Milton, Ontario

Milton
Town (lower-tier)
Town of Milton
Milton from escarpment
Logo
Milton
Coordinates: 43°30′30″N 79°53′0″W
Country	Canada
Province	Ontario
Region	Halton
Established	May 17, 1818
Incorporated	May 27, 1857 (town)
Government
• Town Mayor	Gord Krantz
• MPs	Lisa Raitt
• MPPs	Indira Naidoo-Harris
Area
• Land	363.22 km2 (140.24 sq mi)
Elevation	195 m (640 ft)
Population (2011)
• Total	84,362
• Density	230.11/km2 (596.0/sq mi)
Demonym(s)	Miltonese, Miltonian
Time zone	Eastern (EST) (UTC−5)
Postal code	L9E & L9T
Area code(s)	905 / 289 / 365
Highways	Highway 401 former  Highway 25
Website	www.milton.ca

Milton (2011 census population 84,362) is a town in Southern Ontario, Canada, and part of the Halton Region in the Greater Toronto Area. Between 2001 and 2006 Milton was the fastest growing municipality in the Greater Golden Horseshoe, with a 71.4% increase in population. In early 2014, Milton's population is estimated to be 102,000 with an estimated growth to 228,000 by 2031.

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

Milton, Ontario in 1858.

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

Historic populations
Year	Pop.	±%
1871	891	—
1901	1,372	+54.0%
1911	1,654	+20.6%
1921	1,873	+13.2%
1931	1,839	−1.8%
1941	1,964	+6.8%
1951	2,451	+24.8%
1961	5,629	+129.7%
1971	7,018	+24.7%
1981	28,067	+299.9%
1991	32,075	+14.3%
1996	32,104	+0.1%
2001	31,471	−2.0%
2006	53,939	+71.4%
2011	84,362	+56.4%
2015	100,000	+18.5%

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.

• The average population density per square kilometre was 85.9 persons.
• Age distribution indicated 26.4% of the population was 19 and younger, 63.1% of the population ages 20–64 and 10.5% 65 and older.
• The average household income for a family with two earners was $91,384.
• With one earner in a family, $56,043.
• Males had an average income of $40,069 versus $35,897 for females.
• 27.1% of the population had completed high school. 11.4% a Trades certificate or diploma. 24.9% College. 23.0% University.
• 15.7% of the population had not completed high school.
• As of the 2006 census, 17% of residents were a visible minority.

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.

Milton is a fairly diverse place. The racial make up of Milton is:

• 69.4% White
• 14.0% South Asian; 9.0% Pakistani, 3.8% Indian
• 3.3% Filipino
• 3.3% Black
• 2.5% East Asian; 2.0% Chinese, 0.3% Korean, 0.2% Japanese
• 2.0% Latin American
• 1.8% Arab
• 0.7% Southeast Asian
• 0.7% Aboriginal; 0.4% First Nations, 0.2% Metis
• 0.4% West Asian
• 1.1% Multiracial; 1.3% including Metis
• 0.8% Other

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.

Canada 2011 Census		Population	% of Total Population
Visible minority group Source:	South Asian	11,685	7001140000000000000♠14%
	Filipino	2,755	7000330000000000000♠3.3%
	Black	2,740	7000330000000000000♠3.3%
	Chinese	1,710	7000200000000000000♠2%
	Latin American	1,665	7000200000000000000♠2%
	Arab	1500	7000180000000000000♠1.8%
	Southeast Asian	580	6999700000000000000♠0.7%
	West Asian	310	6999400000000000000♠0.4%
	Korean	265	6999300000000000000♠0.3%
	Japanese	145	6999200000000000000♠0.2%
	Other visible minority	710	6999800000000000000♠0.8%
	Mixed visible minority	915	7000110000000000000♠1.1%
Total visible minority population		24,990	7001299000000000000♠29.9%
Aboriginal group Source:	First Nations	355	6999400000000000000♠0.4%
	Métis	165	6999200000000000000♠0.2%
	Inuit	0	5000000000000000000♠0%
Total Aboriginal population		545	6999700000000000000♠0.7%
White		58,045	7001694000000000000♠69.4%
Total population		83,580	100%

Neighbourhoods

Milton's Planning Department divides the town into communities. These divisions have little to do with politics and are based on traditional neighbourhoods.

Neighbourhood	Description
Old Milton	Old Milton was built mainly between 1850 and 1890. Its boundaries are Bronte St S - Railroad Tracks - Thompson Rd - Robert St/Nipissing Rd.
Beaty	The Beaty neighbourhood started in 2001, this first homes to be built in "New Milton". Beaty is bounded by Derry Rd – Loius St. Laurent Ave – James Snow Pkwy - Thompson Rd. This neighbourhood was named for the Beaty Family who farmed in Trafalgar Township for more than a century. John Beaty emigrated from Ireland in 1820 and was one of the first settlers in the new survey. Between 1856 and 1857 Beaty held a number of offices and made an unsuccessful attempt to win a seat in the Provincial Legislature. John’s son, William, became a pioneer of innovative agricultural practices.
Bronte Meadows	Bronte Meadows was constructed between 1982-1985. Its boundaries are Derry Rd - Bell St - Bronte St - Commercial St. This area is well known for its excellent tobogganing hill at Sixteen Mile Creek, as well as John Tonelli arena. Milton District Hospital and the Milton Sports Centre are found just on the other side of Derry Road.
Bowes	Bowes is a new neighbourhood being developed in south Milton in the Boyne Survey, which will add 6,000 new homes and approximately 25,000 new residents. Construction of this survey began in 2015. Bowes is bounded by James Snow Pkwy - Britannia Rd - Thompson Rd S - Louis St Laurent Ave.
Cobden	Cobden is a new neighbourhood being developed in south Milton in the Boyne Survey, which will add 6,000 new homes and approximately 25,000 new residents. Construction of this survey began in 2015. Cobden is bounded by Thompson Rd S - Britannia Rd - Highway 25 - Louis St Laurent Ave.
Clarke	The Clarke neighbourhood started building in 2003 and construction is still ongoing today. Clarke’s boundaries include Derry Rd – The Railway Tracks – Thompson Rd – James Snow Pkwy. The neighbourhood was named after Samuel Clarke, a long time agriculturist and municipal politician. Clarke founded Milton’s first newspaper “The Halton Journal” in 1855 and sold it nine months later to Rowe & Graham. Clarke was also a founding member of the Halton Agricultural Society, serving as its first Secretary-Treasurer until 1857.
Coates	The Coates neighbourhood began construction in 2005 and is bordered by Derry Rd – Louis St. Laurent Ave – Thompson Rd – Ontario St.
Dempsey	The Dempsey neighbourhood began construction in 2002, bounded by Steeles Ave – The Railroad Tracks – Thompson Rd – James Snow Pkwy. The Dempsey neighbourhood is named after John Dempsey, who emigrated from Ireland in the mid-1800s with his wife and 7 children. After arriving in Milton he built “Winding Sixteen Farm”. Dempsey also opened a dry goods, grocery, and hardware store in the community. He also served as a member of the Milton Council in 1860 & 1861.
Dorset Park	Dorset Park, registered in 1973 by British residential construction firm Wimpey Homes, is named after Dorset County in Southern England. The neighbourdhood is bordered by Steeles Ave – Main St E – Ontario St & Thompson Rd.
Fallingbrook	Fallingbrook was built which was in the 1960s – the area is just South of Old Milton has quite a few heritage homes. It falls in the area south of Barton and Sydney Sts – east of the CNR tracks – west of Ontario St – north of Laurier Ave.
Ford	Ford is a new neighbourhood being developed in south Milton in the Boyne Survey, which will add 6,000 new homes and approximately 25,000 new residents. Construction of this survey began in 2015. Ford is bounded by Bronte St S - Britannia Rd - Highway 25 - Louis St Laurent Ave.
Forrest Grove	Forrest Grove is bounded by Ontario St – Milton Evergreen Cemetery – Sixteen Mile Creek – Parkway Dr E.
Harrison	The Harrison district, also known as Hawthorne Village, was established by Mattamy Homes in 1999, with construction beginning in 2007. Hawthorne Village has been the best selling community in the Greater Toronto Area for five years (2007-2012), and is home to 3,500 families. The boundaries for Harrison are The Rail Way Tracks – Tremaine Rd – Louis St. Laurent Ave – Derry Rd.
Milton Heights	The neighbourdhood is bordered by Steeles Ave – Peru Rd – Highway 401 – Old Tremaine Rd
Montainview	Mountainview was named for the breathtaking view of the Niagara Escarpment from its most westerly vantage point. It was the first area built after the sewage plant was built in 1949. Mountainview is bordered by Steeles Ave – Woodward Ave– Bronte St N – Ontario St.
Scott	The Scott neighbourhood is bounded by Tremaine Rd – Derry Rd – CNR tracks – Main St.
Timberlea	Timberlea sprung up in the 1980s and is bounded by Derry Rd – Main St E – Ontario St – Thompson Rd.
Valleyview	Valleyview is dominated by high-end homes on Valleyview Cres and is bounded by Ontario St – Laurier Ave – Sixteen Mile Creek.
Walker	Walker is a new neighbourhood being developed in south Milton in the Boyne Survey, which will add 6,000 new homes and approximately 25,000 new residents. Construction of this survey began in 2015. Walker is bounded by Tremaine Rd - Britannia Rd - Bronte St S - Louis St Laurent Ave.
Willmott	Willmott District started construction in 2010 and will continue through 2014. Willmott is bounded by Louis St. Laurent Ave – Derry Rd – Ontario St – The Railway Tracks.

Education

Milton, seen from the International Space Station, in late winter. This photograph was taken by astronaut Chris Hadfield, who grew up in Milton and is the namesake of Chris Hadfield Public School.

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

• Brookville Public School (JK-8)
• Bruce Trail Public School (JK-8)
• Chris Hadfield Public School (JK-8)
• Craig Kielburger Secondary School (9-12)
• E.C. Drury School for the Deaf (JK-12)
• Escarpment View Public School (JK-8)
• E.W. Foster Public School (JK-5)
• Hawthorne Village Public School (JK-8)
• Irma Coulson Public School(JK-8)
• J.M. Denyes Public School (JK-5)
• Martin Street Public School (JK-5)
• Milton District High School (9-12)
• P.L. Robertson Public School (JK-8)
• Robert Baldwin Public School (JK-5)
• Sam Sherratt Public School (JK-8)
• W.I. Dick Middle School (6-8)
• Tiger Jeet Singh Public School (JK-8)

Halton Catholic District School Board

• Bishop Reding Catholic Secondary School (9-12)
• École Élémentaire St. Nicolas (École Francaise) {JK-6}
• Guardian Angels Catholic School (JK-8)
• Holy Rosary Catholic School (JK-8)
• Lumen Christi Catholic School (JK-8)
• Our Lady of Fatima Elementary School (JK-8)
• Our Lady of Victory School (JK-8)
• St. Anthony of Padua Catholic School (JK-8)
• St. Peter Catholic School (JK-8)
• Jean Vanier Catholic Secondary School (9-12)
• Queen of Heaven Catholic Elementary School (JK - 8)
• St. Benedict's Catholic Elementary School (JK - 8)

Private schools

• The Montessori Country School (Casa)
• Milton Christian School (JK-8)
• Keswick Sutherland School & Equestrian Center (JK-8)
• Halton Waldorf School (JK-8)
• Hitherfield School (PK-8)

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.

Government

The historic Milton town hall in Victoria Park.

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.

Main St. Downtown Milton

Town Council 2014-2018

• Mayor: Gordon Krantz
• Local Councilor Ward 1: Robert Duvall
• Local Councilor Ward 2: Mike Boughton
• Local Councilor Ward 3: Cindy Lunau
• Local Councilor Ward 4: Rick Malboeuf
• Local Councilor Ward 5: Arnold Huffman
• Local Councilor Ward 6: John Pollard
• Local Councilor Ward 7: Rick Di Lorenzo
• Local Councilor Ward 8: Zeeshan Hamid

Krantz has been mayor since 1980 making him the current longest serving mayor in Ontario.

Former Milton Mayors

• George Brown, 1857 (Milton's first mayor, and first postmaster in 1836)
• Clarkson Freeman, 1870-72
• John D. Matheson, 1881
• Johnson E. Harrison, Reeve (1882), Mayor of Milton (1899)
• Robert K. Anderson, 1904, 1907-1909
• Dr. C. A. Martin, Mayor, 1936
• Adam E. Armstrong, Mayor, 1940-41
• George H. Dawson, Mayor, 1942-1946
• Gordon Gowland, Mayor, 1947
• Cecil Hartley Heslop, 1948–51, 1954-55
• G. Frank Thompson, 1952-53
• E. Ross Pearen, Deputy Reeve 1953, Mayor 1956.
• Mike Ledwith, 1957
• Sydney G. Childs, 1958-1968
• Brian Best, 1968-1974
• Anne MacArthur, 1974-1976
• Don Gordon, 1976-1980

Halton Regional Council

• Local and Regional Councilor Wards 1, 6, 7, & 8: Mike Cluett
• Local and Regional Councilor Wards 2, 3, 4, & 5: Colin Best

Provincial

At the provincial level of government, Milton is contained within the Halton provincial riding.

• Member of Provincial Parliament: Indira Naidoo-Harris (Liberal)

Federal

At the federal level of government, Milton is contained within the Halton federal riding.

• Member of Parliament: Lisa Raitt (Conservative, since October 14, 2008)

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.

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.

Transportation

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

See also: Milton Transit

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

See also: Milton line

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.

Sports and recreation

Sports

Milton has a long history of sporting. The Milton Icehawks are a Junior "A" ice hockey team in the Ontario Junior A Hockey League.

Old Merchants Logo

The Icehawks have previously been known as the Milton Merchants, Milton Flyers, and Milton Steamers. Many notable players have suited up for Milton over the years including NHL stars John Tavares, Daniel Carcillo, Sam Gagner, Rich Peverley and Matt Read.

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.

Milton is 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.

The Niagara Escarpment forms an excellent natural training ground for mountain biking and road cycling in Milton. It is also the site of Glen Eden ski area, where Olympian and Miltonian Travis Gerrits got his start.

The Milton Stags are a youth basketball club and affiliated member club of Basketball Ontario and Basketball Canada. Milton Springers Gymnastics Club have existed since 1974. The Milton Marlins are youth-focussed swim team based out of the Milton Sports Centre. 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.

View from the Niagara Escarpment near Rattlesnake Point

• Bruce Trail
• Conservation Halton
• Crawford Lake Conservation Area
• Drumquin Park BMX track & Oakville Model Flying Club
• Glen Eden Ski & Snowboard Centre
• John Tonelli Sports Centre
• Kelso Conservation Area
• Milton Curling Club
• Milton Minor Hockey Association (Milton Winterhawks)
• Milton Mill Pond & Rotary Park
• Milton Heights Campgrounds
• Milton Leisure Centre
• Milton Memorial Arena
• Milton Skating Club
• Milton Sports Centre Arena
• Mohawk Raceway
• Mount Nemo Conservation Area
• Mountsberg Conservation Area
• Rattlesnake Point
• Rotary Park

Media

Milton is covered by local newspapers, magazines and websites through the following services:

• Milton Canadian Champion
• Milton Villager
• DiscoverMilton.com
• SNAP Milton
• The Milton Blog
• The Cliffhanger

Local events

• Every Labour Day weekend the Milton Steam-Era takes place. Steam-Era is the annual show produced by the "Ontario Steam & Antique Preservers Association," currently held on 88 acres at County Heritage Park, after decades at the Milton Fairgrounds. Steam engines from the 19th century puff their way around the grounds. Hundreds of tractors and stationary engines, along with antique cars, models and agricultural displays recreate life in the country 100 years ago.
• The Milton Fall Fair is held every year on the last weekend of September. The Fall Fair has been a tradition in the town for over 160 years. Events include: Agricultural show, midway, livestock, entertainment, the Demolition Derby and other traditional county fair events. The event takes place at the Milton Fairgrounds located in the historic downtown area of Milton.
• A farmers' market operates on Main Street in downtown Milton on Saturdays 8am-Noon, from May through October. The section of Main Street that hosts the market is closed off to vehicles during the event.
• In July 2015, a new annual chicken wing festival organized by the Rotary Club of Milton was held in Rotary Park downtown Milton, featuring live bands, a kids zone, a retail marketplace of arts and crafts vendors, a beer tent and eight different chicken wing vendors. All net proceeds of the charity events go to support local, mainly youth-centred projects.

Development

New developments near Derry Road

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

Mattamy Homes' Halton/Hamilton Divisional Office is located in Milton. Other companies with Canadian head offices, or a major employment presence, in Milton include:

• Karmax Heavy Stamping, a division of Magna International
• Manheim Auto Auctions
• Modatek Systems, a division of Magna International
• Lowe's
• Johnson Controls
• Roxul
• Gordon Food Service
• Whirlpool Canada
• Dare Foods
• Northstar Aerospace
• 3M Canada

Notable people

• Ernie Coombs, star of children's TV program Mr. Dressup
• Susan Delacourt, award-winning Canadian political journalist
• David James Elliott, actor on CBS show JAG
• Ben Gulak, Canadian inventor best known for creating the Uno, an eco-friendly, electric-powered vehicle
• Colonel Chris Hadfield, astronaut
• George Sherwood Hume, geologist
• P.L. Robertson, inventor of the Robertson socket-head screw and screwdriver

Music

• Danny Brooks, a blues and Memphis-style R&B musician
• Deadmau5, Canadian progressive house music producer and performer
• The Most Serene Republic, a Canadian Indie band signed to Arts & Crafts

Politics and public service

• Robert Baldwin, MP of Upper Canada
• Ernest Charles Drury, 8th Premier of Ontario
• Otto Jelinek, federal politician who represented Halton and Oakville, and was a world champion and Olympic figure skater
• Betty Kennedy, broadcaster, journalist, author, and retired Canadian Senator
• Joseph Martin, 13th Premier of British Columbia
• Benjamin Franklin McGregor, farmer and political figure in Saskatchewan
• Mark Saunders, Chief of Police, Toronto Police Service
• James Snow, politician and Ontario's longest serving Minister of Transportation

Sports

• Kayla Alexander, WNBA player
• Scott Bertoli, former professional hockey player
• Steve Bice, Canadian curler
• Mat Clark, NHL player, Colorado Avalanche defenceman
• Darren Eliot, retired NHL goaltender and Olympian
• Travis Gerrits, Olympic aerial skier and 2013 world silver medalist
• Darren Haydar, professional hockey player, including NHL's Nashville Predators, Atlanta Thrashers, and Colorado Avalanche
• Shawn Hill, retired MLB pitcher who attended Bishop Reding Catholic Secondary School
• Bruce Melvin Hood, NHL referee
• Bob Izumi, TV personality and professional angler
• Mike Kaszycki, retired NHL player
• Peter McDuffe, retired NHL player
• Joey Melo, professional soccer player
• Matt O'Meara, retired professional CFL football player
• Pierre Pilote, retired NHL player who owned a farm in Milton for over 35 years following his career
• Ronald Roberts, WHA and NHL hockey executive
• Matt Sewell, professional football player, Toronto Argonauts
• Enio Sclisizzi, former NHL player
• Michael Sgarbossa, NHL player
• Tiger Ali Singh, professional wrestler
• Tiger Jeet Singh, professional wrestler
• Harvey Sproule, Canadian hockey player, National Hockey League coach, owner, executive, and referee, as well as a curler, journalist, and race horse owner
• Leon Stickle, retired NHL linesman
• John Tonelli, retired NHL player
• Kirsten Wall, Canadian curler and Olympic gold medallist
• Steve Webb, retired NHL player
• Ed Whitlock, oldest person in the world to run a marathon under three hours

Sister cities

These are Milton's sister cities with strong relationship and partnership.

• Santa Maria, Bulacan, Philippines (since July 6, 1999)

External links

• Town of Milton