St. Peter’s. This was when he first met Nick and Ryan and became inseparable friends. He attended high school at Bishop Paul Francis Reding Secondary School, and started making and recording music with his friends near the end of grade twelve. It was a magical and exciting time. Adrian ended up going to York University for Theatre Acting, and in the summer of 2004, he recorded Underwater Cinematographer, with Ryan, Nick, and some other friends, fortunately being signed by Arts and Crafts, a Toronto indie label in 2005. The band, The Most Serene Republic, with some lineup changes throughout the years, released a few more albums and toured North America and Europe, 2016’s Mediac. before health problems put Adrian’s music career on hold, and he headed back to school. The Most Serene Republic continued to release albums up until 2016s Mediac.
- Brian Kernighan – Computer Scientist
- Brian Kernighan was part of the research group that developed the Unix operating system and the C programming language at Bell Labs in the early 1970s, where he coined the name Unix, helped develop a variety of languages and tools and coauthored the book, The C Programming Language. Unix is the foundation of all modern computer operating systems, including Linux, macOS, iOS and Android, and C is one of the world’s most widely used programming languages and the parent of many modern computer languages. Kernighan is also the inventor of the classic “Hello World” program, which has become the de facto way for all programming language textbook authors to introduce language syntax examples to readers. Kernighan was elected a member of the National Academy of Engineering in 2002 for his contributions to software and to programming languages. He was also elected a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in 2019.
- Ryan Lenssen – Composer and Pianist
- Ryan Lenssen is the cofounder of, primary composer for, and pianist with the Canadian indie rock group, The Most Serene Republic (TMSR). He also performed backup vocals and horns. Through his company ASF Studios, Mr. Lenssen recorded, engineered, and produced much of TMSR’s work, as well as that of other musical groups. He also wrote and produced music for television and film. Between 2005 and 2015 TMSR produced five albums, three on the international Arts & Crafts label, supporting those efforts with extensive live tours across North America and Europe. The Most Serene Republic was nominated for a JUNO Award in 2010 and is easily the most successful professional music group in Milton’s history as a municipality. Mr. Lenssen is a member of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police and a former Officer of the Royal Canadian Naval Reserve.
- Joseph Willmott (1897-1987) (Posthumous) – Sheep Breeder
- Born in Milton, Joseph Willmott was a nationally recognized sheep breeder and judge as well as a national agricultural industry executive. He served as President of the Canadian Sheep Breeders Association and the Ontario Sheep Breeders Association; Chairman of the Canadian Livestock Records Corporation; and a member of the Board of Directors of the Royal Agricultural Winter Fair and the Canadian National Exhibition. He won the prestigious Friesen Cup three times for sheep shown at the RAWF. After his third victory, the Friesen Cup was awarded to him to keep permanently. He served in the Canadian Air Force during World War I, returning home to receive his education at the Ontario Agricultural College (now the University of Guelph) and farm for 70 years at the family homestead on the south Derry Road and Regional Road 25.
“The Milton Historical Society wishes to congratulate and celebrate the 2023 Milton Walk of Fame inductees. With each passing year, this event continues to remind all of us just how special this community and its citizens truly are,” says President of the MHS John Challinor II.
Get to know every member of the Milton Walk of Fame!
The 16th annual Walk of Fame will be on Saturday, February 18th at Milton’s Town Hall at 150 Mary Street. It will run from 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Those who wish to attend the event can reach out to the Town of Milton by email or calling 905-878-7252 ex 2102.
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