Country Canada Established May 17, 1818 Elevation 195 m (640 ft) Local time Wednesday 8:37 PM | Region Halton Incorporated May 27, 1857 (town) Demonym(s) Miltonese, Miltonian Province Ontario | |
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Weather -3°C, Wind NW at 10 km/h, 41% Humidity Points of interest Rattlesnake Point, Crawford Lake Conserva, Hilton Falls Conservation Area, Halton County Radial R, Kelso Conservation Area | ||
Extraordinary railfanning in milton ontario
Milton (2016 census population 110,128) is a town in Southern Ontario, Canada, and part of the Halton Region in the Greater Toronto Area. Between 2001 and 2011 Milton was the fastest growing municipality in Canada, with a 71.4% increase in population in 2006 and another 56.5% increase in 2011. In 2016, Milton's census population was 110,128 with an estimated growth to 228,000 by 2031.
Contents
- Extraordinary railfanning in milton ontario
- Map of Milton ON Canada
- History
- Demographics
- Neighbourhoods
- Education
- Halton District School Board
- Halton Catholic District School Board
- Private schools
- Public library system
- Municipal
- Mayors of Milton
- Halton Regional Council
- Provincial
- Federal
- Government services
- Service clubs
- Roads
- Bridges
- Public transportation
- Railways
- Air
- Milton Sports Hall of Fame
- Badminton
- Baseball
- Basketball
- Curling
- Cycling
- Golf
- Gymnastics
- Hockey
- Running
- Skating
- Skiing
- Soccer
- Swimming
- Parks and recreation
- Media
- Local events
- Development
- Commerce
- Notable people
- Music
- Politics and public service
- Sports
- Sister cities
- References
Map of Milton, ON, Canada
Milton is located 40 km (25 mi) west of Downtown Toronto on Highway 401, and is the western terminus for the Milton line commuter train and bus corridor operated by GO Transit. Milton is on the edge of the Niagara Escarpment, a UNESCO world biosphere reserve and the Bruce Trail.
History
The town took root out of a settlement by Jasper Martin along the Sixteen Mile Creek; Martin immigrated from Newcastle, England with his wife Sarah and two sons on May 17, 1818. Martin was granted 100 acres (40 ha) of land, from the Crown in 1820, designated Lot 14, Concession 2, Township of Trafalgar, Halton County, in the District of Gore. Martin later built a grist mill along the creek and created a pond, known as Mill Pond, to power his mill. The mill became the centre of settlement for others as they settled in the region. In 1837 the area had a population of approximately 100 people and was named Milton after the English poet John Milton. The town, as it is today, soon after became known as Milton. The two principal property owners of the young town were the Martins and the Fosters. The current site of Milton's town hall was donated from Mr. Hugh Foster (and thus, Hugh Foster Hall).
By 1855, the United Counties of Halton and Wentworth separated and Halton became a county. Its council consisted of members representing the townships of Esquesing, Nassagaweya, Trafalgar and Nelson, along with Acton, Georgetown, Milton, Burlington and Oakville. Milton was then named as the county town, a decision that certainly created a lot of local controversy. The people in Oakville were very upset because Oakville was an established place with a railway. Milton didn’t even have a railway, according to historian John McDonald. For 25 years there was this great rivalry. Every time county council tried to pass something to improve the Milton area, the Oakville councillors would often balk at it. A man named Hugh Foster donated four acres of land to the county to construct its administration building in Milton, which is still in place on Mary Street today and now used as the Milton Town Hall. Milton was incorporated into a town in 1857, after being chosen as county seat for Halton.
In 1974, the present municipal structure was created when the Regional Municipality of Halton replaced Halton County. The new town of Milton added parts of the former township of Esquesing (most of this township comprises Halton Hills), all of Nassagaweya Township including the village of Campbellville, and the northern sections of Trafalgar and Nelson from (a 1962 annexation of the former townships) Oakville and Burlington respectively.
With the addition of the Niagara Escarpment lands, tourism, recreation, and heritage conservation have increased in importance. The Halton Region Museum which has a large number of historic agricultural buildings and the Halton County Radial Railway museum are located in Milton, as is Country Heritage Park (formerly the Ontario Agricultural Museum). Five large parks operated by Conservation Halton reside in the town and Mohawk Raceway is located near Campbellville. It is also home to Maplehurst Correctional Complex, the Vanier Centre for Women and one of two criminal courthouses serving Halton Region.
Demographics
In 2015, the population numbers on all signs entering Milton increased to 100,000 based on official estimates by Town planners. According to the Canada 2011 Census there were 84,362 people living in Milton, and its population in 2006 was 53,939, representing an increase of 56.5%. The 2011 Census counted 28,049 housing units and 27,561 being occupied.
According to the 2011 Census, English is the mother tongue for 69.5% of the population, down from 77.6% in the 2006 Census. However, the absolute number of native English speakers actually increased (58,140 in 2011, from 41,430 in 2006), but the increase in the absolute number of non-English native speakers was even higher, thus explaining the decrease in its relative proportion of English as mother tongue in the population. French is the mother tongue for 1.5% of the population. Immigrant languages with the most notable proportions of native speakers are Urdu (4.3%), Polish (2.2%), Spanish (2.1%), and Panjabi (Punjabi) (1.6%). At 9% of the population, the town contains the highest percentage of Pakistani Canadians of any Canadian municipality.
Most of Milton is either a Christian (64.6%), or affiliates with no religion (19.5%), but has large Muslim (9.7%), Hindu (3.0%), and Sikh (1.9%) communities. The remaining 1.3% affiliate with another religion.
Neighbourhoods
Milton's Planning Department divides the town into communities. These divisions have little to do with politics and are based on traditional neighbourhoods.
Education
Milton's public elementary and secondary schools are part of the Halton District School Board. Milton's Catholic elementary and secondary schools are part of the Halton Catholic District School Board. There are also several private schools in Milton.
Halton District School Board
Halton Catholic District School Board
Private schools
Public library system
Milton is served by two library locations, a recently constructed Main Library located on Main Street and Beaty Branch which opened on November 17, 2009.
In 2005, the Milton Public Library celebrated its sesquicentennial year.
Municipal
Milton has a local town council headed by a mayor, and representation on the Halton Region council. The town is divided into eight wards, each of which elect a council representative. Milton is represented by the mayor and two regional councilors on the Halton Region council.
Town Council 2014–2018
Krantz has been mayor since 1980 making him the current longest serving mayor in Ontario.
Mayors of Milton
Halton Regional Council
Provincial
At the provincial level of government, Milton is contained within the Halton provincial riding.
Federal
At the federal level of government, Milton is contained within the Halton federal riding.
Government services
Policing within Milton is provided by Halton Regional Police. Patrol of provincially maintained highways is provided by the Ontario Provincial Police. Milton is home to the Royal Canadian Mounted Police Toronto West Detachment under "O" Division.
In 1972, the government started a $13.5 million construction project for the Maplehurst Correctional Centre. It was completed in 1974 and continues to operate to this day.
Service clubs
The Rotary Club of Milton is a local service club and was chartered on January 22, 1947. The club has been active in helping the community for over 65 years, especially youth. One of its charter members was former Milton mayor Mike Ledwith. It meets Mondays at 6:30 pm at Community Living North Halton's board room. Guests are welcome.
Roads
There are three main arterial east-west regional roads that run through urban Milton: #6 Britannia Road in the south, #7 Derry Road in central Milton, and #8 Steeles Avenue in the north. Three north-south regional roads bisect the town: Tremaine Road in the west, Highway 25 as Ontario Street through the middle of town linking Milton to Shelburne in the north and Burlington in the south, and James Snow Parkway in the east. A number of improvements have been undertaken since 2009 to increase capacity and alleviate delays due to congestion and train traffic on these numbered regional roads.
Highway 401 bisects the Town and effectively separates the mainly rural and industrial areas to the north from the primarily residential and commercial developments in the southern part of town.
Bridges
A number of overpass and underpass projects have been constructed in recent years for the grade separation of railway crossings, including on Britannia Road, Derry Road, Main Street, and James Snow Parkway.
Public transportation
Milton Transit is the municipal provider of bus services for the town. Milton Transit provides conventional and Milton access+ (paratransit) service, operating on weekdays and Saturdays, with connections to routes and GO Transit services at the Milton GO Station.
Milton Transit has delivered service since the early 1980s in various forms. With recommendations from the North Halton Transit Strategy, Council approved the delivery of a contracted, fixed-route transit system in 2004. Milton Transit officially launched conventional service in August later that year and began purchasing its own branded buses in 2008.
Milton Transit currently contracts its services to a private service provider, PWTransit Canada, who employ bus operators and maintain Milton Transit fleet.
Intercity service is served by Go Transit via buses and trains. Commuter service to and from Toronto is the key routing, with some buses connecting to Oakville. On October 31, 2009, Go Transit started service with a line from Square One Shopping Centre in Mississauga to the University of Waterloo, therefore allowing a trip to Kitchener and Cambridge.
Railways
Freight trains on the main Montreal-Toronto-Chicago CP line and a secondary CN line are a common sight in Milton. The town at present has very little passenger rail service in comparison to other GTA communities with only one-way, weekday peak-service inbound to Toronto in the morning, and outbound from Toronto in the evening. The nearest Via Rail station in the Toronto-New York City corridor is Oakville station.
The most easily accessible GO Transit railway station is Milton station.
Air
The nearest airport to Milton is the Burlington Airpark in neighboring Burlington, Ontario. It is a thriving general-aviation field, but the airport does not have any regular commercial passenger flight service.
Pearson International Airport, Canada's largest passenger-volume airport, is located only 37 kilometres to the east.
Milton Sports Hall of Fame
Milton has a long sports history. In 2016, that history was formally recognized through a joint community-municipal project with the creation of the Milton Sports Hall of Fame. A volunteer committee was stuck in 2014. The inaugural class of inductees was announced in August 2016, with the formal induction ceremony set for November 24, 2016. A wall of fame to recognize the inaugural inductees as well as future inductees has been constructed in the Milton Sports Centre.
2016 Inductees
Badminton
Milton Badminton Club operates up to nine courts within the in-field of the Mattamy National Cycling Centre. The club is officially affiliated with Badminton Canada and the Ontario Badminton Association, and actively participates in the district's league plays, junior circuits, as well as various Ontario tournaments. Programs are provided for players aged 9+ years old.
Baseball
Baseball has a long history in Milton, particularly in Campbellville where it had its beginnings with the Lumberman's Baseball Club as early as 1872. It really flourished as a "community tradition" in the 1920s and 30's, and again in the 1950s and 60's with the Campbellville Intermediate Baseball Team, which won numerous county and provincial titles in a 16-year span from 1952 to 1967. A grandstand and club house was erected in 1960 in Campbellville to make room for the 2,000 spectators that would descend on the hamlet. In 1953, the Campbellville Baseball Club won the OBA Intermediate C Championship in just its second year in the league, before repeating again and again. Managed by Len Andrews, the men's Campbellville Merchants baseball team won 11 consecutive Halton county league titles, as well as 12 Ontario Championship titles between 1952-1967, an amazing feat for a hamlet of 300 at the time. Known as the Merchants, the intermediate men’s squad (1952-67 era) was inducted into the Baseball Ontario Hall of Fame in 2014. Campbellville teams won four more provincial titles between 1968 and 1984.
Minor baseball in Milton was formally recognized through the incorporation of the Milton Minor Baseball Association as Baseball Milton in 1985. Programs range from junior t-ball all the way to midget, with house, select and rep leagues. Teams are known as the Milton Mets. In 2016, the Milton Mets major rookie team captured the boys' COBA Triple-A title.
Basketball
The Milton Stags are a youth basketball club and affiliated member club of Basketball Ontario and Basketball Canada.
Curling
Milton Curling Club is a member-owned volunteer club with four sheets of ice and is open from October to April. Milton native Kirsten Wall is an Olympic gold medallist and served as Jennifer Jones alternate at the 2014 Winter Olympics. World Curling Tour curler Steve Bice also resides in Milton, and is second for the rink skipped by his brother Mark Bice.
Cycling
The Niagara Escarpment forms an excellent natural training ground for mountain biking and road cycling in Milton. Milton is also home to the headquarters and practice facilities for Cycling Canada. It is also home to the Canadian Cycling Hall of Fame, which was created in 2015 and is located in the Mattamy National Cycling Centre.
Golf
In 1978, Milton's 15-year-old Stan Fay became Ontario Junior Golf Champion. He also simultaneously won the juvenile crown as well. There are 10 golf courses within Milton. After Fay was diagnosed with Parkinson's, an annual charity golf tournament was established to help raise funds for the disease.
Gymnastics
Milton Springers Gymnastics Club have existed since 1974.
Hockey
In 1942, the Milton Bricks Tigers won an OHA Junior "C" title. Milton defeated Oakville to advance to the semi-finals and Parry Sound to move on to the finals against the Preston Riversides. In the Schmalz Cup best of three series, which was held at Maple Leaf Gardens, Milton won game one by a score of 6-4, with three goals coming from Milton's future NHL player Enio Schlisizzi, and game two by a score of 10-1. This victory came on the heels of a loss in the finals three years earlier versus Aurora.
NHLer and four-time Stanley Cup champion John Tonelli is the most well-known hockey player to come from Milton. There is a Milton arena named in his honour. NHL referee Bruce Hood and linesman Leon Stickle are also Milton products.
A banner hockey year came in 1976 when the Milton Tridents Intermediate B team won the Southern Counties league championship over the Tillsonburg Maroons in seven games, and the Docs and Dents minor atom team won the OMHA Central Ontario zone championship. The Docs and Dents were the first Milton minor hockey team to go undefeated in the Tri-County league, winning 26 games and tying two.
The Milton Icehawks are a Junior "A" ice hockey team in the Ontario Junior A Hockey League. They are one of the most historical teams in the Ontario Junior Hockey League, having been formed in 1966.
Trucking magnate Brad Grant purchased the team in the late 1980s when it seemed like the organization might fold, and led the team to tremendous success in the late 1990s. During his 15-year ownership run, the team captured four division crowns, three league championships and a provincial title. In 2001, Grant sold the team to an Oakville trio that consisted of ex-NHLer Dave Gagner, Mario Forgione who owned the Mississauga IceDogs at the time and was an automotive parts manufacturing president, and wine distillery consultant Ken Chase.
For the 2003-04 season, Forgione changed the team's name from the Merhcants to the IceHawks to reflect the team's connection with the local minor hockey programs called the Winterhawks, and Forgione's ownership of the Mississauga IceDogs. In 2006, Forgione officially affiliated the Icehawks with the IceDogs.
In the spring of 2006, ex-NHL goaltender Rick Heinz' attempt to purchase the nearby Tier-2 Junior Georgetown Raiders fell through, but by July 2006 the local Campbellville resident Heinz had talked Forgione into selling the Icehawks, and the affiliation with the IceDogs ended. Heinz sold the team just nine months later after starting the season with essentially no committed players. Dean Piett, a commercial real estate businessman from Burlington, and Rob DeVincentis, the Ancaster owner of a construction business, purchased the team from Heinz and have owned the team ever since the sale in 2007. Both Piett and DeVincetis had a son playing on the team in 2008, which led to friction amongst other players.
The Icehawks (2003–present) have previously been known as the Milton Flyers (1979-1981), Milton Steamers (1981-1986), and Milton Merchants (1986-2003). Many notable players have suited up for Milton over the years including NHL stars John Tavares, Daniel Carcillo, Sam Gagner, Rich Peverley, Darren Haydar and Matt Read.
Running
Milton is represented by distance runner Ed Whitlock who holds numerous age-related records for the marathon, half-marathon and long-distance track events, both indoor and outdoor.
Skating
In 1976, Milton's Kevin Parker won a Canadian national novice skating title in London.
Skiing
The Niagara Escarpment forms an excellent natural training ground for skiing in Milton. It is also the site of Glen Eden ski area, where Olympian and Miltonian Travis Gerrits got his start.
Soccer
Milton soccer is represented by the Milton Youth Soccer Club. MYSC was incorporated in 1988 and has been serving the town of Milton ever since. It is a non-profit, volunteer organization. The club has over 3300 players who play house-league, development and rep each year. Ages for teams range from U4 to U18 and including adult.
Milltown Football Club was an soccer club based in Milton, playing in Division 1 of the Peel Halton Soccer League. Milltown FC joined the Canadian Soccer League in the 2010 season as an expansion club but opted out of the league after one season due to disagreement over membership terms and conditions.
Milltown FC was officially announced as an expansion club in the CSL's 2010 season. The home field was at the Bishop Reding School in Milton. Milltown FC and Milton Youth Soccer Club had signed an affiliation agreement that saw MYSC supply players for Milltown FC's reserve and youth teams.
Milltown achieved top position in the standings on the 13th game of the inaugural season for the first time ever. The team attracted a lot of attention with an undefeated streak under head coach Rafael Carbajal that extended to nine games.
Swimming
The Milton Marlins are youth-focussed swim team based out of the Milton Sports Centre. Coach and swim trainer Carole Murray was instrumental in teaching thousands of kids in Milton how to swim from the 1970s until she sold her swim school in 2006. She won a coach of the year award from the federal government in 1988. She was also a coach for the Marlins. Under her watch Campbellville's Alicia Hicken competed in the Canadian Olympic Trials and Canadian Winter Nationals in 1991.
Some Marlins swimmers have qualified for the Olympic Trials for the 2016 Rio Olympics.
Parks and recreation
Milton has many conservation parks, campgrounds and recreational areas. The conservation parks in the Milton area are owned by Conservation Halton, a conservation authority.
Media
Milton is covered by local newspapers, magazines and websites through the following services:
Local events
Development
The town has very easy access throughout the GTA by Highways 401 and 407 towards Oakville, Burlington and Hamilton on the town, or by the former Highway 25 (Halton Road 25). There are two key freight railway routes (both by CN and CP), passenger services from GO Transit, and Via Rail passenger connections in the Quebec City-Windsor Corridor in both neighbouring Oakville and Georgetown. There is close proximity to Toronto Pearson International Airport along Highway 401 (under 40 km from 401/Halton 25 exit).
Milton Transit was developed in 1972 to provide public transportation service throughout the urban centre, as well as a feeder route for GO Transit trains and buses.
While most of the development is suburban in nature, larger industrial lots are being developed closer to the escarpment. The major industries in Milton are automotive, advanced manufacturing, distribution and food production.
Residential growth has increased substantially over the past several years due to completion of "The Big Pipe" project; designed to deliver water to the town from Lake Ontario. Since this time, Milton has developed 7 new subdivisions, including Hawthorne Village, and several new ones are under development by Mattamy Homes and various other builders. Several new grade schools have been built as well as the Crossroads Centre shopping plaza that includes various major retail stores and restaurants. An eight screen movie theatre is operated by Cineplex Entertainment under their Galaxy Cinemas brand and opened on June 30, 2006.
In July 2014, Milton council approved 11 applications that will see an additional 6,000 homes built, increasing the population by roughly 25,000 new residents. In 2013-14, Milton approved construction of a track-cycling veldrome venue for the 2015 Pan American Games called the Mattamy National Cycling Centre. The facility sits at the heart of a 150-acre plot of land that is designated for a proposed future Wilfrid Laurier University campus.
Commerce
The villages of Milton Heights and Peru are unique in Milton, as they were the centres of industrial rather than farming communities. This has given this part of Milton a unique character that has left a legacy in the buildings and people that remain in the area. In the 1850s and 60's until 1877, a lumber mill operated in the area as well as a saw mill in the mid-1800s. The railway fueled industry when it opened in 1879 in Milton.
The area was traditionally famous for quarrying and the production of building materials such as lime, limestone and bricks, which started in the 1880s. These industries were of provincial significance and, at their peak at the turn of the 20th century, they employed hundreds of people in the Milton Heights and Peru areas.
In addition, the materials that were produced here were used in many of the buildings in both urban and rural Milton as well as in buildings throughout Ontario. These were huge industrial operations for their time and they attracted considerable immigration to Milton.
Early industry in Milton consisted of the Milton Pressed Brick Company, which started in the 1880s, and the P.L. Robertson screw factory, which started in 1908.
Currently, Mattamy Homes' Halton/Hamilton Divisional Office is located in Milton. Other companies with Canadian head offices, or a major employment presence, in Milton include: