06/22/2026
Every street sign tells a story. Some honour community builders, others remember trailblazers, and many quietly preserve local history we pass by every day. 🛣️💛
The Our Streets, Their Stories page is dedicated to uncovering the people behind those names — and the legacies they left in our neighbourhoods.
Let’s meet the neighbours behind the names…
Catherine Avenue, Aurora
Catherine Avenue is a street that points to some prominent early residents of Aurora. In the 1830s and 40s, the land surrounding Yonge and Wellington was known as Machell’s Corners, named after Richard Machell who owned 3 of the 4 properties. His rival, of sorts, was Charles Doan, whose early life took him from his childhood in the Quaker-adjacent community in Sharon, to the gaol (jail) in Toronto for participation in the 1837 Upper Canada Rebellion. Within 8 years of his release, he had risen in esteem and was appointed postmaster of Whitchurch.
From that role, he was instrumental in the naming of Aurora. Charles lived and did his work out of Castle Doan, an ironically- named simple saltbox-style home (said to have been the earliest home in all of York County) on Yonge Street, just behind Lions Parkette. Following the death of his first wife Mary Willson, Charles married her cousin Catherine Willson, and the small track that led past their house was named for her. Their simple home, known almost ironically as Castle Doan, was demolished in 1981.
Story credit: The Aurora Museum & Archives
Thank you to the Our Streets, Their Stories Sponsor The Chris Cartwright Team
