A local lumber merchant and a former Premier of Ontario are our focus for this week’s feature.
Each week, we speak with Milton Historical Society (MHS) President John Challinor II to gather information and details about the namesakes of our roads. If you weren’t aware, he and the late great historian, Jim Dills, wrote the book on Milton street names, writing Milton Streets back in 2007.
Recently, we covered Gillett Point and Rowe Terrace. This week, we’re focusing on Copeland Circle and Eves Gate.
Starting alphabetically with Copeland, Challinor says the name comes from a local lumber merchant.
He adds that, in a small town like Milton was at the time, a local lumber merchant would have been a very popular person. Local businesses, contractors, and DIY-ers would have made good business for a store owner like Copeland.
Currently, the location is now where the Habitat for Humanity ReStore calls home, at 700 Main Street East. Challinor notes that, eventually, the area will be receive a makeover as condo buildings are expected to be built. Read more about the incoming ‘Uptown’ core here.
Moving on to Eves Gate, Challinor says it was named after a former Treasurer and Premier of Ontario.
He calls Eves one of the best treasurers the province has ever had, alongside Darcy McKeough. He laughs, saying you never realize how important a good treasurer is until you have a few bad ones.
If you’re looking to understand how Milton’s streets are 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. You can message our Facebook page, Twitter account, Instagram page, or even email us at News1013@LocalRadio.ca. Otherwise, we’ll just continue asking about local street names that we find interesting.
If you have a news tip or story idea, you can now send us a heads up via email at News1013@LocalRadio.ca. If you’d like to get ahold of me personally, shoot me a message at Cameron.Wilkinson@LocalRadio.ca. We’re in the business of content creation, so no idea is a bad idea.
