Milliken, Ontario

Last updated

Milliken
Neighbourhood
Milliken Aerial view 2023.jpg
Aerial view of Milliken in 2023
Map of Milliken.jpg
Map highlighting Milliken, Milliken Mills West, and Milliken Mills East
Toronto map.png
Red pog.svg
Milliken
Location in Ontario
Coordinates: 43°49′33″N79°18′3″W / 43.82583°N 79.30083°W / 43.82583; -79.30083
CountryCanada
Province Ontario
Cities Markham (Milliken Mills)
Toronto (Milliken)
Settled1807
Time zone UTC-5 (Eastern (EST))
 • Summer (DST) UTC-4 (EDT)
GNBC CodeFDUVD [1]
IBM Canada Head Office Building in Milliken Mills West IBMCanada3600Steeles3.jpg
IBM Canada Head Office Building in Milliken Mills West

Milliken and Milliken Mills are neighbourhoods in the cities of Toronto and Markham. Milliken is situated in the north west section of Scarborough, whereas Milliken Mills is situated in the south-central portions of Markham. [2] The neighbourhoods are centered on Kennedy Road and Steeles Avenue, the latter street serving as the boundary between the cities of Markham and Toronto.

Contents

A large percentage of residents own their homes, which are primarily single family detached homes. [3] [4] As the majority of the homes present were built when the farming left the area in the 1980s, there are many two storied houses with garages, typical of the time of building and affordability.

History

The area now called "Milliken" or "Milliken's Corner" was first settled in 1798 by Captain William Demont (Dumond). Norman Milliken settled in the area around 1807. In 1814, Milliken received the deed for lot 1, concession 5, Markham Township. Milliken operated a lumber business in what was then a rural hamlet called Milliken Corners. [5] [6] The hamlet became a postal village when the first post office was established in 1858 (on the now Markham side) and was called Milliken after Norman Millken. [7]

The Ebenezer United Church (1878; originally Milliken Primitive (also as Milliken Corners) Methodist Church on southeast side in Toronto) is one of a few structures remaining in the area. The church once stood on the south side of Steeles Avenue with another church on Brimley Road. Plots at the church are many of the early families of Milliken: Thomson, Rennie, Harding, Hood, Hagerman and L'Amoreaux. The church is now located on Brimley Rd, north of Steeles Ave in Markham. [8] Evangelical Association had a church on McCowan Road north of 14th Avenue from land donated by Abraham Eckardt sometime after 1830. The church disappeared by 1878, but Eckardt Cemetery remains and now owned by the City of Markham. [9]

Another structure that survives from the 19th century is Benjamin Milliken House constructed circa 1855. It is a Georgian Classic Revival house built by Norman Milliken's son, Benjamin Milliken II, on his farm located on Part of Lot 5, Concession 5, Markham Township. It was designated by the Town of Markham as a historic building under the Ontario Heritage Act in 1994. [10] [11] Benjamin Milliken House is located at 7710 Kennedy Road, Markham and is now a pub called The Major Milliken. [12]

To the Milliken community, municipal boundaries were just lines on a map and the community's history can be found in the Archives of both Scarborough and Unionville. School Section # 2 was established here in 1847, and a log school was built during the same year.

In 1954, the area south of Steeles Avenue was severed from York County, forming the Municipality of Metropolitan Toronto. As the community was situated along Steeles Avenue, it was split between the two county/metropolitan governments. The southern portion of the community, Milliken, became a part of Metropolitan Toronto, whereas the northern portion of the community, Milliken Mills, remained with York County (reorganized into the Regional Municipality of York in 1971).

Once agricultural land, much of which disappeared with residential development beginning in the 1970s and ending near the late 1980s. The City of Markham initiated an initiative to develop "Main Street Milliken" around Old Kennedy Rd. The area has suffered from years of neglect, and revitalization plans have been welcomed by community members. New developments include a condominium development on Kennedy and Denison, Dairy Queen, Major Milliken Pub and a new housing project on Old Kennedy Rd.

The neighbourhood only gave up its final farming activities in the early 1980s and is modernizing by the year. There are green spaces such as Milliken Park, Goldhawk Park and many others, also the Milliken Trail is a walking tour of the neighbourhood.

Culture

A growing hub of community activity is Milliken Park Community Recreation Centre, which is located on the Northwest corner of Milliken Park and at the Southeast corner of the intersection of Steeles Avenue and McCowan Road. The centre is home to a variety of camps, after-school programs and cultural activities designed to cater to local demand. To provide optimal service for the area, City of Toronto staff are in regular consultation with an advisory board, which includes representatives from local community associations, such as the Goldhawk Community Association, Brimley Forest Community Association, Richmond Park Association, and the Milliken Park Community Association. Annually, the City of Toronto staff, the advisory board, and the community associations organize special events for the communities at Milliken Park Community Recreation Centre. Some examples of these major events include the annual Community Christmas Party, Spring Fling, and Fall Fair.

Splendid China Mall is a Chinese-themed shopping mall in Milliken. The area is home to several ethnic-themed businesses, given the area's demographic. Splendid China Tower.JPG
Splendid China Mall is a Chinese-themed shopping mall in Milliken. The area is home to several ethnic-themed businesses, given the area's demographic.

The demographics of the community is made up of mainly immigrants with a strong Chinese Canadian presence. It is home to one of several Chinatowns in Toronto. There are two, large Chinese-theme malls in Milliken, Pacific Mall and Splendid China Mall. Market Village, another Chinese-theme mall which used to be located next to Pacific Mall, was demolished in 2018 to make way for the Remington Centre which is currently under construction.

In recent years, the South Asian population has also boomed within the region, particularly the Sri Lankan Tamil and Indian Gujarati community. For example, a South Asian movie theatre is now located at the Woodside Square Mall at McCowan and Finch and plans are also in place for a major South Asian mall to be developed at Finch and Middlefield.

Education

Two secular public school boards, and three separate public school boards operate in the neighbourhood. Only one of the five school boards that operate schools in the community is French first language public school board, Conseil scolaire Viamonde (CSV). CSV is a French-based public secular school board that operates one public elementary school in Milliken, École élémentaire Laure-Rièse. The elementary school provides schooling for students throughout Milliken, Milliken Mills, and adjacent communities in Markham and Scarborough.

In addition to CSV, the separate Toronto Catholic District School Board (TCDSB), and secular Toronto District School Board (TDSB) also operates English-based public schools in Milliken, providing schooling for students that reside in the neighbourhood. Presently, both TCDSB and TDSB only operate elementary schools in the area. They include:

Milliken Mills High School is a public secondary school situated in Milliken Mills East. Milliken Mills High School, April 2018 (2).jpg
Milliken Mills High School is a public secondary school situated in Milliken Mills East.

The separate York Catholic District School Board (YCDSB) and the secular York Region District School Board (YRDSB) operates public schools, and provides schooling for students in Milliken Mills. Presently, YRDSB presently operates one secondary school, Milliken Mills High School, located in Milliken Mills East. Elementary schools located in Milliken Mills include:

Recreation

Milliken is home to a number of recreational amenities.

Public parks and recreational facilities situated in Milliken is managed by the Toronto Parks, Forestry and Recreation Division, whereas parks and recreational facilities located in Milliken Mills East and West, are managed by Markham.

Milliken District Park is a municipal park located in Milliken. May 2018, Milliken Park10.jpg
Milliken District Park is a municipal park located in Milliken.

Municipal parks situated south of Steeles Avenue, in Milliken include:

Municipal parks in Milliken Mills includes:

The City of Markham also manages the Milliken Mills Arena, a multi-purpose ice rink, was erected in 1982. [13] [14] In 1989, construction of Milliken Mills Community Centre was completed, which included a library, swimming pool (Alex Chiu Pool), gymnasium, weight room, and racket courts. [15] Milliken Mills Community Park is located east of the community centre, and includes an open area with soccer pitches and an indoor soccer dome. Milliken Mills Park is located west of the community centre and features five soccer pitches and five baseball fields. [16]

Transportation

Public transportation is provided by three services, GO Transit, the Toronto Transit Commission (TTC), and York Region Transit (YRT). The TTC and YRT provide local bus routes. GO Transit commuter rail services can be accessed from Milliken GO Station.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bendale</span> Neighbourhood in Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Bendale, also called Cedarbrae and Midland Park, is a residential neighbourhood in the eastern part of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is located in the former suburb of Scarborough. It is centred on the intersection of Lawrence Avenue East and Brimley Road. Its boundaries, as defined by the City, are Midland Avenue from Lawrence, north to Highway 401, east to McCowan, south to Lawrence, east to West Highland Creek, south-west along West Highland Creek, then follow several side streets parallel to the Creek, north to Midland Avenue. The area north of Ellesmere is typically considered the Scarborough City Centre district, and is not considered in this neighbourhood article.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Agincourt, Toronto</span> Neighbourhood in Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Agincourt is a neighbourhood and former village in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Agincourt is located in northeast Toronto, along Sheppard Avenue between Kennedy and Markham Roads. Before the creation of the "megacity" of Toronto in 1998, the area was part of Scarborough. It is officially recognized by the City of Toronto as occupying the neighbourhoods of Agincourt South–Malvern West and Agincourt North.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Newtonbrook</span> Neighbourhood of Toronto

Newtonbrook is a neighbourhood in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is located in the area around Yonge Street and Finch Avenue in the district of North York between the east and west branches of the Don River. Officially, the area is divided into two neighbourhoods; Newtonbrook West and Newtonbrook East.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Malvern, Toronto</span> Neighbourhood in Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Malvern is a neighbourhood in the city of Toronto, Ontario, Canada, with a population of 44,315. It is located in the northeast corner of the city.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Willowdale, Toronto</span> Neighbourhood in Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Willowdale is a neighbourhood in the city of Toronto, Ontario, Canada, located in the district of North York. It developed from three postal villages: Newtonbrook, Willowdale and Lansing.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Scarborough Village</span> Neighbourhood in Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Scarborough Village is a neighbourhood in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, located in the Scarborough district. It was one of the earliest settlements in the former township of Scarborough with the distinction of being the site of the township's first post office. Today, the neighbourhood is composed of private and public housing, apartment complexes, schools, a few condominiums, and strip mall plazas. The neighbourhood lies along the Scarborough Bluffs escarpment.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Henry Farm</span> Neighbourhood in Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Henry Farm is a neighbourhood in the City of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is located in the north central part of the city within the former city of North York.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Earlscourt</span> Neighbourhood in Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Earlscourt is a neighbourhood in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is centred on St. Clair Avenue West, with Dufferin Street, Davenport Road, and Old Weston Road forming its boundaries. It is contained within the larger city-recognized neighbourhood of Corso Italia-Davenport.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pleasant View, Toronto</span> Neighbourhood in Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Pleasant View is a neighbourhood in the city of Toronto, Ontario, Canada that is located in the district of North York at the northern end of the city. It is bordered by Victoria Park to the East, Sheppard Avenue to the South, Highway 404 to the west and the Finch hydro corridor to the north. The neighbourhood is home to several high-rise apartment and condominium buildings, such as The Clippers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Don Valley Village</span> Neighbourhood in Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Don Valley Village is a neighbourhood in the city of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is located in the former suburb of North York. Located north of Highway 401 and bisected by Don Mills Road, it is bounded by Sheppard Avenue to the south, Leslie Street to the west, Finch Avenue to the north and Highway 404 to the east. Like the nearby Don River Valley, the neighbourhood has hill and dale topography.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Steeles, Toronto</span> Neighbourhood in Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Steeles is a suburban neighbourhood in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Steeles is located in the north-eastern part of Toronto in the former suburb of Scarborough. To the north is bordered by Steeles Avenue East, to the east by Kennedy Road, to the south by a hydro-electric transmission line and to the west by Victoria Park Avenue.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">L'Amoreaux</span> Neighbourhood in Toronto, Ontario, Canada

L'Amoreaux is a neighbourhood in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, situated east of Victoria Park Avenue, south of McNicoll Avenue, west of Kennedy Road and north of Huntingwood Drive. L'Amoreaux is named after Josue L'Amoreaux (1738–1834), a French Huguenot loyalist who settled in the area. Prior to the amalgamation of Toronto in 1998, L'Amoreaux was a neighbourhood of the former city of Scarborough, and prior to the amalgamation of municipalities, it formed part of the town of Agincourt.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Clairlea</span> Neighbourhood in Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Clairlea is a safe, quiet, middle to upper-middle income neighbourhood in Toronto, Ontario, Canada that features well treed streets and detached homes with large backyards. The neighbourhood is located in east Toronto just east of Victoria Park Avenue.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Scarborough Junction</span> Neighbourhood in Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Scarborough Junction is a small neighbourhood in the Scarborough district of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is bordered by Birchmount Road, Brimley Road, Eglinton Avenue, and St. Clair Avenue. Scarbrough Junction has an approximated population of 20,000. The population consists of 1/4 Caucasian, 2/4 Asian and 1/4 other

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rouge, Toronto</span> Neighbourhood in Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Rouge is a neighbourhood in the northeastern area of Toronto, Ontario, within the former city of Scarborough. It is Toronto's largest neighbourhood by surface area; however, unlike other neighbourhoods, most of its area remains undeveloped, as the neighbourhood is adjacent to Rouge National Urban Park.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Woburn, Toronto</span> Neighbourhood in Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Woburn is a neighbourhood located in eastern Toronto, Ontario, Canada, in the former suburb of Scarborough. Woburn is bordered by Highway 401 to the north, Orton Park Road to the east, Lawrence Avenue to the south, and McCowan Road to the west.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eglinton East</span> Neighbourhood in Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Eglinton East, historically known as Knob Hill, is a residential and commercial neighbourhood in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is bounded by Stansbury Crescent, Citadel Drive, and West Highland Creek to the north, Midland Avenue to the west, the CNR rail line, Brimley Road, and Eglinton Avenue to the south, and Bellamy Road North to the east.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Armadale, Ontario</span> Neighbourhood in Markham and Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Armadale is a neighbourhood which overlaps the city of Markham, Ontario and the city of Toronto, Ontario, in Canada. The historical community is situated in the south-east of Markham and north-east of the former suburb of Scarborough, now part of Toronto.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Highland Creek, Toronto</span> Neighbourhood in Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Highland Creek is a neighbourhood in eastern Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is located along the southern portion of the river of the same name in the former suburb of Scarborough. To the east are the neighbourhoods of Port Union and West Rouge, to the west West Hill and Woburn, and to the south Centennial Scarborough.

Norman Milliken was a loyalist, farmer, lumber mill owner and hotel/tavern keeper in York County, Ontario. The community of Milliken Mills in Markham, Ontario is named after him.

References

  1. ↑ "Milliken". Natural Resources Canada. October 6, 2016.
  2. ↑ "TREB MAP". Archived from the original on 2013-12-03.
  3. ↑ Housing sample in Markham, Ontario Census Tract 0401.03
  4. ↑ Housing data on Census Tract 0376.05
  5. ↑ "Archaeological Assessmen" (PDF). R.J. Burnside & Associates Ltd. January 8, 2014. Archived from the original (PDF) on November 17, 2015. Retrieved November 10, 2015.
  6. ↑ See Isabel Champion, ed., Markham: 1793-1900 [ permanent dead link ] (Markham, ON: Markham Historical Society, 1979), pp. 276f; 74f (Milliken family); 339 (post office). See also the detailed 1878 map, "Township of Markham," Illustrated historical atlas of the county of York and the township of West Gwillimbury & town of Bradford in the county of Simcoe, Ont. (Toronto: Miles & Co., 1878).
  7. ↑ Alan Rayburn (1997). Place Names of Ontario. University of Toronto Press. p. 221. ISBN   9780802006028.
  8. ↑ See Isabel Champion, ed., Markham: 1793-1900 (Markham, ON: Markham Historical Society, 1979), p. 156.
  9. ↑ "Eckardt Cemetery, Markham – Ontario Ancestors".
  10. ↑ "Benjamin Milliken House", Town of Markham Heritage Designation Bylaw 88-94
  11. ↑ "Untitled Page". Archived from the original on 2015-11-17. Retrieved 2015-01-23.
  12. ↑ "Major Milliken Pub". Archived from the original on 2015-02-23. Retrieved 2015-01-24.
  13. ↑ "Milliken Mills community centre".
  14. ↑ "Milliken Mills Community Arena Ice Skating Rink - Ice Skating Rinks in Markham ON".
  15. ↑ "CANA Construction | Projects | View Project". Archived from the original on 2013-10-20. Retrieved 2013-10-20.
  16. ↑ "Milliken Mills Park".
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.