York Region, Ontario Portal

Richmond Hill (2006 population 162,704) is a town in York Region north of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is part of the Greater Toronto Area. Image File history File links Richmond_Hill_Flag. ... A motto (from Italian) is a phrase or a short list of words meant formally to describe the general motivation or intention of an entity, social group, or organization. ... Image File history File links File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Canada consists of ten provinces and three territories. ... Motto: Ut Incepit Fidelis Sic Permanet (Latin: Loyal she began, loyal she remains) Capital Toronto Largest city Toronto Official languages English Government - Lieutenant-Governor James K. Bartleman - Premier Dalton McGuinty (Liberal) Federal representation in Canadian Parliament - House seats 106 - Senate seats 24 Confederation July 1, 1867 (1st) Area [1] Ranked... Motto: Ontarios Rising Star Map of York Region and the municipalities it includes. ... David Barrow is the mayor of Richmond Hill, Ontario. ... Richmond Hill Town Council is the governing body for the city of Richmond Hill, Ontario. ... A Member of Parliament, or MP, is a representative elected by the voters to a parliament. ... Lui Temelkovski (born November 4, 1954) is the Canadian Member of Parliament for the Ontario riding of Oak Ridges-Markham, representing the Liberal Party of Canada. ... Bryon Wilfert, P.C., B.A., B.Ed. ... A time zone is a region of the Earth that has adopted the same standard time, usually referred to as the local time. ... -12 | -11 | -10 | -9:30 | -9 | -8 | -7 | -6 | -5 | -4 | -3:30 | -3 | -2:30 | -2 | -1 | -0:25 | UTC (0) | +0:20 | +0:30 | +1 | +2 | +3 | +3:30 | +4 | +4:30 | +4:51 | +5 | +5:30 | +5:40 | +5:45 | +6 | +6:30 | +7 | +7:20 | +7... Though DST is common in Europe and North America, most of the worlds people do not use it. ... −12 | −11 | −10 | −9:30 | −9 | −8 | −7 | −6 | −5 | −4 | −3:30 | −3 | −2:30 | −2 | −1 | −0:25 | UTC (0) | +0:20 | +0:30 | +1 | +2 | +3 | +3:30 | +4 | +4:30 | +4:51 | +5 | +5:30 | +5:40 | +5:45 | +6 | +6:30 | +7 | +7:20 | +7... Image File history File links Portal. ... Motto: Ontarios Rising Star Map of York Region and the municipalities it includes. ... Motto: Ut Incepit Fidelis Sic Permanet (Latin: Loyal she began, loyal she remains) Capital Toronto Largest city Toronto Official languages English Government - Lieutenant-Governor James K. Bartleman - Premier Dalton McGuinty (Liberal) Federal representation in Canadian Parliament - House seats 106 - Senate seats 24 Confederation July 1, 1867 (1st) Area [1] Ranked... A map of Torontos Census Metropolitan Area, which contains a large portion of the Greater Toronto Area. ...

History

The area was first surveyed by Lieutenant-Governor John Graves Simcoe in 1794 while he was constructing Yonge Street. It was first settled by United Empire Loyalists and British settlers, and by 1801 it was known as Miles' Hill after Abner Miles, a prominent settler, and was afterwards Mount Pleasant. According to local legend, it was re-named Richmond Hill when Charles Lennox, 4th Duke of Richmond, visited the area in 1820. However, it is more likely that it was re-named after a favourite song of one of the early settlers, The Lass of Richmond Hill. Richmond Hill was incorporated as a village in 1873, and as a town in 1957. It encompassed the other earlier settlements in the area, Oak Ridges, Langstaff, and Elgin Mills. This is a list of Lieutenant Governors of the Canadian province of Ontario. ... John Graves Simcoe (February 25, 1752 – October 26, 1806) was the first lieutenant governor of Upper Canada (modern-day southern Ontario plus the watersheds of Georgian Bay and Lake Superior) from 1791-1796. ... A sign for Yonge Street at the intersection with Maitland Street. ... The name United Empire Loyalists is given to those American Loyalists who resettled in British North America and other British Colonies as an act of fealty to King George III after the British defeat in the American Revolutionary War. ... Charles Lennox, 4th Duke of Richmond Charles Lennox, 4th Duke of Richmond and Lennox, KG (9 December 1764 – August 28, 1819) was a British soldier and politician and Governor General of British North America. ...

The town's motto is En la rose, je fleuris (French for "Like the rose, I flourish"), reflecting either the motto of the Duke of Richmond, or the fact that the town was a center of rose-growing in the early 20th century. At that time, it was known as the "Rose Capital" of Canada. A more recent motto is A little north, a little nicer, in reference to the smaller, quieter lifestyle there as opposed to the metropolis of Toronto further south.

The town council consists of six Ward Councillors and two Regional Councillors, plus the Mayor. On March 21, 2006, Mayor William F. Bell announced that he would not seek re-election in the November 2006 municipal election after six terms as Mayor. He was succeeded in early December by Dave Barrow. Richmond Hill Town Council is the governing body for the city of Richmond Hill, Ontario. ... March 21 is the 80th day of the year (81st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday (link displays full 2006 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... The 2006 Municipal Elections in Ontario will elect mayors, councillors, school board trustees and all other elected officials in all of Ontarios municipalities. ... David Barrow is the mayor of Richmond Hill, Ontario. ...

Recent growth and future population projections

Richmond Hill is now one of the fastest growing communities in Canada, with a large and multicultural population. It had 162,704^[1] residents according to the 2006 Census, representing 23% growth from the previous census. The town's population is projected to exceed 200,000 by the year 2015. ^[2] The Canada 2006 Census was a detailed enumeration of the Canadian population. ...

Affluence

Richmond Hill is a disproportionately upper-middle class to upper-class town, with average family income in Richmond Hill at $102,400, among the highest in Canada.^[3]. This fact has earned the town the nickname "Rich Man's Hill." Along with Oakville, Ontario it ranks as one of the wealthiest suburbs in Ontario. Oakville (2006 population 165,613[1]) is a town on Lake Ontario in southern Ontario, Canada, midway between Toronto (about 31 km or 19 mi away) on its eastern border and Hamilton (about 20 km or 12 mi away) from its western border. ...

There was a significant influx of wealthy Chinese from Hong Kong in the early and mid-1990s. These Chinese immigrants were worried about the pending handover of Hong Kong to the People's Republic of China and Canada was a preferred location, in part because investment visas were significantly easier to obtain than visas to the United States. Many of these wealthy immigrants chose to settle in Richmond Hill and now people of Chinese ancestry make up of about one-fifth of Richmond Hill's population.

Regions

Southern Richmond Hill is home to the town's and industrial region housing most of the town's hotels. The northern part of town is considered to be Old Richmond Hill as it is a historical area. Central Richmond Hill is a very commercial area, housing multiple malls, plazas and entertainment buildings, such as theatres and restaurants. The northern most part of the town is mostly farm land, though it is slowly being developed.

Mill Pond

Mill Pond is a park located in the southern region of Richmond Hill. It is based around an old mill pond, hence the name Mill Pond. The park has numerous trails and is home to a variety of wildlife species such as swans, beavers and snakes. The park is used to host a multitude of town events ranging from a winter carnival to concerts and flower shows.

Oak Ridges

Oak Ridges is a largely residential area in northern Richmond Hill, which was amalgamated into the town in 1971. Oak Ridges is a suburban community in northern Richmond Hill, in Ontario, Canada, about 16. ...

Yonge Street

"Downtown" Richmond Hill is considered the strip of Yonge Street between Major Mackenzie in the south and Richmond Heights in the north. For years this street was infamous for equal numbers of churches and strip clubs/adults only stores. Directly across from the community centre was the bright pink "Fantasia" strip club. Not far down the street stood Richmond Hill's oldest church. Fantasia burnt under suspicious circumstances although no allegations were ever made by the authorities. Most of the "Adult Only" stores are now closed and are replaced by more civic-oriented structures.

Transportation

Road networks

The town of Richmond Hill is very well serviced in terms of transportation facilities for a community of its size. The eastern border of the town is Highway 404, a major highway which leads directly into the downtown core of the City of Toronto via the Don Valley Parkway (DVP) followed by the Gardiner Expressway. It also intersects Highway 401 which is one of the most traversed highways on the planet and is the principal east/west route in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA). The town's southern border is defined by the former Ontario provincial highway 7 (named Highway 7) and a parallel expressway, Highway 407. The latter is a toll route (the only currently existing in the province) and was designed as a bypass for the 401. The combined effect of these highways ensures that Richmond Hill is well integrated into Ontario’s road network and has easy access for all road vehicles. It is worth noting that the ease of accessing the town is threatened by increasing traffic due to growth in the region as the resulting exhaustive commutes (sometimes several hours in the winter) greatly diminish the usefulness of the road network. Southbound on Highway 404, near the interchange with Steeles Avenue (Showing The New HOV lanes). ... Present view of Don Valley Parkway looking southbound, at interchange with Lawrence Ave. ... View of the Gardiner Expressway, west of downtown Toronto, from the pedestrian overpass at the foot of Roncesvalles Avenue. ... “Highway 401” redirects here. ... A map of Torontos Census Metropolitan Area, which contains a large portion of the Greater Toronto Area. ... Ontario provincial highway 7 is one of the Kings Highways in the province of Ontario, Canada. ... Highway 407, officially called the 407 Express Toll Route (ETR), is a tollway located in southern Ontario Canadas Greater Toronto Area. ...

Public transit

Public transit within the town of Richmond Hill is on buses co-ordinated by York Region Transit (YRT). In September 2005, YRT unveiled a new rapid transit initiative entitled VIVA which provides enhanced bus service on major routes using vehicles capable of speeding up traffic lights to lessen the time they idle. YRT also operates several feeder routes on secondary streets in the town. While reaction to the VIVA program has been very positive and the funding provided considerable, there hasn’t been as large an increase in commuter use as was hoped. Commuter train service is provided to the town by GO Transit on the Richmond Hill line with two stations in the town, Richmond Hill Station and Langstaff Station. Langstaff Station is near the new Richmond Hill Centre bus terminal at Highway 7 and Yonge Street, but is not connected to it. (a pedestrian bridge over the railway tracks is currently being bulit and is expected to be completed by December 2007) York Region Transit (YRT) is the public transit operator in York Region, Ontario, Canada. ... A rapid transit, underground, subway, tube, elevated, or metro(politan) system is a railway—usually in an urban area—with a high capacity and frequency of service, and grade separation from other traffic. ... Viva is a bus rapid transit network in York Region, Ontario, Canada, with connections to northern Toronto and Toronto Transit Commission subway stations. ... GO Transit (AAR reporting marks GOT), officially known as the Greater Toronto Transit Authority (GTTA), is Canadas first, and Ontarios only, interregional public transit system, established to link Toronto with the surrounding regions of the Greater Toronto Area (GTA). ... Richmond Hill is one of the seven train lines of the GO Transit system in the Greater Toronto Area, Ontario, Canada. ... The Richmond Hill GO Station is a train and bus station in the GO Transit network located in Richmond Hill, Ontario in Canada. ... The Langstaff GO Station is a train and bus station in the GO Transit network located in Richmond Hill, Ontario in Canada. ... Richmond Hill Centre is a York Region Transit terminal on 8700 Yonge Street. ...

Alternative transportation

Richmond Hill is minimally serviced by other modes of transportation. Its landlocked situation inhibits any water transportation and it lacks an airport of its own, though it does border on Markham's Buttonville Airport. Buttonville Municipal Airport (CYKZ/YKZ) is a medium-sized private airport immediately northwest of Markham, Ontario, Canada, near Toronto. ...

Geography

The predominant feature of the town's geography, as its name suggests, is its elevation above surrounding regions. Thousands of years ago during the last ice-age, glaciers moving in a southerly direction amassed a considerable amount of earth in front of them which they carried forward as they grew. Gradually, as the temperature increased the growth of the glaciers lessened and eventually they began to recede to what is now the polar ice cap. The earth that had been collected by the glacier's movement however was left in place and the elevated region that remained comprises modern day Richmond Hill. This article does not cite its references or sources. ... Glacial and Glaciation redirect here. ...

The town itself is at a much greater elevation than other communities within the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) and with exclusion of areas closely alongside its borders, the constituent of York region with the greatest height above sea level. The uneven melting of the glacier that formed the town has led to an extremely varied geography within the town's own borders, leading to such features as kettle lakes, minor tributaries and most notably the Oak Ridges Moraine. A kettle hole is a geological feature formed by receding glaciers. ... The Oak Ridges Moraine is an ecologically sensitive geological landform in south central Ontario, Canada. ...

Kettle lakes are the result of glacier water getting caught in water-tight depressions in the land and are sustained by only rainfall in the immediate area. The Town of Richmond Hill has many of these water bodies and its three largest in order of decreasing size are Lake Wilcox, Bond Lake and Philips Lake. The kettle lakes are predominantly confined to the northern fringes of the town.

Being elevated above the surrounding region, precipitation in the town tends to flow outwards via the multitude of streams and rivers that flow through the town. Principally water flow is in one of two directions, south to Lake Ontario or north to Lake Simcoe where they join up with larger tributaries that feed into the water bodies. Of note, are the Rouge and Don rivers which receive some of their flow from sources in the town. Lake Ontario, bounded on the north by the Canadian province of Ontario and on the south by Ontarios Niagara Peninsula and by New York State, USA, is one of the five Great Lakes of North America. ... Lake Simcoe is a lake in southern Ontario, Canada, the fourth largest lake in the province. ... The Rouge River The Rouge River is a two river system Little Rouge and Rouge River in the east and the northeast parts of Toronto and begins at the Oak Ridges Moraine near Richmond Hill. ... The river as it runs beneath the Bloor/Danforth trestle bridge The Don River is one of two rivers bounding the original settled area of Toronto, Canada along the shore of Lake Ontario, the other being the Humber River to the west. ...

Perhaps the most important geographical feature of the Town of Richmond Hill is the Oak Ridges Moraine. The moraine is a further elevated region of loose soil and comprises a significant portion (roughly the northern third) of the land area of the town. Its porous nature allows the collection and natural filtering of waters that flow through it which are then fed into multiple underground aquifers. While the town receives its water from the City of Toronto, these aquifers are an important source for those with their own wells in addition to surrounding communities. The ability of the soil to hold so much water means that despite Richmond Hill's comparatively high elevation, it has a very high water table which poses some problems to construction. The moraine is also host to a staggering amount of biodiversity and in recent years there has been a considerable amount of pressure applied to government to shield the area from development. Consequently, a considerable portion of Richmond Hill is subject to the Ontario Government's Greenbelt (Golden Horseshoe) legislation. The Oak Ridges Moraine is an ecologically sensitive geological landform in south central Ontario, Canada. ... An aquifer is an underground layer of water-bearing permeable rock or unconsolidated materials (gravel, sand, silt, or clay) from which groundwater can be usefully extracted using a water well. ... The Ontario Greenbelt (not to be confused with the Ottawa Greenbelt in the same province) is a permanently protected area of green space, farmland, forests, wetlands, and watersheds, located in Southern Ontario, Canada. ...

Recreation

Sport clubs

• Richmond Hill Aquatic Club
• Richmond Hill Curling Club^[4]
• Richmond Senators - Soccer
• Richmond Hill Soccer Club^[5]
• Richmond Hill Baseball Club^[6]
• Richmond Hill Stars - Hockey Club^[7]
• Richmond Hill Rowing Club
• Richmond Hill Raiders - Basketball Club
• Richmond Hill Gymnastics Club
• Richmond Training Centre - Figure Skating
• Richmond Hill Rams - Junior A Hockey Club
• Richmond Hill Lightning - Ringette Club
• Richmond Hill Squash Club

Hobby clubs

• Richmond Hill Model Airplane Club^[8]

Trivia

Richmond Hill was a winner in the 2003 National Communities in Bloom competition, with a special mention about the town's floral displays.

The David Dunlap Observatory is home to the largest reflecting telescope in Canada. The 74 inch telescope was the second largest in the world upon its construction in 1935. The observatory is a research facility of the University of Toronto. The David Dunlap Observatory is an astronomical observatory in Richmond Hill, Ontario, Canada, owned by the University of Toronto and operated by its Department of Astronomy and Astrophysics. ... A reflecting telescope (reflector) is an optical telescope which uses a combination of curved and plane (flat) mirrors to reflect light and form an image (catoptric), rather than lenses to refract or bend light to form an image (dioptric). ... The University of Toronto (U of T) is a public research university in the city of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. ...

Richmond Hill is the only municipal Canadian government to have light pollution laws in place. This time exposure photo of New York City shows sky glow, one form of light pollution. ...

Famous people from Richmond Hill include world-champion figure skater Elvis Stojko, figure skater Emmanuel Sandhu, actor Mag Ruffman, actor R.H. Thomson, author and professor Craig Walker, wrestler Trish Stratus, professional ice hockey players Jeff O'Neill and Michael Cammalleri, and popular children's author Gordon Korman. Figure skating is an ice skating sporting event where individuals, mixed couples, or groups perform spins, jumps, and other moves on the ice, often to music. ... Elvis Stojko M.S.C., M.S.M. (born March 22, 1972 in Newmarket, Ontario) is a Canadian figure skating world champion. ... Emanuel Sandhu (born November 18, 1980) is a skater. ... Mag Ruffman (born February 28, 1957 in Richmond Hill, Ontario) is a Canadian comedian, actress and television host. ... R. H. Thomson (born 1947 in Richmond Hill, Ontario) is a Canadian television, film and stage actor. ... Pygmalion with Craig Walker and Peter Aston Craig Stewart Walker (born September 25, 1964) is a Canadian writer, theatre director, actor and educator. ... Trish Stratus (born Patricia Anne Stratigias[1] (IPA: ) on December 18, 1975 in Richmond Hill, Ontario), is a former Canadian fitness model and a retired professional wrestler. ... Ice hockey, known simply as hockey in areas where it is more common than field hockey, is a team sport played on ice. ... Jeffrey ONeill (Born - February 23, 1976 in Richmond Hill, Ontario, Canada) is a Canadian professional hockey Right Winger in the National Hockey League who has played for the Hartford Whalers, Carolina Hurricanes and Toronto Maple Leafs. ... Michael Cammalleri (born on June 8, 1982 in Richmond Hill, Ontario, Canada) is a professional ice hockey player. ... Gordon Korman (born October 23, 1963) is a Canadian author, primarily of novels for children and young adults. ...

The Royal Canadian Air Farce was recorded at the Curtain Club Theatre in Richmond Hill for its first 5 seasons on radio, beginning in 1973.^[9] The Air Farce returned for an anniversary recording in the 1990s. Royal Canadian Air Farce (usually abbreviated to Air Farce) is a Canadian comedy troupe that starred in an eponymous radio show on CBC radio from 1973 to 1997, and currently star in a top-rated television show, broadcast on CBC Television. ...

Emerald Isle Motel

A motel on Yonge Street is known to display rhymes and provoking quotes on their sign. These quotes usually relate to current events. The film, Man of the Year, starring Robin Williams was filmed at Emerald Isle Motel in late 2005. This motel also was featured in the film The Wrong Guy. Robin McLaurim Williams (born July 21, 1952)[1] is an Academy Award-winning American actor and comedian who has done television, stage, and film work. ... The Wrong Guy is a 1997 Canadian comedy film directed by David Steinberg. ...

Demographics

Racial groups

• 59.6% Caucasian (Including Persians)
• 21.8% Chinese
• 6.2% Other East, South Asians
• 3.3% West Asian
• 9.1% Other

The 4th edition of Meyers Konversationslexikon (1885-1890) shows the Caucasian race (in blue) as comprising Aryans, Semites and Hamites. Aryans are further sub-divided into European Aryans and Indo-Aryans (the latter corresponding to the group now designated Indo-Iranians). ... The Persians of Iran (officially named Persia by West until 1935 while still referred to as Persia by some) are an Iranian people who speak Persian (locally named Fârsi by native speakers) and often refer to themselves as ethnic Iranians as well. ...

Religious groups

• 30.2% Roman Catholic
• 19.1% Protestant
• 10.0% other Christian
• 7.8% Muslim
• 7.4% Jewish
• 27.5% none, other

The Roman Catholic Church, most often spoken of simply as the Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with over one billion members. ... Protestantism is a general grouping of denominations within Christianity. ... There is also a collection of Hadith called Sahih Muslim A Muslim (Arabic: مسلم, Persian: Mosalman or Mosalmon Urdu: مسلمان, Turkish: Müslüman, Albanian: Mysliman, Bosnian: Musliman) is an adherent of the religion of Islam. ... The word Jew ( Hebrew: יהודי) is used in a wide number of ways, but generally refers to a follower of the Jewish faith, a child of a Jewish mother, or someone of Jewish descent with a connection to Jewish culture or ethnicity and often a combination...

Sister cities

• Lakeland, Florida^[10]

Image File history File links This is a lossless scalable vector image. ... A view of Lakelands business district, early 1920s Lakeland is a city in Polk County, Florida, United States, located approximately midway between Tampa and Orlando along Interstate 4. ... Official language(s) English Capital Tallahassee Largest city Jacksonville Largest metro area South Florida Area  Ranked 22nd  - Total 65,795[1] sq mi (170,304[1] km²)  - Width 361 miles (582 km)  - Length 447 miles (721 km)  - % water 17. ...

References

Statistics Canada is the Canadian federal government bureau commissioned with producing statistics to help better understand Canada, its population, resources, economy, society, and culture. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era. ... is the 72nd day of the year (73rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era. ... is the 72nd day of the year (73rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era. ... is the 25th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ...

External links

• Maps and aerial photos for 43°53′06″N 79°25′49″W / 43.884933, -79.4303879Coordinates: 43°53′06″N 79°25′49″W / 43.884933, -79.4303879
  • WikiSatellite view at WikiMapia
  • Street map from Mapquest
  • Aerial photograph from Terraserver
  • Topo, Nautical, Aeronautical maps from Maptech
• Town of Richmond Hill
• Early Days in Richmond Hill: A History of the Community to 1930
• Communities in Bloom
• R. Soccer club
• Ontario Plaques - de Puisaye Settlement
• Ontario Plaques - Founding of Richmond Hill
• Ontario Plaques - Lieutenant-Colonel Robert Moodie

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