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We have a street named after a famous Canadian painter, and another named after a popular broadcaster-turned-politician.
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 focused on Collins Drive and Parent Place. This week, we’re covering Colville Place and Onley Lane.
Starting alphabetically with Colville, Challinor discusses the work done by one of his favourite Canadian painters.
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When discussing the work, Challinor noted that he himself even owns signed prints of Colville’s art. He says outside the famous Group of Seven, Colville is on the list of most successful Canadian painters.
Our second street this week is Onley Lane. Many will recognize the namesake from his time in front of the camera, as well as in politics.
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He notes that it’s a common transition for broadcasters to go into politics. The speaking skills tend to be transferable, and many reporters learn a lot about the industry while covering it.
Challinor remembers working alongside Onley around the time of the Y2K scare, running a reoccurring segment about preparing for any potential issues. He says he enjoyed the time spent with Onley.
David Onley passed away in January 2023. He was 72-years-old.
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 (Milton)
- News1015@LocalRadio.ca (Orangeville)
- News92@LocalRadio.ca (South Simcoe)
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.
