Villiers Street was named in honour of Major Villiers Sankey on 15 May 1919. He was born at Brookeboro, County Fermanagh, Ireland, on October 3, 1854, educated at Portora Royal School, Enniskillen, and in 1872 passed his examinations for the India Civil Service. In Canada, he entered the firm of Wadsworth, Unwin & Brown, afterwards becoming a partner. Major Sankey 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.
Major Sankey's military service with The Queen's Own Rifles of Canada:
December 26, 1879 – 2nd Lieutenant (Provisional)
January 28, 1880 – Gazetted 2nd Lieutenant
November 26, 1880 – Lieutenant
1881 – Organized the new regimental Signal Corps
December 22, 1882 – Captain
September 27, 1889 – Major
April 13, 1895 – Retired
On December 24, 1888, he was appointed City Surveyor for Toronto. From 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, and on July 10 of that year, he drowned during engineering work near Kenora.
Major Sankey had five daughters and two sons. 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 commanded the 3rd Battalion (Canadian Active Service Force), The Queen’s Own Rifles during the Second World War.