Sunday, September 10, 2023 • 1:00 – 4:00 pm & 7:00 – 9:30 pm
Richmond Hill Centre for the Performing Arts
The Richmond Hill Historical Society is excited to partner with the City of Richmond Hill to celebrate heritage in our community with the Richmond Hill Heritage Summit at the Richmond Hill Centre for the Performing Arts on Sunday, September 10, 2023. In addition to helping celebrate Richmond Hill’s 150th Anniversary, the Summit aims to bring together a diverse collection of organizations from around Richmond Hill that will showcase to the people of the city how our heritage is nurtured and celebrated. The hope is that those who attend the summit will have a better appreciation of the breadth and value of the heritage we have inherited from the past and that we will leave for future generations.
Heritage can be defined as the full range of our inherited traditions, monuments, objects and culture. It is much more than preserving, excavating, displaying or restoring a collection of old things. In addition to that tangible evidence of our past, our heritage also includes our natural world (waterways, landscapes, wildlife) and more intangible elements such as our customs, traditions, sports, music, dance, folklore, and crafts. Taken together we can begin to perceive the scope and fullness of the heritage that we have inherited.
There are two components to the Summit, an afternoon session (1:00 – 4:00 pm) to appreciate Richmond Hill’s heritage with a meet and greet with representatives of over 25 local organizations where you can learn more about them and how they contribute to our heritage in a number of ways:
- They are involved in outreach – to inform, to entertain, to educate;
- They provide a forum for learning, conversation and socializing –
meetings, workshops, seminars; - They advocate for a variety of issues and goals – heritage and natural
conservation; - They help protect important community assets such as sites, parks,
waterways – cleanups, public campaigns ; - They carry on and celebrate customs, traditions and crafts from the
past; - They undertake or support projects that add to the community such as
commemorative projects, benches, gardens, shelters, or fundraising.
Organizations scheduled to participate in the afternoon session include:
- City of Richmond Hill – Heritage Centre
- City of Richmond Hill – Heritage Planning
- David Dunlap Observatory
- Richmond Hill Garden and Horticultural Society
- Royal Canadian Legion, Branch 375
- Richmond Hill Arts Council
- York District School Board Museum
- York Region Branch – Ontario Ancestors/Ontario Genealogical Society
- Richmond Lodge #23 GRC
- Gormley Heritage Museum
- Village of Richmond Hill BIA
- Richmond Hill Board of Trade
- Burr House Spinners and Weavers Guild
- The Curtain Club
- Richmond Hill Public Library
- Richmond Hill Fire and Emergency Services
- York Region Police
- Richmond Hill Lawn Bowling Club
- Saint Mary’s Anglican Church
- Richmond Hill Presbyterian Church
- Richmond Hill United Church
- St. Mary Immaculate Roman Catholic Church
- The Salvation Army
- St. Mary and St. Joseph Coptic Orthodox Church
- Richmond Hill Historical Society
- Richmond Hill Liberal
- Toronto and Region Conservation Authority
There will also be a “pop up” museum featuring items from the City’s artifact collection!
The evening session (7:00 – 9:30 pm) will feature a talk by noted historian, journalist and author Ted Barris as he shares with us stories from his book Rush to Danger: Medics in the Line of Fire.
While the Heritage Summit is free to attend, those wishing to attend the evening session with Ted Barris’ must register for their free tickets in advance through the Richmond Hill Centre for the Performing Arts Centre website.
The evening will also include guest speakers and awards presentations, including the Society’s Bert Hunt Heritage Award.
We are excited to be bringing you this important event in Richmond Hill in conjunction with the city and look forward to seeing you at the Summit!
Richmond Hill Historical Society 