via Google Maps
We have a street name connected to a famous Canadian artist, and another related to a popular flower.
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 Goodwin Crescent and Lily Crescent. This week, we’re covering Lemieux Crescent and Lesage Crescent.
Starting alphabetically with Lemieux, Challinor says the name comes from another famous Canadian painter.
He adds that Lemieux started out with watercolour, but really hit his stride with oil painting. Stamp collectors are likely fond of a collection done around his work several decades ago.
You can find Lemieux’s art in the National Gallery of Art in Ottawa, as well as galleries in his home city of Montreal.
Lemieux passed away in 1990 at the age of 86.
As for our second street this week, Challinor says Lesage comes from a former Quebec politician.
While it’s uncommon for a former Premier of another province to be recognized this way by the Town of Milton, Challinor noted that Lesage’s importance to Quebec is potentially comparable to that of Sir John A. Macdonald.
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)
- Rick.Sargent@LocalRadio.ca (Bolton)
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.
