Living in Milliken
Milliken is located at the very north-east end of Toronto. The rising tide of urbanization only reached this neighbourhood in the 1980’s. In fact the last large parcel of farmland in Milliken has only recently been developed along Steeles Avenue. This neighbourhood has many outstanding features including a modern public library and neighbourhood centre, the beautifully designed Milliken Park, and the Milliken Park Recreational Trail which winds it’s way through this neighbourhood.
History of Milliken
This neighbourhood was originally called Milliken’s Corners. It was named after Norman Milliken, a United Empire Loyalist, who settled here in 1807. Milliken established a lumbering business, a hotel and livery stables near the corner of Steeles Avenue and Kennedy Road. The Milliken name is also associated with the Township of Markham located north of Steeles Avenue. In fact the Milliken Post Office established in 1859 was situated on the north side of Steeles Avenue which marks the border between Scarborough (now Toronto) and the Markham Township. Milliken remained a rural community up until the 1970’s when its furrowed farm fields gave way to the modern subdivisions that now define this neighbourhood.
Homes in Milliken
Milliken’s housing stock consists primarily of modern two-storey detached houses built in the 1980’s and 1990’s. These family style houses are small to medium in size with attached garages and private drives. The houses here are fairly close together and typically feature twenty- five to thirty-five foot lots. Milliken also contains a handful of townhouse complexes and condominium apartment buildings located in the McCowan Road and Alton Towers Drive section of this neighbourhood.
Lifestyle in Milliken
The largest shopping centre in this neighbourhood is the Milliken Wells Shopping Plaza located off McCowan Road at Alton Towers Circle. This plaza is anchored by a large supermarket and features mostly Chinese retailers including food shops, a video store, a herbal store and a variety of restaurants. There are a number of smaller shopping plazas stretched along Steeles Avenue and on Middlefield Road at McNicoll Avenue. In addition to your everyday convenience type stores the mix of shopping here includes Chinese restaurants, herbal stores, vegetarian shops, and food markets.
Recreation in Milliken
Milliken Park located at Steeles Avenue and McCowan Road is ideal for picnics or large social gatherings. This park has a small banquet hall, gazebos and a beautiful garden area that is centred around an elaborately designed man made pond. Milliken Park also features a paved recreational trail and a modern children’s playground. The Goldhawk Park Public Library and Neighbourhood Centre located at 295 Alton Towers Circle is part of a multi-use recreational complex that includes a large outdoor playing area with baseball diamonds, basketball courts and a children’s playground. This public library offers children’s programming and the neighbourhood centre has a meeting room that is used for a variety of local functions.
Transportation in Milliken
Bus routes along Brimley, McCowan, and Middlefield Roads provide connections to the Toronto Transit and Go Transit station at the Scarborough City Centre. The Steeles Avenue bus provides a connecting route to the Yonge-University-Spadina subway line. Motorists are approximately five minutes from Highway 401 on-ramps at McCowan and Brimley Roads. This highway connects commuters to the Don Valley Parkway which provides access to the downtown core.