Remembrance Day is Monday, and so we’re focusing on two local streets named after veterans this week.
On a weekly basis, we speak with Milton Historical Society 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 Belmore Court and Tea Landing. This week, we’re focusing on Pollock Gate and Weller Crossing.
Starting alphabetically with Pollock, Challinor says the namesake served in World War 1.
Before the war, Pollock worked in the community as a firefighter. His family lived in the area of Milton Heights. Pollock’s name can be found on cenotaphs in Belgium, Haltonville, and Milton’s Victoria Park.
Our second street this week is Weller Crossing. Challinor says the namesake was a soldier in World War 2.
Following the Second World War, commercial flights became more common. This allowed families the opportunities to visit the graves of their sons, husbands, brothers, etc. oversea. Many to this day will visit the gravesites and battlefields to reflect on the lives lost in both wars.
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.
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 X account or 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.
