Richmond Hill has grown from its original little village beginnings in the1850's at the crossroads of what is now Yonge Street & Major Mackenzie Drive. The area has become a vibrant community, with over 152,000 population totalling some 45,000+ Residences (which includes Apartments). With this growing population residing within the town's boundaries, there is a wide range of Parks, Recreational & Educational facilities and programs to satisfy even the most demanding.

HISTORY

Richmond Hill, town, Regional Municipality of York, southern Ontario, on the Little Don, Rouge, and Humber rivers; incorporated 1957. It is a suburb of Toronto and a commercial center for the surrounding agricultural area. Major manufactures include printed materials, building supplies, and metal products. Settled in the early 1790s and known first as Miles Hill and then as Mount Pleasant, the community was renamed Richmond Hill in 1819, probably for a governor-general of Canada, Charles Lennox, 4th duke of Richmond and Lennox. Population 46,766 (1986); 101,725 (1996).

Richmond Hill (2001 population 132,030) is a town in York Region north of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is part of the Greater Toronto Area.

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.

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 centre of rose-growing in the early 20th century. 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.

• Centennial Pool

• Richvale Community Centre & Pool

• Richmond Green Sports Centre (primarily Field oriented sports)

• Elgin Barrow Arena (2 Full-size Ice sheets)

• Elvis Stoyko Arena - home of the World Skating Champion - super ice too!

• Wave Pool - The Lois Hancey Aquatic Centre

• Central Library (4 Floors) + 2 other area libraries

• The Dunlap Observatory - operated by the University of Toronto - weekend tours are available. The David Dunlap Observatory, the largest optical telescope in Canada, is located in Richmond Hill. It is a research facility of the University of Toronto.

• The Millpond - a favourite area both Summer & Winter

• Lake Wilcox - a favourite water playground for boating / fishing / canoeing / BBQ

• GOLF - 4 Local Golf Courses to test even a Champion player!

  • Richmond Hill Golf & Country Club

  • Summit Golf & Country Club

  • Bloomington Downs

  • Chestnut Hill Golf & Country Club

  OTHER ATTRACTIONS:

  • Burr House Craft Gallery & Tea House - A Historic Building - pottery & weaving.

  • Curtain Club Theatre - Entering its 47th Season - the Hill's longest running theatre.
     

  • Canada's Wonderland - Canada's Premier Theme Park on 300 Acres - Maple

  • McMichael Canadian Art Collection - Group of Seven paintings, etc. - Kleinberg

  • Metro Toronto Zoo - 710 Acres with more than 4,000 animals - Scarborough

  • CN Tower - World's tallest free-standing structure and Observation area - Toronto

  • Royal Ontario Museum - One of the most famous in the world - Toronto

  • Skydome - Home to the Toronto Blue Jays - World Champions in Baseball - Toronto

  • Ontario Science Centre - One of the best laid out Science Museums - Toronto

  • Art Gallery of Ontario - One of the largest & finest in North America - Toronto

  FAMOUS PEOPLE

  Famous people from Richmond Hill include world-champion figure skater Elvis Stojko, figure skater Emmanuel Sandhu, some of the members of the band Barenaked Ladies, and World Wrestling Entertainment women's champion Trish Stratus.

  Shopping           Hillcrest Mall, Bayview Hill Shopping Plaza and several corner plazas

  Schools             Bayview Hill Elementary School, Bayview Secondary School, Alexander Mackenzie, Secondary School  St. Theresa of Lisieux Catholic High School, synagogues, private schools.

  Others               Walk to Go Bus, Go Station at  Yonge & Major Mackenzie or bus takes you to Yonge & Finch Subway or

                           Bayview  and  Sheppard subway.  

                           Easy access to Highway 407 and 404.  Best location in prime Richmond Hill !