Milton ( 2021 census population 132,979) is a town in

Southern Ontario Southern Ontario is a Region, primary region of the Canadian Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Ontario. It is the most densely populated and southernmost region in Canada, with approximately 13.5 million people, approximately 36% o ...

, Canada, and part of the

Halton Region The Regional Municipality of Halton, or Halton Region, is a regional municipality in Ontario, Canada, located in the Golden Horseshoe of Southern Ontario. It comprises the city of Burlington and the towns of Oakville, Milton, and Halton Hil ...

in the

Greater Toronto Area The Greater Toronto Area, commonly referred to as the GTA, includes the Toronto, City of Toronto and the regional municipality, regional municipalities of Regional Municipality of Durham, Durham, Regional Municipality of Halton, Halton, Regional ...

. Between 2001 and 2011, Milton was the fastest growing municipality in Canada, with a 71.4% increase in population from 2001 to 2006 and another 56.5% increase from 2006 to 2011. In 2016, Milton's census population was 110,128 with an estimated growth to 228,000 by 2031. It remained the fastest growing community in Ontario but was deemed to be the sixth fastest growing in Canada at that time. Milton is located west of

Downtown Toronto Downtown Toronto is the main city centre of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Located entirely within the district of Old Toronto, it is approximately 16.6 square kilometres in area, bounded by Bloor Street to the northeast and Dupont Street to the nor ...

Highway 401 King's Highway 401, commonly referred to as Highway 401 and also known by its official name as the Macdonald–Cartier Freeway or colloquially referred to as the four-oh-one, is a controlled-access 400-series highway in the Canadian prov ...

, and is the western terminus for the

Milton line Milton is one of the seven train lines of the GO Transit system in the Greater Toronto Area, Ontario, Canada. It extends from Union Station in Toronto to Milton, by way of Mississauga. It opened on October 25, 1981. Trains on the Milton line r ...

commuter train and bus corridor operated by

GO Transit GO Transit is a regional public transit system serving the Greater Golden Horseshoe region of Ontario, Canada. With its hub at Union Station in Toronto, GO Transit's green-and-white trains and buses serve a population of more than seven mil ...

. Milton is situated on the

Niagara Escarpment The Niagara Escarpment is an approximately discontinuous, arc-shaped but generally northward-facing escarpment, or cuesta, in Canada and the United States. The escarpment begins south of Lake Ontario and circumscribes the top of the Great Lake ...

, a

UNESCO The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO ) is a List of specialized agencies of the United Nations, specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) with the aim of promoting world peace and International secur ...

world

biosphere reserve A nature reserve (also known as a wildlife refuge, wildlife sanctuary, biosphere reserve or bioreserve, natural or nature preserve, or nature conservation area) is a protected area of importance for flora, fauna, funga, or features of geologic ...

and the

Bruce Trail The Bruce Trail is a hiking trail in southern Ontario, Canada, from the Niagara River to the tip of Tobermory, Ontario. The main trail is more than long and there are over of associated side trails. The trail mostly follows the edge of the Nia ...

History

The Mississaugas of the Credit held 648,000 acres of land north of the Head of the Lake Purchase lands and extending to the unceded territory of the Chippewa of Lakes Huron and Simcoe. In mid-October 1818, the Chippewa ceded their land to the Crown in the Lake Simcoe-Nottawasaga Treaty and, by the end of October, the Crown sought to purchase the adjacent lands of the Mississaugas of the Credit. The Deputy Superintendent of the Indian Department,

William Claus William Claus (1765–1826) was a member of the Executive Council of Upper Canada, a colonel of the Colonial militia in Canada, Canadian militia during the War of 1812, and the head of the British Indian Department, Indian Department in Upper Can ...

, met with the Mississaugas from October 27–29, 1818, and proposed that the Mississaugas sell their 648,000 acres of land in exchange for an annual amount of goods. The continuous inflow of settlers into their lands and fisheries had weakened the Mississaugas' traditional economy and had left them in a state of impoverishment and a rapidly declining population. In their enfeebled state, Chief Ajetance (d. 1829), on behalf of the assembled people, readily agreed to the sale of their lands for £522.10 of goods paid annually. Significant municipalities found within the lands of the Ajetance Purchase of 1818 include Brampton and Milton. The town took root out of a settlement by Jasper Martin along the Sixteen Mile Creek; Martin immigrated from

Newcastle upon Tyne Newcastle upon Tyne, or simply Newcastle ( , Received Pronunciation, RP: ), is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city and metropolitan borough in Tyne and Wear, England. It is England's northernmost metropolitan borough, located o ...

England England is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is located on the island of Great Britain, of which it covers about 62%, and List of islands of England, more than 100 smaller adjacent islands. It ...

with his wife Sarah Coates and two sons on May 17, 1818. Martin was granted of land, from the Crown in 1820, designated Lot 14, Concession 2, Township of Trafalgar. Martin built a

grist Grist is grain that has been separated from its chaff in preparation for grinding. It can also mean grain that has been ground at a gristmill. Its etymology derives from the verb ''grind.'' Grist can be ground into meal or flour, depending on h ...

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 after the English poet

John Milton John Milton (9 December 1608 – 8 November 1674) was an English poet, polemicist, and civil servant. His 1667 epic poem ''Paradise Lost'' was written in blank verse and included 12 books, written in a time of immense religious flux and politic ...

. 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, whose names are still reflected in numerous buildings and streets in Milton. Milton was incorporated into a town in 1857. Hugh Foster, of the aforementioned Foster family, donated of land to the county to construct the Milton Town Hall which stands on Mary Street. By 1869, Milton had a population of 1,000. Records from 1874 indicate that Milton had county buildings, a telegraph office, a foundry, a tannery, a woolen factory, a grist mill and a saw mill, a weekly newspaper and a number of stores. In 1891, Milton used electricity to light its streets for the first time and in 1905 the Town purchased the Milton Electric Light Company and built its own power station. In the early 1900s, Milton was well known for the P.L. Robertson Manufacturing Company — the first manufacturer to make socket-head screws. Although founded in Hamilton in 1907, the business relocated to Milton in 1908. P.L. Robertson was the inventor of the square-socket drive for screws. In 1974, the town of Milton added parts of the former township of Esquesing (most of this township comprises

Halton Hills Halton Hills is a town in the Regional Municipality of Halton, located in the northwestern end of the Greater Toronto Area, Ontario, Canada with a population of 62,951 (2021). There are many natural features within these bounds; they include the ...

), all of

Nassagaweya Township Nassagaweya Township is a geographic township and former municipality now part of Milton. The township was created in 1819, its name derived from the Mississauga word ''nazhesahgewayyong'', meaning 'river with two outlets.' This refers to the f ...

including the village of

Campbellville Campbellville is a compact rural community in the geographic township of Nassagaweya in the Town of Milton, Ontario. It is on the Niagara Escarpment and is a tourist destination for residents of the Greater Toronto Area. History 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

lands,

tourism Tourism is travel for pleasure, and the Commerce, commercial activity of providing and supporting such travel. World Tourism Organization, UN Tourism defines tourism more generally, in terms which go "beyond the common perception of tourism as ...

recreation Recreation is an activity of leisure, leisure being discretionary time. The "need to do something for recreation" is an essential element of human biology and psychology. Recreational activities are often done for happiness, enjoyment, amusement, ...

, 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 The Halton County Radial Railway is a working List of transport museums, museum of electric tram, streetcars, other railway vehicles, buses and trolleybuses. It is operated by the Ontario Electric Railway Historical Association (OERHA). It is focu ...

museum are located in Milton, as is Country Heritage Park (formerly the Ontario Agricultural Museum). Five large parks operated by

Conservation Halton Conservation Halton, also known as the Halton Region Conservation Authority, is a conservation authority established under the Conservation Authorities Act of Ontario. It forms a partnership with the Province of Ontario, the Ministry of Natura ...

reside in the town, and Mohawk Raceway is located near Campbellville. It is also home to

Maplehurst Correctional Complex Maplehurst Correctional Complex () is a correctional facility located in Milton, Ontario for women and men 18 years of age and older. It is a combined maximum security detention centre for remanded prisoners, and medium/maximum correctional cent ...

, the

Vanier Centre for Women The Vanier Centre for Women () in Milton, Ontario is a medium correctional facility for female offenders serving sentences of less than two years or who have been arrested and are remanded in custody awaiting trial. The institution has capacity fo ...

and one of two criminal courthouses serving Halton Region. On January 1, 2010, land was bought by the City of

Mississauga Mississauga is a Canadian city in the province of Ontario. Situated on the north-western shore of Lake Ontario in the Regional Municipality of Peel, it borders Toronto (Etobicoke) to the east, Brampton to the north, Milton to the northwest, ...

and scaled down its border by to Hwy. 407, affecting 25 residents.

Climate

Milton is classified as a

humid continental climate A humid continental climate is a climatic region defined by Russo-German climatologist Wladimir Köppen in 1900, typified by four distinct seasons and large seasonal temperature differences, with warm to hot (and often humid) summers, and cold ...

(Dfb) in the

Koppen climate classification Koppen is a surname. Notable people with the surname include: * Dan Koppen (born 1979), American football offensive lineman * (1929–1990), German literary scholar * (1855–1922), German author * Otto C. Koppen (1901–1991), American aircraft ...

system. The town has 4 distinct seasons and year round precipitation with warm, rainy summers with cool nights and long, cold, and snowy winters.

Demographics

In the

2021 Census of Population The 2021 Canadian census was a detailed enumeration of the Canadian population with a reference date of May 11, 2021. It follows the 2016 Canadian census, which recorded a population of 35,151,728. The overall response rate was 98%, which is sli ...

conducted by

Statistics Canada Statistics Canada (StatCan; ), formed in 1971, is the agency of the Government of Canada commissioned with producing statistics to help better understand Canada, its population, resources, economy, society, and culture. It is headquartered in ...

, Milton had a population of living in of its total private dwellings, a change of from its 2016 population of . With a land area of , it had a population density of in 2021. An October 2019 report stated that the average household income was $111,875, that the unemployment rate was 5.7%, and that the crime rate per 100,000 residents was low, at 2,133.

Ethnicity

*Note: Totals greater than 100% due to multiple origin responses.

Language

The 2021 census found that English was the

mother tongue A first language (L1), native language, native tongue, or mother tongue is the first language a person has been exposed to from birth or within the critical period. In some countries, the term ''native language'' or ''mother tongue'' refers ...

of 55.6% of the population. The next most common mother tongues were

Urdu Urdu (; , , ) is an Indo-Aryan languages, Indo-Aryan language spoken chiefly in South Asia. It is the Languages of Pakistan, national language and ''lingua franca'' of Pakistan. In India, it is an Eighth Schedule to the Constitution of Indi ...

(9.7%),

Arabic Arabic (, , or , ) is a Central Semitic languages, Central Semitic language of the Afroasiatic languages, Afroasiatic language family spoken primarily in the Arab world. The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) assigns lang ...

(4.1%),

Spanish Spanish might refer to: * Items from or related to Spain: **Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain **Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many countries in the Americas **Spanish cuisine **Spanish history **Spanish culture ...

(2.3%),

Punjabi Punjabi, or Panjabi, most often refers to: * Something of, from, or related to Punjab, a region in India and Pakistan * Punjabi language * Punjabis, Punjabi people * Punjabi dialects and languages Punjabi may also refer to: * Punjabi (horse), a ...

(1.8%), Tagalog (Filipino) (1.5%),

Polish Polish may refer to: * Anything from or related to Poland, a country in Europe * Polish language * Polish people, people from Poland or of Polish descent * Polish chicken * Polish brothers (Mark Polish and Michael Polish, born 1970), American twin ...

(1.3%), Portuguese (1.3%),

Mandarin Mandarin or The Mandarin may refer to: Language * Mandarin Chinese, branch of Chinese originally spoken in northern parts of the country ** Standard Chinese or Modern Standard Mandarin, the official language of China ** Taiwanese Mandarin, Stand ...

(1.1%),

French French may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to France ** French language, which originated in France ** French people, a nation and ethnic group ** French cuisine, cooking traditions and practices Arts and media * The French (band), ...

(1.1%), and

Hindi Modern Standard Hindi (, ), commonly referred to as Hindi, is the Standard language, standardised variety of the Hindustani language written in the Devanagari script. It is an official language of India, official language of the Government ...

(1.1%).

Religion

According to the 2021 census, the religion with the most adherents in Milton is

Christianity Christianity is an Abrahamic monotheistic religion, which states that Jesus in Christianity, Jesus is the Son of God (Christianity), Son of God and Resurrection of Jesus, rose from the dead after his Crucifixion of Jesus, crucifixion, whose ...

(48.2%). Other religions include

Islam Islam is an Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic monotheistic religion based on the Quran, and the teachings of Muhammad. Adherents of Islam are called Muslims, who are estimated to number Islam by country, 2 billion worldwide and are the world ...

(23.1%),

Hinduism Hinduism () is an Hypernymy and hyponymy, umbrella term for a range of Indian religions, Indian List of religions and spiritual traditions#Indian religions, religious and spiritual traditions (Sampradaya, ''sampradaya''s) that are unified ...

(6.1%),

Sikhism Sikhism is an Indian religion and Indian philosophy, philosophy that originated in the Punjab region of the Indian subcontinent around the end of the 15th century CE. It is one of the most recently founded major religious groups, major religio ...

(2.4%), and

Buddhism Buddhism, also known as Buddhadharma and Dharmavinaya, is an Indian religion and List of philosophies, philosophical tradition based on Pre-sectarian Buddhism, teachings attributed to the Buddha, a wandering teacher who lived in the 6th or ...

(0.6%), and 18.9% reported no religious affiliation.

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 Elementary may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Music * ''Elementary'' (Cindy Morgan album), 2001 * ''Elementary'' (The End album), 2007 * ''Elementary'', a Melvin "Wah-Wah Watson" Ragin album, 1977 Other uses in arts, entertainment, an ...

and secondary schools are part of the

Halton District School Board The Halton District School Board serves public school students throughout Halton Region, including the municipalities of Burlington, Halton Hills, Milton and Oakville. Its administration area is to the southwest of the city of Toronto. In 2006- ...

. Milton's Catholic

and secondary schools are part of the

Halton Catholic District School Board The Halton Catholic District School Board (HCDSB) serves over 37,000 students at its 46 elementary schools, 9 secondary schools and 3 continuing education facilities. The HCDSB serves the communities of Burlington, Halton Hills, Milton, and Oakvi ...

. There are also several private schools in Milton. In 2008, the town reached an agreement in principle with

Wilfrid Laurier University Wilfrid Laurier University (commonly referred to as WLU or simply Laurier) is a Public university, public university in Ontario, Canada, with campuses in Waterloo, Ontario, Waterloo, Brantford, Ontario, Brantford and Milton, Ontario, Milton. The ...

for the latter to establish a satellite campus in Milton. Funding of $90 million for the Milton Education Village which would also include a

Conestoga College Conestoga College Institute of Technology and Advanced Learning is a public college located in Kitchener, Ontario, Canada. History In 1967, the college was founded as Conestoga College of Applied Arts and Technology by the government of Ontar ...

satellite campus, on land donated by the town, was approved by the provincial government in April 2018. In October 2018 funding for the project was withdrawn by the new Ontario government (elected in June) before construction had begun. Mayor Gord Krantz indicated that the town would look for alternative funding. As of the fall 2019 season, there were no reports of funding for a Milton campus but Wilfrid Laurier University was offering some services in town, including a Master of Education program at the Milton Education Village Innovation Centre and a Lecture Series. In summer, Laurier was operating the Enriched Academic Program (LEAP) day camp.

Provincial and Demonstration Schools

* E. C. Drury School for the Deaf (JK–12)

Halton District School Board

* Anne J. MacArthur Public School (JK–8) * Boyne Public School (JK–8) * Brookville Public School (JK–8) * Bruce Trail Public School (JK–8) * Cedar Ridge Public School (JK–8) * Chris Hadfield Public School (JK–8) * Craig Kielburger Secondary School (9–12) * E. W. Foster Public School (JK–5) * Elsie MacGill Secondary School (9–12) * Escarpment View Public School (JK–8) * Hawthorne Village Public School (JK–8) * Irma Coulson Public School(JK–8) * J. M. Denyes Public School (JK–5) * Martin Street Public School (JK–7) *

Milton District High School Milton District High School (MDHS) is a public secondary school located in Milton, Ontario, Canada. MDHS is part of the Halton District School Board, and educates approximately 1700 students. Prior to Milton district high school's (second) opening ...

(9–12) * P. L. Robertson Public School (JK–8) * Rattlesnake Point Public School (JK–8) * Robert Baldwin Public School (JK–5) * Sam Sherratt Public School (JK–8) * Tiger Jeet Singh Public School (JK–8) * Viola Desmond Public School (JK–8) * W. I. Dick Middle School (6–8)

Halton Catholic District School Board

Bishop Reding Catholic Secondary School Bishop Paul Francis Reding Secondary School is a coeducational Catholic school#Canada, Catholic High school#Canada, Secondary School in Milton, Ontario, Canada. The school offers grades nine through twelve and is run by the Halton Catholic Distric ...

(9–12) * 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) * Queen of Heaven Catholic Elementary School (JK–8) * St. Anthony of Padua Catholic School (JK–8) * St. Benedict's Catholic Elementary School (JK–8) *

St. Francis Xavier Catholic Secondary School St. Francis Xavier Catholic Secondary School (formerly known as Jean Vanier Catholic Secondary School) is an educational Catholic high school in Milton, Ontario, Canada. The 191,000 square foot building was built by the Halton Catholic District Sch ...

(9–12) * St. Kateri Tekakwitha Catholic Secondary School (9-12) * St. Peter Catholic School (JK–8) * St. Scholastica Catholic Elementary School (JK-8)

Conseil Scolaire Catholique Mon Avenir (French Catholic School Board)

* École Élémentaire Catholique Ste-Anne (JK–6) * École Élémentaire St-Nicolas (JK–6)

Conseil Scolaire Viamonde (French Public School Board)

* École élémentaire Dyane-Adam (JK–6)

Private schools

* Halton Waldorf School (JK–8) * Hitherfield School (PK–8) * Keswick Sutherland School & Equestrian Centre (JK–8) * Milton Christian School (JK–8) * The Montessori Country School (Casa) * Suffah Academy (JK–8) * Tarbiyah Elementary School (JK–8)

Public library system

Milton has three libraries: the Main Library, the Beaty Branch and the Sherwood Branch.

Theatre

The Milton Centre for the Arts, now known as FirstOntario Arts Centre, operated by the town, opened in 2012 and is a venue for events such as "music, theatre, dance, and art exhibits" in addition to special community events. Semi-professional theatre is offered by groups such as the Milton Players who use the Arts Centre as their venue.

Government

Municipal

The Town of Milton has an elected town council headed by a mayor, and eight council members. The town is divided into four wards, each of which elect a local council representative and a

council representative. Milton is represented by the mayor and four regional councillors on the Halton Region council. Town Council 2022–2026: * Mayor: Gordon Krantz * Regional Councillor Ward 1: Colin Best * Regional Councillor Ward 2: Rick Malboeuf * Regional Councillor Ward 3: Sammy Ijaz * Regional Councillor Ward 4: Sameera Ali * Local Councillor Ward 1: Kristina Tesser Derksen * Local Councillor Ward 2: John Challinor II * Local Councillor Ward 3: Adil Khalqi * Local Councillor Ward 4: Sarah Marshall Krantz has been mayor since 1980, making him the current longest-serving mayor in Canada.

Previous mayors

* George Brown, 1857 * Edward Martin, 1858–1859 * James McTuffin, 1860–1861 * William D. Lyon, 1862–1866 * George Smith, 1867–1869 * Clarkson Freeman, 1870–1872 * David Robertson, 1873–1876 * George Smith, 1877- * John D. Matheson, 1881 * Johnson E. Harrison, Reeve (1882), Mayor of Milton (1899) *

Robert King Anderson Robert King Anderson (August 29, 1861 – July 3, 1950) was a Canadian politician, physician and teacher. Biography Anderson graduated as a physician from the University of Toronto in 1888, and pursued postgraduate studies in Edinburgh, New York ...

, 1904, 1907–1909 * James Wilson Blain, 1915-1916 * Edwin Franklin Earl, 1917-1921 * John Maxted, 1928 * Edmund Syer, 1930 * George E. Elliott, 1935 * Dr. Charles Ansley "Carl" Martin, Mayor, 1936 * Adam E. Armstrong, Mayor, 1940–41 * George H. Dawson, Mayor, 1942–1946 * Gordon Gowland, Mayor, 1947 * Dr. 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

* Mayor: Gordon Krantz *Local and Regional Councillor Ward 1: Colin Best *Local and Regional Councillor Ward 2: Rick Malboeuf * Local and Regional Councillor Ward 3: Sammy Ijaz *Local and Regional Councillor Ward 4: Sameera Ali

Provincial

At the provincial level of government, Milton is contained within the Milton provincial riding. * Member of Provincial Parliament: Zee Hamid

Federal

At the federal level of government, Milton is contained within the Milton federal riding. * Member of Parliament:

Adam van Koeverden Adam Joseph van Koeverden (born January 29, 1982) is a Canadian sprint kayaker, olympic gold medallist, and politician serving since 2025 as the Secretary of State for Sport in Prime Minister Mark Carney's Cabinet. A member of the Liberal ...

(

Liberal Liberal or liberalism may refer to: Politics * Generally, a supporter of the political philosophy liberalism. Liberals may be politically left or right but tend to be centrist. * An adherent of a Liberal Party (See also Liberal parties by country ...

) won the riding in the

2019 Canadian federal election The 2019 Canadian federal election was held on October 21, 2019. Members of the House of Commons were elected to the 43rd Canadian Parliament. In keeping with the maximum four-year term under a 2007 amendment to the ''Canada Elections Act'', ...

on October 21, 2019. He was officially sworn in on November 22, 2019, with the next session of Parliament expected to commence on December 5.

Government services

Policing within Milton is provided by

Halton Regional Police The Halton Regional Police Service provides policing service for the Regional Municipality of Halton, which is located southwest of Toronto, in Ontario, Canada. Halton Region encompasses the city of Burlington and the Towns of Oakville, Milton ...

. Fire services are provided by the Milton Fire Department, with its five stations in the town. Patrol of provincially maintained highways is provided by the

Ontario Provincial Police The Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) is the State police, provincial police service of Ontario, Canada. The OPP patrols Provincial highways in Ontario, provincial highways and waterways; protects Government of Ontario, provincial government buil ...

. Milton is home to the

Royal Canadian Mounted Police The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP; , GRC) is the Law enforcement in Canada, national police service of Canada. The RCMP is an agency of the Government of Canada; it also provides police services under contract to 11 Provinces and terri ...

Toronto West Detachment under "O" Division with 230 RCMP personnel as of late 2018; departments include Criminal Intelligence, Federal Operations Support, Financial Crime and Serious & Organized Crime. The first section of the Milton District Hospital opened in 1959 and expanded in 1967. A major expansion in 2016-2017 provided an extra 330,000 square feet of health-care space. The Emergency Department, for example, was tripled in size, with a new capacity of 45,000 patient visits per year. The facility is part of the

Halton Healthcare Halton Healthcare (Halton Healthcare Services Corporation) is a regional healthcare organization located in the Greater Toronto Area. It is composed of three community hospitals in Ontario, Canada. It serves the communities of Milton, Ontario, Mi ...

system which also includes hospitals in

Georgetown, Ontario Georgetown is a large unincorporated community in the town of Halton Hills, Ontario, Canada, in the Regional Municipality of Halton. The town includes several small villages or settlements such as Norval, Ontario, Norval, Limehouse, Ontario, Lime ...

and in

Oakville, Ontario Oakville is a town and List of municipalities in Ontario#Lower-tier municipalities, lower-tier municipality in Regional Municipality of Halton, Halton Region, Ontario, Canada. Generally seen as a commuter suburb of Toronto, it is located on Lake ...

. In 1972, the Ontario government started a $13.5 million construction project for the Maplehurst Correctional Centre which was completed in 1974. A $79-million makeover began in 1997 and was completed in 2001. Today, the site houses the Maplehurst Correctional Complex and the

. Halton Region provides the following services to it communities, including Milton:

*Economic development *Emergency planning *Regional planning and growth management *Recycling and waste *Regional roads *Sewage (wastewater) collection systems and treatment plants *Water purification plants and distribution systems *Housing supports and services *Children and parenting *Employment and financial assistance *Ontario Works (social services) *Services for seniors *Paramedic services *Public health *Immunizations and preventable diseases *Food safety *Police services

Service clubs

Major

service club A service club or service organization is a Volunteering, voluntary nonprofit organization where members meet regularly to perform Charity (practice), charitable works either by direct hands-on efforts or by raising money for other organizations. ...

s include The Rotary Club of Milton, the Milton

Lions Club Lions Clubs International, is an international service organization, currently headquartered in Oak Brook, Illinois. , it had over 46,000 local clubs and more than 1.4 million members (including the youth wing Leo clubs, Leo) in more than 200 ge ...

, the

Optimist Club Optimist International is an international service club organization with almost 3,000 clubs and over 80,000 members in more than 20 countries. The international headquarters is located in St. Louis, Missouri, United States. Optimist Internationa ...

of Milton and the Milton & District Kinsmen Club.

Transportation

Roads

There are three main arterial east-west regional roads that run through urban Milton: Halton Regional Road #6 or Britannia Road in the south, Halton Regional Road #7 or Derry Road in central Milton, and Halton Regional Road #8 or

Steeles Avenue Steeles Avenue is an east–west street that stretches across the western and central Greater Toronto Area in Ontario, Canada. Running from Appleby Line in Milton in the west to the Scarborough-Pickering Townline in the east, where it continue ...

in the north. Three north-south regional roads bisect the town: Halton Regional Road #22 or Tremaine Road in the west; Halton Regional Road #25 or Highway 25 as Ontario Street through the middle of town linking Milton to Acton in the north and Bronte (Oakville) in the south; and Halton Regional Road #4 or 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.

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. The highway was to be widened to ten lanes from the James Snow Parkway to west of Regional Road 25, in a major project, starting in autumn 2019.

Bridges

A number of overpass and underpass projects have been constructed in recent years for the

grade separation In civil engineering (more specifically highway engineering), grade separation is a method of aligning a junction of two or more surface transport axes at different heights ( grades) so that they will not disrupt the traffic flow on other tr ...

of railway crossings, including on Britannia Road, Derry Road, Main Street, and James Snow Parkway.

Public transportation

Milton Transit Milton Transit is the public transit system in the town of Milton, Ontario, Milton, Ontario, Canada. Milton is in Halton Regional Municipality, part of the Greater Toronto Area. Milton Transit was inaugurated in 1972, and greatly expanded from 3 ...

is the municipal provider of bus services for the town. Milton Transit provides conventional and Milton access+ (

paratransit Paratransit (also community transport in the United Kingdom, or intermediate public transport) is a type of public transport service that supplements fixed-route mass transit by providing individualized rides without fixed routes or timetables. P ...

) 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 service is provided by a private service provider under contract, PWTransit Canada, who employ bus operators and maintain Milton Transit fleet. Vehicles include 23 low floor buses for full accessibility. In 2018, the town cited 552,654 revenue passenger trips and approximately 400 active bus stops in the community. Intercity service is served by

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 Square One Shopping Centre, or simply Square One, is a Canadian shopping mall located in Mississauga, Ontario. It is the largest shopping centre in Ontario and the second largest shopping centre in Canada, after West Edmonton Mall. It has over ...

in Mississauga to the

University of Waterloo The University of Waterloo (UWaterloo, UW, or Waterloo) is a Public university, public research university located in Waterloo, Ontario, Canada. The main campus is on of land adjacent to uptown Waterloo and Waterloo Park. The university also op ...

, 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 Via Rail Canada Inc. (), operating as Via Rail or Via (stylized as VIA Rail), is a Canadian Crown corporation that operates intercity passenger rail service in Canada. As of December 2023, Via Rail operates 406 trains per week across eight ...

station in the Toronto-New York City corridor is Oakville station. The most easily accessible

railway station is Milton station.

Canadian National Railway The Canadian National Railway Company () is a Canadian Class I freight railway headquartered in Montreal, Quebec, which serves Canada and the Midwestern and Southern United States. CN is Canada's largest railway, in terms of both revenue a ...

planned to build an "intermodal" or "truck-rail hub" facility on rural land in the south of the town (bordered by Tremaine Rd., Britannia Rd. and Lower Base Line) that would be used to transfer freight between trucks and trains. According to a late-July 2019 news report, the plan was controversial with "local mayors and residents voicing objections over potential congestion and environmental impacts" because of the "estimated 1,600 daily truck trips" that the facility would require. Public hearings had been completed by that time. A three person panel was to file its recommendations by early 2020 to the Minister of Environment and Climate Change. Halton Region was also lobbying against the planned facility and stated another area of concern in late 2018:

Additionally, CN has only revealed its plans for 400 acres on the site; they have not disclosed its plans for the remaining 800 acres. We have determined that the operations at this site can be significantly expanded which will further increase the impacts on residents and the community.

Air

The nearest airport to Milton is the Burlington Airpark in neighboring

Burlington, Ontario Burlington, officially the City of Burlington, is a city and List of municipalities in Ontario#Lower-tier municipalities, lower-tier municipality in Regional Municipality of Halton, Halton Region at the west end of Lake Ontario in Ontario, Can ...

. It is a thriving general-aviation field, but the airport does not have any regular commercial passenger flight service. Some charter operations are provided.

Pearson International Airport Toronto Pearson International Airport is an international airport located in Mississauga, Ontario, Canada. It is the main airport serving Toronto, its metropolitan area, and the surrounding region known as the Golden Horseshoe. Pearson is the ...

, Canada's largest passenger-volume airport, is located only to the east. The much smaller

John C. Munro Hamilton International Airport John C. Munro Hamilton International Airport , or simply Hamilton Airport, is an international airport in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. The airport is part of the neighbourhood of Mount Hope, southwest of Downtown Hamilton and southwest of Tor ...

is located from Milton.

Sports

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 taking place on 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.

Badminton

Milton Badminton Club operates up to nine courts within the in-field of the

Mattamy National Cycling Centre The Mattamy National Cycling Centre is a track cycling facility in Milton, Ontario, Canada built for the 2015 Pan American Games. During the Pan Am and Parapan Am Games the venue was known as the ''Cisco Milton Pan Am / Parapan Am Velodrome''. ...

. 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 9+ years old.

Tennis

The Town of Milton operates tennis courts in parks such as Bronte Meadows Park, Optimist Park and Rotary Outdoor Park. Private organizations are the Milton Tennis Club and the Nassagaweya Tennis Club.

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 30s, and again in the 1950s and 60s 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 and 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 Canada Basketball is the governing body for basketball in Canada. Headquartered in Toronto, Ontario, the federation is a full member of FIBA and governs Canadian basketball at the international, professional, and amateur levels, including: the C ...

Cricket

Cricket activities in Milton started in 2002 from the play fields around Bishop Reding School and later in 2012 from the turf pitch at the Boyne park. Initially, cricket was played in the T-10 format using tape tennis balls. Around 2012, Sal Saeed (president - MCGA) worked with Milton town to set up the first authentic cricket field at Sherwood park. Currently, there are multiple clubs in Milton participating in various indoor/outdoor tournaments.

Curling

Milton Curling Club is a member-owned volunteer club with four sheets of ice and is open from October to April.

Cycling

The

forms an excellent natural training ground for mountain biking and road cycling in Milton. Milton is also home to the

, opened in 2015, which includes the headquarters and practice facilities for

Cycling Canada The Canadian Cycling Association (CCA), branded as Cycling Canada (CC) ( French: ''Cyclisme Canada'' (''CC'')) is the national governing body of cycle racing in Canada. Role Cycling Canada is a National Sport Organization whose main reason for be ...

, as well as

Canadian Cycling Hall of Fame Canadians () are people identified with the country of Canada. This connection may be residential, legal, historical or cultural. For most Canadians, many (or all) of these connections exist and are collectively the source of their being ''C ...

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 Parry Sound is a Sound (geography), sound or bay of Georgian Bay on Lake Huron, in Ontario, Canada. It is highly irregularly shaped with many deep bays and islands. Killbear Provincial Park is located on the large peninsula that separates the sou ...

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 Maple Leaf Gardens is a historic building located at the northwest corner of Carlton Street and Church and Wellesley, Church Street in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The building was originally constructed in 1931 as an indoor arena to host ice hoc ...

, Milton won game one by a score of 6-4, with three goals coming from Milton's future NHL player

Enio Sclisizzi Enio James Sclisizzi (August 1, 1925 – June 27, 2012) was a Canadian professional ice hockey player. Sclisizzi played 81 games in the National Hockey League with the Detroit Red Wings and Chicago Black Hawks between 1947 and 1953. Sclisizzi won ...

, 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 An aurora ( aurorae or auroras), also commonly known as the northern lights (aurora borealis) or southern lights (aurora australis), is a natural light display in Earth's sky, predominantly observed in high-latitude regions (around the Arc ...

. 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 Leon Evan Stickle (born April 20, 1948) is a Canadian former National Hockey League linesman. His officiating career started in 1969 and ended in 1998. Early life Stickle is the son of Ivan Stickle and his wife Bernice, and has a sister Gail. Bo ...

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 The Brantford 99ers were a Junior A ice hockey team in the Ontario Junior Hockey League based in Brantford, Ontario. The 99ers have previously been known as the Milton Icehawks, Milton Merchants, Milton Flyers, and Milton Steamers as Milton ho ...

were a Junior "A" ice hockey team in the

Ontario Junior A Hockey League The Ontario Junior Hockey League (OJHL) is a Junior A ice hockey league in Ontario, Canada. It is under the supervision of the Ontario Hockey Association (OHA) and the Canadian Junior Hockey League (CJHL). The league dates back to 1954 where i ...

. 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 David Rene Gagner (born December 11, 1964) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player and current Director of Player Development for the Orr Hockey Group player agency. Playing career Dave Gagner spent two full seasons with the OHL's Br ...

, Mario Forgione, who owned the

Mississauga IceDogs The Mississauga IceDogs were a Canadian junior ice hockey team in Mississauga, Ontario. They played in the Ontario Hockey League from 1998 to 2007. A sale relocated the team to St. Catharines, Ontario for the 2007–08 season and they are now ca ...

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 Merchants 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 Richard D. Heinz (born May 30, 1955) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player who played 49 games in the National Hockey League. He played with the St. Louis Blues and Vancouver Canucks. The rest of his career was spent in the minor lea ...

' 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 (2003–2018) 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 John Tavares (born September 20, 1990) is a Canadian professional ice hockey forward (ice hockey), forward and Alternate Captain (ice hockey), alternate captain of the Toronto Maple Leafs of the National Hockey League (NHL). In the 2009 NHL ent ...

, Daniel Carcillo,

Sam Gagner Sam William Gagner (born August 10, 1989) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey forward who played 17 seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL) for the Edmonton Oilers, Arizona Coyotes, Philadelphia Flyers, Columbus Blue Jackets, Vanco ...

, Rich Peverley, Darren Haydar and Matt Read. The new Milton Menace Hockey Club, a Junior A hockey franchise, was formed from the Newmarket Hurricane team, purchased in early March 2019. The 2019–2020 season was the club's first, with games at the Milton Memorial Arena.

Running

Milton was represented by distance runner Ed Whitlock, who held numerous age-related records for the marathon, half-marathon and long-distance track events, both indoor and outdoor. Milton's Ben Preisner represented Canada at the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo.

Skating

The town offers drop-in skating at several arenas; some of those also feature competitive skating events. Private organizations include the Milton Skating Club and Milton Speed Skating. In 1976, Milton's Kevin Parker won a Canadian national novice skating title in London.

Skiing

The

forms an excellent natural training ground for skiing in Milton. It is also the site of Glen Eden (ski area), Glen Eden ski area, where Olympian and Miltonian Travis Gerrits got his start.

Soccer

Milton Association football, 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 3,300 players who play house-league, development and rep each year. Ages for teams range from U4 to U18 and including adult. The Milton Magic soccer team of the Youth Soccer Club competes in various Soccer Ontario events. In 2019, their BU15 and BU16 Blue teams advanced into the Ontario Cup Finals. Halton Hawks FC is the smallest of the Youth Clubs in Milton. HHFC was incorporated in 2002, is a non-profit organization. and operates out of Bennett Park, in the heart of Milton. Halton Hawks FC is an Ontario Soccer Association sanctioned Club. HHFC is an official Academy of Tranmere Rovers FC an English second division soccer Club. HHFC offers programs for development and rep each year. Ages for teams U7-U17. Milton SC are currently representing Milton in the Canadian Soccer League after joining the league in the 2014 Canadian Soccer League season, 2014 season. Milltown F.C. (Canada), Milltown Football Club was a Association football, 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.

Swimming

The Milton Marlins are youth-focused 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. As of November 2019, the head coach of the club was Meghan Whittaker. Some Marlins swimmers 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

, a Conservation authority (Canada), conservation authority. *

* Crawford Lake Conservation Area * Drumquin Park BMX track & Oakville Model Flying Club * Glen Eden (ski area), Glen Eden Ski & Snowboard Centre * John Tonelli Sports Centre * Kelso Conservation Area * Milton Curling Club * Milton Minor Hockey Association (Milton Winterhawks) * Milton Mill Pond (Milton, Ontario), 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 (Canada), Rattlesnake Point * Rotary Park * Springridge Farm

Media

Milton is covered by local newspapers, radio, magazines and websites through the following services: * ''The Canadian Champion'' * ''Milton Villager'' * ''Milton Reporter'' * ''Milton Today'' * ''YourTV Halton'' * ''The GTA Times'' * FM 101 Milton CJML-FM, CJML

Local events

* Every Labour Day weekend the Milton Steam Era, 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 2020 event will celebrate the 60th anniversary of Steam-Era. * 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 an agricultural show, midway, livestock, entertainment, the Demolition derby, Demolition Derby and other traditional county fair events. The event takes place at the Milton Fairgrounds located in the historic downtown area of Milton. * Culture Days is a weekend long celebration of arts and culture in Milton featuring free interactive events for all ages and held during the last weekend of September. Organized by Arts Milton, Culture Days is held each year at the FirstOntario Arts Centre. * 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. * The Downtown Milton Street Festival - annual event in June attracts over 90,000 people and includes live entertainment, vendors and local businesses. * Miracle on Main Street - Tiger Jeet Singh Foundation's annual toy drive.

Development

The town has very easy access throughout the Greater Toronto Area, GTA by Ontario Highway 401, Highways 401 and Ontario Highway 407, 407 towards Oakville, Burlington and Hamilton, Ontario, Hamilton on the town, or by the former Highway 25 (Halton Road 25). There are two key freight railway routes (both by Canadian National Railway, CN and Canadian Pacific Railway, CP), passenger services from GO Transit, and

passenger connections in the Quebec City–Windsor Corridor in both neighbouring Oakville and Georgetown, Ontario, Georgetown. There is close proximity to Toronto Pearson International Airport along Highway 401 (under 40 km from 401/Halton 25 exit).

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. The town published a Current Development Map and also a Future Urban Structure Map - Building Possibility document that indicates the general plan for the use of lands in future, intended to "minimize further expansion of urban areas and unnecessary and inefficient consumption of land".

1970s growth

In 1978, the Ontario Municipal Board approved the Alliance Ex-Urban project, paving the way for a 532-unit plan, which broke ground with an initial 180 houses at Bronte St. and Derry Rd. in 1979. A further 600 detached and semi-detached houses were completed in 1979, as Timberlea moved into phase two of its construction. Phase One saw 300 homes built in the Timberlea area bounded by Derry Rd., Thompson Rd. and Ontario St. S. The final Timberlea village includes 1,400 homes. An additional 30 homes were built in 1979 by Kingsway Plastering on Commercial St, and 10 new units in Campbellville's McLaren Subdivision. A 107-unit apartment complex was also completed in 1979 on Millside Drive. Building permit totals in 1976 reached $28 million, before dipping in 1977, and rebounding to nearly $23 million in 1978. In 1979, the estimated total building permit revenue reached $100 million. By 1979, the town zoning administrator stated that, due to drinking water limitations at the time, completion of the Timberlea and Alliance projects would "complete all the residential development that can go into the town." For the next 20 years, very little growth occurred in Milton.

21st century

Residential growth has increased substantially since 2002 due to completion of "The Big Pipe" project; designed to deliver water to the town from Lake Ontario. Since then, Milton developed an initial seven new subdivisions, including Hawthorne Village, Ontario, Hawthorne Village, and several new ones are under development by Mattamy Homes and various other builders. Multiple 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 new residential 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, track-cycling velodrome venue for the 2015 Pan American Games called the

. The facility sits at the heart of a 150-acre plot of land that is designated for a proposed future

campus. A mid 2019 report stated that roughly 3,100 high-density residential units were being planned or being built in the town. A mid-2019 report discussed two new subdivisions being planned, Agerton (along Trafalgar Road east of the 401), "for a mixed-use employment and higher-density residential community" and Trafalgar, a "mixed-use, transit-supportive, higher-density community ... along Trafalgar Road between Derry Road to south of Britannia Road". The Milton Education Village area was to be further developed, as an urban neighbourhood with post-secondary education, residential, commercial and recreational segments.

Official Plan

As of November 2019, the town was using the Official Plan approved by Halton Region on December 14, 1997, and by the Ontario Municipal Board (OMB) on July 19, 1999. Public meetings were scheduled for late 2019 to obtain residents' comments on changes that might be appropriate for the next Official Plan.

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. From the 1850s and '60s 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. An August 2017 report indicated that Mattamy Homes' Halton Regional Municipality, Halton/Hamilton, Ontario, Hamilton Divisional Office was located in Milton. Other companies with Canadian head offices, or a major employment presence, in Milton include: * 3M, 3M Canada * Chudleigh's Limited * Dare Foods * DSV (company), DSV Canada * CRH plc, Dufferin Aggregates Milton Quarry * Gordon Food Service (592 employees) * Johnson Controls * Karmax Heavy Stamping, a division of Magna International (950 employees) * Lowe's distribution centre * Manheim Auto Auctions (750 employees) * Modatek Systems, a division of Magna International * Northstar Aerospace * Rockwool (formerly branded as Roxul) * Whirlpool Canada * Wolseley Canada distribution centre A 2017 summary of the benefits of Milton as a location for industry stated that the town's "proximity to the 400-series highways, rail links, and international airports, as well as the municipality's commitment to economic development, have all helped drive Milton's dynamic growth". The town's mid-2019 report highlighted three major new facilities in Milton: Kimberly-Clark's of warehouse and distribution, Prologis' of warehouse space leased to Jaguar Land Rover and Sun Life Financial's planned of speculative industrial building. At that time, the town had an inventory of of industrial space, with only 2.7% being unoccupied. The mid-2019 report also listed new businesses that had opened facilities in town in 2018: PBS Systems Group, Infrastructure Ontario, Enable Education, Responsive Consulting and Throwback Entertainment. At that time, the Derry Green Business Park Development was underway; the plan was "accommodate a mix of businesses including innovative logistics, advanced manufacturing and distribution facilities" in this new area.

Town finances

The town's 2018 Budget report stated that gross revenue for 2018 was $187.2 million and that expenses totaled $118.1 million; much of the net revenue came from charges made to developers. Financial assets totaled $106.3 million at year's end, while liabilities totaled $12.6 million. Milton's long-term debenture debt decreased to $42.7 million.

Notable people

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

Music

* Danny Brooks, blues and Memphis-style R&B musician * Deadmau5, progressive house music producer and performer *The Most Serene Republic, indie band signed to Arts & Crafts (record label), Arts & Crafts

Politics and public service

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

, Canadian gold medal Kayak racing, sprint kayaker and politician

Sports

* Kayla Alexander, WNBA player * Kyle Alexander (born 1996), basketball player for Hapoel Tel Aviv B.C., Hapoel Tel Aviv of the Israeli Basketball Premier League * Scott Bertoli, hockey player * Steve Bice, curler * Kwaku Boateng (Canadian football), Kwaku Boateng, football player, graduated from Bishop Reding * Mat Clark, hockey player * Jeff Daw, hockey forward * Darren Eliot, hockey goaltender and Olympian * Mark French (ice hockey), Mark French, hockey coach * Travis Gerrits, Olympic aerial skier and 2013 world silver medalist * Brad Grant, former owner of the

; standardbred horse owner * Darren Haydar, hockey player * Shawn Hill, baseball pitcher, attended

* Bruce Hood (ice hockey), Bruce Melvin Hood, hockey referee * Bob Izumi, TV personality and professional angler * Mike Kaszycki, hockey player * Peter McDuffe, hockey player * Joey Melo, soccer player * Matt O'Meara, football player * Pierre Pilote, hockey player * Ben Preisner, Olympic Games, Olympic marathoner * Jim Ridley, baseball player and MLB scout * Ronald Roberts (ice hockey executive), Ronald Roberts, World Hockey Association, WHA and NHL hockey executive *

, former NHL player * Matt Sewell, football player * Michael Sgarbossa, hockey player * Tiger Ali Singh, professional wrestler * Tiger Jeet Singh, professional wrestler * Harvey Sproule, hockey player, coach, owner, executive, and referee; curler; journalist; race horse owner *

, NHL linesman * John Tonelli, hockey player * Kirsten Wall, curler and Olympic gold medallist * Steve Webb (ice hockey), Steve Webb, hockey player * Madeline Schizas, three-time Canadian National Champion singles figure skater and 2022 Winter Olympian * Ed Whitlock, oldest person in the world to run a marathon under three hours

Sister cities

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

Notes

References

External links

* {{Authority control Milton, Ontario, Lower-tier municipalities in Ontario Populated places established in 1857 Towns in Ontario