We have two former Councillors, both with interesting career paths!
Each week, 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 Minto Crescent and Proud Drive. This week, we’re focusing on Powys Street and Raftis Crescent.
Starting alphabetically with Powys, Challinor says the street is named after a former teacher and local councillor.
Marjorie Powys was definitely the kind of person whose hobby was being social! Challinor notes that she never had any children, which can definitely leave time for volunteering with the many organizations that she was involved in.
A lifelong Miltonian, Powys passed away in 2013.
Our other street this week is Raftis Crescent. Challinor says the namesake was once Chair for Halton’s Council!
It’s suspected that Jack Raftis could have held the seat for longer, but he decided to step away from the role due to a lack of time. He also worked full-time as an engineer and wanted time to spend his off-time with family. Challinor says he was essentially working two full-time jobs, which would have tired anyone out.
One thing that was interesting about diving into the life of Jack Raftis was that he came to Halton from Sudbury for work. He had previously spent nine years on Council there. He brought that experience with him to Burlington, where he decided to continue working for his community in his spare time.
Raftis passed away 11-days shy of his 93rd birthday in 2022.
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.
