Took this yesterday of the work to open up the plug below the Lemon Bridge.
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And this is George Villiers who I choose to believe gave Villiers Street its name.
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Though I have no doubt George Villiers is worthy of having a street (or a beer) named after him, the street was actually named after
Major Villiers Sankey (1854-1905) of The Queen's Own Rifles of Canada and for many years the City Surveyor of Toronto.
SANKEY, VILLIERS
Major Villiers Sankey was born at Brookeboro, County Fermanagh, Ireland, October 3, 1854. He was educated at Portora Royal School, Enniskillen, and in 1872 passed his examinations for the India Civil Service.
On coming to Canada he entered the firm of Wadsworth, Unwin & Brown, afterwards becoming a partner. Major Sankey, who laid out the new rifle ranges in Toronto, was an authority on military matters, and supplied the Government with special maps, particularly of the Toronto and Niagara districts.
On December 24th, 1888 Sankey received the appointment of City Surveyor for Toronto. In 1890-91 he served as the President of the Association of Provincial Land Surveyors of Ontario. He resigned as City Surveyor on January 20, 1905. On July 10 of that year, he drowned while engaged in engineering work near Kenora.
Villiers Street, just north of Commissioners Street in the Portlands area of Toronto, was named after him.
Sankey had 5 daughters and 2 sons [1891 Census]. During the First World War, his son Nisbett served in the 32nd Battalion, Canadian Expeditionary Force as a Captain. His youngest son, Lieutenant Colonel Richard H. Sankey would command the 3rd Battalion (CASF) , Queen’s Own Rifles during the Second World War (May 21, 1942 to Aug 15th 1943.)
See:
https://www.krcmar.ca/resource-articles/1983_Fall_Major Villiers Sankey_1.pdf
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