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Milne Park Conservation Association

MPCA was formed in March 1985 by a group of citizens concerned for the future of Milne Park. The mandate of MPCA is:

"To monitor proposals in and around Milne Conservation area to ensure that the area remains a viable natural park, where wildlife and the general public can co-exist.

To take whatever steps necessary to challenge any development proposal that would negatively impact the water quality in Milne Park or change the use of the area".

Milne Park Conservation Area

The history of the land, which has now become Milne Park, is recorded from February 1806 in land deeds. On February 20th of that year, Nicholas Miller purchased Lot 9, Concession 7, in Markham Township from a Daniel Cozens who had received the land from the Crown. The 200 acres changed hands for 100 British pounds. Miller, one of the earliest recorded settlers in the area, had already been granted Lot 34, Concession 1, upon his arrival in the Township in 1793, but chose to construct his saw and grist mill on the Rouge River site, largely because of the availability of water power.

The property was divided into several parts and passed to several owners until May 10, 1824, when Peter and Alexander Milne purchased it for 450 British pounds. The mill, close to the present site of the Milne Dam, was operated first by Alexander, who oversaw the operation until his marriage, and then by a series of hired millers. Alexander built his own mill where Edward's Gardens is now located, in Toronto.

Peter Milne died in 1845, but had developed his business to include a general store built in the 1820s, a fulling mill, a woolen mill and an ashery. Peter's wife, Elizabeth, managed the enterprise until it was destroyed by fire in 1866.

Peter's grandsons by his son Thomas, Grant and Archie, rebuilt the gristmill and operated the site until 1933. Near the turn of the century, they produced a famous breakfast cereal call "Wheateen".

In 1911, Archie built the first concrete and steel arc dam in Canada on this site. He believed this dam could generate the power for the village! The dam was washed out in 1929 and again in 1954 when Hurricane Hazel hit the area.

It should be noted that the Town of Markham sprang from the advent of the mill and dam. The Town grew northward from that point towards the rail line at the north end of the town. This rail enabled the businessmen to ship their products to market.

The original Milne property is now incorporated into Milne Park Conservation Area, which is owned by the Toronto & Region Conservation Authority and managed by the Town of Markham

MPCA Successes

>> Condominium development was halted at the end of Sarah Jane Court, when the association members worked with a willing developer and convinced him to sell the land to the Rouge Park.

 

>> 80 Acres of ORC lands, south of the park, were destined for development. Many members of the Association wrote to the Provincial Government and convinced them and the Town, that these lands should be made part of Milne Park and ultimately the Rouge Park North. In 1999, a Provincial announcement was made to this effect in Milne, but as yet the transfer of title of these lands has not yet been completed.

 

>> One of our more recent initiative is negotiating with our Federal, Provincial and Municipal governments to obtain more land.


Awards won by the MPCA
>> The millennium-planting project, on the south side of Milne Park, received an Urban Habitat Stewardship Award from Habitat Canada in 2002.

>>Lesley Price received a Heritage Conservation Award from the Ontario Heritage Foundation in February 2003.

>>Lesley also received a Rouge Park Heritage Award in 2002.

>> Tupper Wheatley has received a Rouge Park Heritage Award from the Rouge Park in October 2003.

>>The Milne Park Conservation Association received an Honor Roll Award 2003 from the Toronto Region Conservation Authority for the work that we have achieved to meet the aims and objectives of the Living City.

>>The "bag-it clean-up campaign" in Milne Park in the spring of 2003 was a new initiative of the Association. It was well used and received an honourable mention by the Town of Markham.
Milne Park Conservation Association