The Mill

Mill in Beaulieu, Hampshire, England.

July 2025

#Hampshire #England #GB #UK #Beaulieu #BeaulieuRiver #Millpond #Muehle #Wolken #Fotografie #Backstein #Backsteingebaeude #Wasser #Fluss #Mill #Clouds #Photography #Bricks #BrickBuildings #Water #River

A gazebo looks out over the calm waters of Mill Pond in Milton during the late sunset.

#BuyIntoArt #MillPond #gazebo #sunset #Milton #NaturePhotography #Nature #DiscoverON #SunsetViews #MiltonGazebo #PeacefulWaters #LakeLife #EveningSerenity

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THE LIFE, DEATH AND DISAPPEARANCE OF REGGIE WHITE

The story of Reginald “Reggie” White is as close to a real-life ghost story as possible in the Waterloo Region.   

White was the last man to be executed in Waterloo Region, hanged on Apr. 25, 1940, for a brutal double murder that shocked the community, a strange mix of crime, courage and local legend that proves local history isn’t always dry.  

Born in England in 1904, Reggie White moved to Hespeler and lived a modest life as a farmhand.  

Local historian Lary Turner, Chair of the Townline Community Organization and Hespeler Heritage Centre, remembers that people who knew White described him as “mentally a little slow,” but he was also remembered for a remarkable act of bravery—saving the sheriff’s son from drowning in the Mill Pond. That moment earned him local admiration and a brief flicker of hero status.  

In fall 1939, White committed one of the bloodiest crimes in the Waterloo Region’s history. He murdered John Milroy, an elderly farmer, and Milroy’s blind sister, Annie, with an axe in their rural home near Branchton Rd.  

The motive remains a mystery since White offered no explanation. The crime scene was chilling—both victims found in the parlor, bloodied and lifeless, with a table set for lunch still untouched.  

The investigation didn’t take long. White had been seen near the Milroy property and was later linked to their stolen car, which had turned up abandoned in the Bechtel bush near Hespeler.  

He stayed calm during the trial, offered no defense, and remained silent as Justice James Makins sentenced him to death. The jury took just over three hours to reach a guilty verdict.   

White was executed at the Kitchener courthouse jail, and his body was reportedly buried in the central courtyard, along with the bodies of James Allison and Stoyko Boyeff, two other condemned men who had been hanged at the jail.  

But here’s where things get weird—decades later, when the site was being prepped for redevelopment, archaeologists were brought in to locate and rehome the remains of the three executed men. They found James Allison and Stoyko Boyeff. But Reggie White? No trace.  

Multiple digs, advanced testing, and expert teams could not locate their grave. And because Ontario law treats any site believed to contain human remains as a cemetery, the land couldn’t be fully developed.  

Building within 15 feet of a suspected grave requires a formal burial site for investigation.  

So a decades-old mystery is still affecting what can be built downtown.  

Local lore has filled in some blanks.  

According to Lary Turner, two senior members of the Centre’s Board who went to school with White shared a story passed down through the community. They claimed White’s family retrieved his body after the burial, had it cremated and scattered his ashes on a small island in the Mill Pond behind their home. Turner says the island was kept neat for years, decorated with a small wooden cannon and a flagpole.  

“I cannot authenticate the urban legend as being true,” Turner admits, “but I have personally seen the island so decorated many decades ago.”  

The Reggie White story is one of those stories people whisper about.  

Out of respect for his family, it was not talked about much at the time. But over the years, the story has become something of a local legend.   

White’s tale is full of contradictions: a man who saved a life, then took two; a community that mourned both the victims and the shame of the execution; and a quirky twist that still affects what can be built downtown.    

#communityOrganization #crime #FionaMcAlister #HansHaryanto #HESPELER #HespelerHeritageCentre #jamesAllison #JohnMilroy #laryTurner #localHistorian #localHistory #millPond #ontarioLaws #reggieWhite #ReginaldWhite #styokoBoyeff #TownlineCommunityOrganization #trueCrime

BEGINNER’S GUIDE TO DISC GOLF IN WR

Disc golf is a rising alternative sport that is low-impact, cheap and beginner-friendly. Waterloo Region boasts beautiful courses, helpful retailers and a burgeoning community to help you along your journey out into the woods to clink baskets with plastic discs.

Getting started

The only gear needed are discs, which are different from traditional frisbees.

Local online retailer Big Disc Energy sells a wide variety of discs for all skill levels, including cheap starter sets. Additionally, any big store with a sports department or basic online retailer should be able to sell you a starter set.

The next item you should invest in is the free UDisc app. UDisc is a great resource for finding courses, keeping score during your rounds and tracking your progress over time.

For some courses in the region, using the app during your round is the best way to have any idea how to get from hole to hole.

In addition to its discovery and tracking features, UDisc also has an active blog and forum community that can help answer any questions you may have as you learn.

Montgomery Park Aceplace

Montgomery Park Aceplace course offers a short and forgiving but varied layout perfect for beginners or those looking to practice their game. Recently, the City of Kitchener put in new concrete tee pads, making the course even better for practicing long drives. Beware the bushes on hole five, they’re full of burs that will stick to your clothes!

Columbia Lake (UW) Disc Golf Course

Located on the University of Waterloo campus, Columbia Lake has some of the nicest views of any disc golf course in the region. Managed by the university, the course is free for UW students, but they charge $3 for a day pass to any non- students. Visit the UW recreation website or scan the QR codes on the course to purchase your pass before playing.

It is not uncommon to see ducks and other animals resting in the lake. Be sure to keep your eye out for the occasional turtle making its way across the first fairway.

Four Fathers Brewing Co. DGC

Sandwiched between Four Fathers Brewing Co. and the Mill Pond in north Cambridge, this course winds through wooded areas before wrapping up in front of the restaurant patio, inviting you in to celebrate a successful round.

Next steps

Now that you have successfully learned the basics of disc golf and have had some fun, it’s time to up your game. Two easy ways to do that are watching pros on the Disc Golf Network (DGN) and joining the Grand River Disc Golf Association (GRDGA).

DGN broadcasts live pro tournaments on their app and on YouTube. The GRDCA is a local association that hosts tournaments, builds community and operates the members-only course Rudy Woods. If you want to get involved and play more disc golf with likeminded people, the GRDCA is the place to be.

Overall, all you really need to be successful at disc golf is some interest, walking shoes and maybe some friends who are down to try it out.

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