Richmond Hill Historical Society

5th Annual Ward 4 Maple Syrup Festival

The Richmond Hill Historical Society is once again honoured to partner with Councillor David West for the 5th Annual Ward 4 Maple Syrup Festival. The Richmond Hill Historical Society has been associated with the Festival from the beginning, and we’re certainly pleased with how it has grown. In 2020, the Festival had the misfortune to be the first City event to be cancelled because of the pandemic, but this year, it’s going ahead, albeit in a virtual format.

A big part of the Festival will be an educational and interactive webinar from 10:00 AM to 12:00 PM on Sunday, March 21st. We would really encourage you to register for the Webinar on David West’s website – DavidWest-RichmondHill.ca/Maple-Syrup-Festival – and continue to offer the Festival the kind of support it deserves. The Webinar’s agenda includes:

Indigenous participation
Music, that was always a big hit
Maple artifacts
A maple beverage demo, and
An ecology presentation by TRCA.

Also available through the website will be opportunities to view maple syrup videos (tapping trees, boiling sap, storytelling) and to participate in a variety of activities, including maple-oriented arts and crafts, recipes – beyond pancakes – and a scavenger hunt. There is also a resource center available that will contain maple syrup facts and trivia.

So take advantage of this opportunity – participate in the webinar and get involved in the videos and other activities that are being made available. It’s a great chance to support our community and Councillor West.

President’s Message (March 2021)

Hi everyone,

Well, here we are in March. Covid 19 has been with us for a year, now, and I’m sure we’re all suffering from what I’ve come to call “the Covid rut.” I’m also sure that we’re all really looking forward to getting out of that rut and back to normal. We’re getting good news about vaccines, though I’m trying, with some difficulty, to be patient about where and when, and even how, my turn will come. It will sure be nice when our TV news reports and newspapers aren’t full of all the data – and tragedies – generated by this pandemic.

March, of course also means that spring is on its way. I don’t want to jinx our weather, but, all in all, this winter hasn’t been too bad. Snow shoveling hasn’t been terrible, so far, and until recently, it hasn’t even been really cold. More recently, it’s even warm! But I’m still looking forward to spring. I’m just not a winter person!

Our next regular meeting – by Zoom, of course – is Monday, March 15th, at 7:30 PM. Our speaker this month is Alexander Gates, the Executive Director and Curator of the Canadian Automotive Museum in Oshawa. His presentation is entitled: “120 Years of Fear and Fascination with the Automobile.” I’ve checked out the Museum’s website, and I think we’ll be getting a really interesting look at the history of cars in Canada – and a big chunk of that history happened just down the road, in Oshawa. I would like to encourage you to search out their website. It’s really worth a look. The address is: www.canadianautomotivemuseum.com/

This is also an opportunity to remind you that guests are welcome to our Zoom meetings, just as they are to our regular meetings. At those regular meetings, we have been seeking a $5.00 fee for each guest, which has been well-received. I would encourage any guests at our Zoom meetings to consider a $5.00 donation to the Society – this is easy to do through an e-transfer process that I’ll be speaking further about shortly. For the Zoom link, please contact us at r.hillhistsoc at hotmail.ca.

I’ve mentioned before that we have set up the opportunity to make membership payments to the Society through e-transfers, and I’m pleased to report that it’s working well. We’ve received a number of payments this way, and I must say that it’s really convenient. I would like to remind you that you have the option of rolling your 2020 fees over to cover 2021 – the choice is yours. If your choice is to pay the normal 2021 fees, I would encourage you to use an e-transfer. I know different banks have different processes, but our account is with TD, and you will have to use the Society’s email address to make the payment. Our address is: r.hillhistsoc at hotmail.ca . Another reminder: the annual fees are $25.00 for a single membership and $40.00 for a family membership.

I began this message by talking about March and the imminent arrival of spring, but it also means the imminent arrival of Councillor David West’s annual Maple Syrup Festival. The Richmond Hill Historical Society has been associated with the Festival from the beginning, and we’re certainly pleased with how it has grown. In 2020, the Festival had the misfortune to be the first City event to be cancelled because of the pandemic, but this year, it’s going ahead, albeit in a virtual format.

Marj Andre and I have been part of the planning process for the Festival’s agenda, and I believe it’s shaping up to be a significant event, virtual or not. A big part of the Festival will be an educational and interactive webinar from 10:00 AM to 12:00 PM on Sunday, March 21st. I would really encourage you to register for the Webinar on David West’s website – DavidWest-RichmondHill.ca/Maple-Syrup-Festival – and continue to offer the Festival the kind of support it deserves. The Webinar’s agenda includes:

Indigenous participation
Music, that was always a big hit
Maple artifacts
A maple beverage demo, and
An ecology presentation by TRCA.

Thanks for your attention. I hope to see you on March 15th, at 7:30 PM.

Jim

Dr. Duncumb’s Hall — Gone But Not Forgotten

by Norman McMullen
Published in the Richmond Hill Liberal, February 11, 2021

Whatever its fate, the site of the Richmond Hill doctor’s hall holds its place in history, writes Norman McMullen

It’s not likely that many residents of Richmond Hill would be interested in knowing that the Archives Committee at St. Mary’s Anglican Church recently acquired three gnarly and aged yellow bricks.

These items were received following the destruction of Dr. Duncumb’s Hall, formerly located at 10027 Yonge St., almost directly opposite the church.

The future of the property that formerly hosted Dr. Duncumb’s Hall, located at 10027 Yonge St. in Richmond Hill, has been under discussion for some time. – Richmond Hill Historical Society

The future of the property has been under discussion for some time, and late last year, the building met its fate; some have said “demolition by neglect”.

Built for Dr. John Duncumb between late 1857 and 1861, the building served as a courtroom, where he presided as a Justice of the Peace.

His career was short-lived, due to “financial indiscretions” and the structure was eventually converted into a public hall.

Between 1864 and 1872, it served as a place of worship for the local Anglican congregation. Apparently some of the faithful even referred to the structure as “Dr. Duncumb’s Church”!

After Dr. Duncumb’s death by 1875, the hall was renovated for residential use by Lucy Nicholls. Through Lucy’s son Hesse and his wife, the property remained in the family until 1963.

After that, several major modifications were made to the building, allowing rental space for various businesses. Sadly, its gradual decline continued as well.

The Hall was built in a classic revival style, representative of popular designs often used for early official buildings.

According to a York Herald notice in February, 1862:

“On Thursday evening, the 13th inst., Dr. Duncumb opened his Hall in a grand manner. We understand about 200 ladies and gentlemen were present. The doctor entertained his guests in first-rate style to wine and cake; and having engaged the Quadrille Band from Toronto, dancing was the order of the night.”

It is believed to have been one of the earliest brick structures in Richmond Hill, representing an important part of our early justice system, public entertainment, community events, meetings and church services.

It is interesting to note that with the establishment and naming of St. Mary’s in 1872, the congregation simply moved across the street. Dr. Duncumb continued his connections with the Anglicans, although he was frequently at odds with Clergy and some parishioners — especially John Robert Arnold, who was no doubt an entrepreneurial competitor.

It was Arnold who donated the land for establishment of St. Mary’s.

Dr. Duncumb’s death was noted by the York Herald’s obituary of Dec. 10, 1875:

“…Having resisted his native country, (Beverley, Yorkshire, England) he returned to Canada in 1837, and a few years later took up his residence in the Village, where by his professional skill and shrewd business talents, he acquired considerable property; but his career, successful though it was, like all other earthly careers, came to a close, and his powerful frame, in obedience to the common law of nature, yielded to the fierce onslaughts of the grim monster, his lion head was bowed and his stentorian voice was hushed in death…”

So even though his hall has vanished, the bell continues to ring today, in tribute to this remarkable citizen of Richmond Hill.

It is comforting to know that the city directed the Heritage and Urban Design staff to carefully remove any items of historic and architectural significance, prior to demolition of the hall.

I understand this includes the following: About 70 pieces of whole heritage bricks, the original fan-shaped window and three flat head windows, along with two stained glass windows.

These items are now safely stored at the Operations Centre. Hopefully these items will reappear in whatever structure that continues the fascinating story of Dr. Duncumb’s hall.

Norman McMullen is a member of the Richmond Hill Historical Society and Chair of the Archives Committee at St. Mary’s Anglican Church.

Passing of Jack Rumney

It is with sadness that the Richmond Hill Historical Society announce the passing of one of our members John “Jack” Garth, Rumney who passed away January 28, 2021 at the age of 93.

Husband to the late Margaret Rumney (nee Campbell). Father of John and will be missed by Wendy. Dear grandfather to Alicia (Casey) and Rebecca (Niles). Cherished great grandfather to Evan. Jack is remembered by his siblings Connie (late Ken), Phillip (Joyce) and the late George.

Jack sold cars at Wilson Niblett Motors in Richmond Hill from 1965 to 2020, enjoyed curling and was a member of the Richmond Hill Curling Club for over 50 years. He played hockey at an early age, and travelled around Ontario for quite a few years. He donated a beautiful granite stone to the artifact collection for the Sports Hall of Fame.

Jack’s late wife Margaret used to sing at our meetings, and were a great couple.The Society wishes to extend our deepest condolences.

Obituary – Marshall Funeral Home

President’s Message (February 2021)

Here I am again, reminding you about our upcoming regular meeting on Monday, Feb. 15th, at 7:30 PM.

Our last meeting, our Annual General Meeting, went really well. We had a great turnout, we heard reports from our various Executive members, though most of them were much shorter than usual, and Cheryl Butler led us through the election of our new Executive. The “Bring and Brag,” at the end of the meeting was terrific! There was a real variety of items presented, and their accompanying stories made them particularly interesting.

At our Executive meeting, a week ago, we were able to confirm the roles of our Executive for the coming year:

President – Jim Vollmershausen
Vice-President – Andrea Kulesh
Treasurer – Laura McMullen
Secretary – Vera Tachtaul
Membership – Karen Dance
Programming – Kevin dark
Publicity – Marj Andre
Social – Joan Lund
Director-at-Large – Cameron Telch
Representative to Heritage Richmond Hill – Marj Andre
Representative to Heritage Centre Advisory Committee – Jim Vollmershausen

As you can imagine, our collective wish for the coming year is to find ourselves able to get together in the same Hall and start getting back to normal. I don’t really have any idea about just when that might happen, though I personally wouldn’t expect to see it before the fall. The most important thing, at the end of the day, is to respect all of the protocols and stay safe! Vaccines are coming, slower than I would like, but I really hope that the Government’s goal of having anyone vaccinated who wants to be by September is met.

In my last message, I talked about a few events that were underway or planned in Richmond Hill that could help us have some fun and get through the rest of the winter. I hope some of you were able to participate in the “Skillage in the Village Scavenger Hunt,” which ran until the end of January, and I know that there was a lot of interest in the annual Winter Festival, which happened, virtually, of course, over this past weekend. I would like you to keep an eye out for information on Councilor West’s annual Maple Syrup Festival, which is scheduled for Sunday, March 21st. I know that there are lots of virtual and on-line events and activities being planned, so more information should be available soon

I’m pleased to see that a few e-transfers have been used to pay for 2021 membership dues, and it certainly does make life easier for us. I would like to encourage you to use this method of payment. If you would like further information, please contact us at r.hillhistsoc at hotmail.ca. Also, please remember that if you wish to roll your 2020 dues that you’ve already paid over to 2021, please let us know.

Finally, back to the beginning. Please remember that our next regular meeting is this coming Monday, Feb. 15th, at 7:30 PM. The speaker will be – get ready for it – me. I’ve been asked to speak about my time in Gros Morne National Park in Newfoundland, from 1973 to 1975. I’ll be using my own old slides from that time, and my memory, to talk about that remarkable place – not only its beauty, but also a bit about the culture and the people that I found there.

For meeting Zoom meeting details, contact us at r.hillhistsoc at hotmail.ca.

Message from the President (January 8, 2021)

Hi everyone, and Happy New Year! I hope that you all found a way to celebrate the Holidays in the midst of lockdowns and Covid-19 protocols. I expect that this year was much quieter than usual, and that our wishes for the future were based on the arrival of vaccines and the hope they represent for a return to more normal times. I think we all hope that next year at this time, we’ll be describing festive family gatherings on Christmas Day and New Year’s celebrations with family and friends. From the Society’s point of view, I know that I will be looking forward to our traditional Christmas party complete with good food and great entertainment. Our Zoom event last month was a lot of fun, and Santa Claus was wonderful, but it couldn’t compete with the real thing.

The main purpose of this message is to remind you that our next meeting is coming up on January 18th, and, as usual, it will be our Annual General Meeting. What won’t be usual, of course, is that it will be a Zoom meeting, and the reports from the various Executive members will be much shorter than usual – not much happened, after all. It will still be important that as many of you attend as possible, though, as we will still have to nominate and vote on our 2021 Executive. A big job of the new Executive will be to figure out how to get the Society up and running again when we finally have the opportunity to meet again in person, and we can begin planning for speakers, fund-raising events and simply how to renew connections.

As usual, at our AGM, we will be including a “Bring and Brag” opportunity on the agenda, where members bring items of historical value to them and brag about the item’s origins and its place in their lives. The variety and value of the items never fail to be interesting, so please give some thought to what you would like to brag about, and bring it to the meeting. It’s a Zoom meeting, so you just have to carry it to your computer!

So, please mark your calendar for the Society’s AGM on Monday, January 18th, at 7:30 PM.

We need to know if you will be attending so please let me know if you will be attending by emailing r.hillhistsoc at hotmail.ca

One item of Society business that I would like to report on is our successful effort to set up an opportunity for members to use e-transfers. We were particularly interested in making it easier for members to pay their annual membership fee, rather than trying to pay cash as you try and get into the hall at one of our regular meetings. I know that e-transfers won’t work for everyone, but we feel that even if a few can take advantage of it, the process at the entrance to the hall will be eased. We’ll provide more details, later.

In the interest of helping us keep busy through the next few months, I have been able to gather together some information on events that are scheduled in Richmond Hill this winter – all virtual, unfortunately, but I’m really pleased that the organizers have figured out how to carry on with these events in spite of lockdowns.

The first item involves Zoom talks being presented by our Richmond Hill Public Library, that we thought might be of interest. On Jan. 13th at 2:00 PM and 3:00 PM, the Library is presenting Virtual City Tour: Toronto, and on Jan. 16th at 1:30 PM and 2:30 PM, they are presenting British Home Children: Sharing the Stories. You have to register to participate in these presentations, so I am including the links, below:

Virtual City Tour: Toronto | Richmond Hill Public Library

British Home Children: Sharing the Stories | Richmond Hill Public Library

The library also encourages participants to fill out a survey regarding their experience with library activities, so I have included a link for this purpose, as well: Survey

The Village of Richmond Hill Business Improvement Area has developed an event that you might well find interesting, and it will actually get you outdoors. Known as “The 2020 Skillage in the Village Scavenger Hunt,” the BIA has created a virtual scavenger hunt that contains several clues, all regarding unique time periods in the history of Richmond Hill. The event will be available until the end of January, and looks like it would really be worth considering. I have included, below, some material from the BIA on how to play:

Who? Play alone or as part of a small team (physically-distant). All ages.
What & Where? Go back in time, solving over 100+ clues from Richmond Hill’s past & present.
Locations in the vicinity of Yonge Street (Major Mackenzie Dr. to Crosby Ave.)

How? Click the link. www.hidden.live
• Register to play. Create a profile.
• Start playing. Once signed up, select an image.
• Each image will have something missing from it.
• Your job is to go to the location, find & fill in the missing answers.
• Correct answers = points.
• Team/person with most points at end of the Scavenger Hunt wins.

Why?

FUN! Learn about Downtown Richmond Hill – the Village that became a City.

Prizes:

Winner(s) get 1 of 2 Gift Certificates ($250 each) for a BIA member store of Your Choice (see Business Directory on website)

Taking pics? Tag us #skillageinthevillageRH

Only available until January 31st, 2021. Sign Up Now & Start Playing!

One event that I know is still in the planning stages is Richmond Hill’s Annual Winter Festival. We do know, of course, that the Festival will have to happen in a virtual format this year, so please keep your eye out for details on this event. It has been a fixture in Richmond Hill for many years, so I am sure that the tradition will continue, in spite of Covid-19.

Another event that we have come to associate with the end of winter in Richmond Hill is Councillor David West’s annual Maple Syrup Festival. It too will be in a virtual format this year, and is scheduled for Sunday, March 21st, 2021, so please save the date, and watch for details.

Thanks for your patience – this message is a bit longer than most of my messages, but I was anxious to let you know about a few events that might help make the winter months this year a little more interesting, and I particularly wanted to remind you about our AGM on Jan. 18th at 7:30 PM. We’re keen to get a good turnout, so please keep it in mind, and don’t forget to let me know if you will be able to attend.

I’ll see you on the 18th at 7:30PM. And don’t forget to let me know if you will be attending or not.

Jim

A Goodbye and Tribute to Madeline Johnston

October 9, 2020

by Donna Smith

In these transient days of people moving from one place to another, it is refreshing to write about our friend Madeline who has lived in Richmond Hill for 78 years! And in the same house for 76 years!

Madeline Johnston, an only child, came with her parents to live on Carrville Road in 1942 when her Father began working on a large fox farm located between Carrville Road and Major Mackenzie Drive, Yonge and Bathurst Streets. Two years later, the family purchased their home at 99 Mill Street and Madeline has lived there ever since. She married and had a son; he married and had a son who both moved away from Richmond Hill, but Madeline remained in her childhood house. She is moving to Lakefield where her son has bought a house and he has made an ensuite apartment for her.

Madeline has been an active member of our community all these years. She has been a member of Richmond Hill United since arriving, and has been especially active with the United Church Women’s organization. Willing to help wherever needed, Madeline has served on their Executive and for 25+ years has arranged for the food and volunteers for funeral receptions. Her creative skills have been shared making crafts for sales and table centre-pieces for many luncheons. One has to wonder just how many casseroles, cookies, sandwiches, squares, and her famous salmon loaf, she has made and brought to share! And for so many events, she has found her participation willingly washing dishes, saying that being short in stature, she was just the right height for the sinks!

Madeline has been a member of the Richmond Hill Garden & Horticultural Society for many years, attending meetings, bringing food to share and helping where she felt able. Her home is on a large lot and she has filled it with gardens, both floral and vegetables, starting plants from seeds and cuttings and nurturing them to beauty and harvest. About ten years ago, Madeline and two volunteers from the “Hort” went out to judge nominated gardens in their assigned area for recipients of a Front Garden Recognition sign, sponsored by the Hort, Royal LePage Realty and the Town of Richmond Hill. After a long, hot day together that July, both friends commiserated how exhausted they felt on their way home, just wanting to put their feet up and rest but not Madeline, who said as she got out of the car, she still had time that afternoon/evening to cut the grass on her large lot…. I hasten to add that the other two ladies were much younger than Madeline!

The Richmond Hill Historical Society has been another interest of Madeline’s for many years, attending meetings and helping with food and events. She has been the “go to” person to ask about Richmond Hill’s past.

These words are a quick snapshot of the person who is loved by many neighbours and friends in her community. Madeline will be missed, her willingness to help causes and people in need, her very positive attitude and happy disposition which she shows in her smile and sense of humour. Many have Madeline as a role model, but it is very hard to keep up with this 97 year old wonderful person and citizen!

Message from the President (October 9, 2020)

Hi again, everyone.

I hope you’re not getting tired of these messages – this darn pandemic is sure forcing us to experience new normals, including how we communicate with each other. Emails and Zoom meetings certainly aren’t my first choice for getting together or trying to provide people with information, but at the moment, they are, unfortunately, our best choice.

The main purpose of this message is to confirm that we will proceed with our first Zoom meeting on Monday, October 19th at 7:30 PM – the same date and time as our normal meeting would have been. Thankfully, Marj Andre has again agreed to organize and manage the meeting.

It would be great if you could let Marj and I know if you can join us, so we will know how many to expect. As I understand it, you can join a Zoom meeting through your laptop, tablet or smartphone, and I now have a webcam attached to my desktop monitor, so my desktop PC should work, as well. You will be asked to provide a name when you click on the link – please use your real name, rather than a code, so we know who you are. Also, feel free to join early, as early as 7:20 as Marj will certainly be on early and will be able to help if you have any questions. Marj also asked me to tell you that if you have any Zoom issues in advance of the call, to please get in touch with her directly. Marj can be reached by email at marj at marjandre.com, or by phone at 416 822 5139.

As with our normal meetings, Kevin Dark has arranged for a speaker at this meeting, as well. Mr. Gary Toffoli, of Canadian Royal Trust will talk about Richmond Hill’s namesake, the Fourth Duke of Richmond, Sir Charles Lennox.

I also wanted to let you know that I have heard from Maggie Mackenzie, with Heritage Services, and she reports that the planned renovations at the Heritage Centre are imminent. The Centre itself has been emptied, a contractor has been hired, and work is expected to be underway soon on the Centre and the gazebo. Maggie herself, in spite of a sojourn with the Parks people, has been able to devote time to the development of exhibits and is working on a variety of hybrid virtual/in-person programming.

Also, I wanted to let you know that there are still places available in the final two Walk and Learn Heritage Tours that I told you about in my last message. The first one, The Village Backstreets was held on Oct. 6th and was well received. The next one is North Yonge Street on Tuesday, Oct 13th at 10; 00 AM and the third one is Mill Pond History on Tuesday, Oct. 20th at 10; 00 AM.

Finally, I wanted to ask you that, if you know of any of our members who do not have access to a computer, you could pass on the information in these messages. I know there might be 18 or so members that do not have email addresses, so if you know any of them, I would really appreciate it if you could reach out to them and pass on some of the tidbits that I’ve provided.

Thanks again for your attention, and keep on staying safe.

And hope that you have a Happy Thanksgiving.

JIM

The Upper Canada Rebellion of 1837: Richmond Hill had a Ringside Seat

Originally published in the Richmond Hill Liberal, September 24, 2020
by Jim Vollmershausen

While the events that led to the Rebellion of 1837 were unfolding, the citizens of Richmond Hill were not on the outside, looking in – they were right in the middle of it.

The Moodie House – courtesy Richmond Hill Public Library

In the decades following the arrival of the first settlers, the Richmond Hill area became a thriving agricultural community, served by many shops and businesses. By the 1830s, this prosperity began to attract a more affluent group of settlers who were buying up properties and beginning to influence local politics.

These newcomers tended to be British, Church of England, more well-to-do, and much more apt to turn to the ruling elite in York for assistance. The original settlers were much more self-sufficient. They had cleared land, built cabins, sowed crops and gained title to property. In their experience, the government in York did not have their interests at heart. By 1830, these two groups of Richmond Hill residents clearly represented the simmering conflict in Upper Canada between the ruling tories and the less-privileged reformers.

The man who came to lead the reformers was William Lyon Mackenzie. In the years leading up to 1837, Mackenzie worked tirelessly to effect reforms through his work in the assembly, his newspaper columns – he even took his grievances to Britain. Consistently rebuffed, by 1837, he was beginning to call for armed revolt.

Richmond Hill’s tory contingent – the Moodies, the Gappers, the O’Brians, and others – were not impressed with the reformers demands. Their view was that they were well served by the government in what was now known as Toronto.

Other families in Richmond Hill, however, were much more receptive to the reformers’ call for change. A couple of years of poor harvests, coupled with an economic recession that included tighter credit and the recall of loans made for very difficult times for farmers. By early December of 1837, MacKenzie’s call to arms seemed like a good option.

Emboldened by troops leaving Toronto to help suppress a rebellion in Lower Canada, men from Richmond Hill and areas to the north began to gather in response to MacKenzie’s appeal to take up arms. On Monday, Dec. 4, they began to march down Yonge Street from places like Holland Landing, picking up supporters as they went. Later that afternoon, Captain Hugh Stewart observed the marchers as they passed by Crews Tavern, just north of Richmond Hill, and raised the alarm. A number of loyalists met at Robert Moodie’s house, just south of the tavern.

David Bridgeford – courtesy Richmond Hill Public Library

After a first attempt to warn the forces in Toronto about the rebels failed, Moodie, his friend David Bridgeford, and others decided to ride south. Moodie, Bridgeford and Captain Stewart made it as far as Montgomery’s Tavern, near Eglinton Street, where the rebels were gathering. After being confronted by rebel guards, shots were fired, Moodie was fatally shot and Stewart was captured. David Bridgeford was able to evade the rebels and made it to Government House. By Dec. 7, there had been one skirmish south of Montgomery’s Tavern and a final, albeit short battle at the tavern itself – and the rebels were defeated.

In the end, Richmond Hill saw it all. The village contributed tory loyalists and rebel reformers to the Rebellion of 1837. A tory stalwart, Robert Moodie, was killed on the first day of action, and many rebels were captured and imprisoned. Though the rebels were defeated, their reform views did not disappear. In the thirty years between the rebellion and confederation, many of their issues were part of the ongoing process of change.

-Jim Vollmershausen is the president of the Richmond Hill Historical Society

Message from the President (Sep 17, 2020)

In my last message, some weeks ago, I spent a fair bit of time worrying about uncertainties, decisions the Society might have to make, and decisions we all will have to make about getting together. I asked you to think about that last issue, and let me know your views. I’m pleased to say that many of you responded, and your views were clear – you would prefer virtual meetings

The Executive had similar views, so we proceeded to set up a Zoom meeting for last Thursday. Thank goodness Marj Andre was able to facilitate the whole thing, and we actually had our first Executive meeting by Zoom. It wasn’t perfect (I couldn’t get my audio to work, so I was on the phone), but we had a good meeting nonetheless and covered quite a bit of ground.

One of the more important items we discussed was responding to your preference for virtual Society meetings. Feeling we probably needed more time to get our (my) technology up to speed, we agreed that we would hold our first Zoom regular meeting on Monday, October 19th, which is when we would normally have met. So please mark the date. We’ll be in touch well in advance to give you some information on connecting to a Zoom meeting. I’ve participated in Zoom meetings on my cell, and I know my tablet will work as well. I think most laptops have cameras built in, and I have a webcam attached to my desktop monitor – so there are several ways to connect.

Another important item on our agenda was the question of 2020 and 2021 fees. We decided that, since 2020 was going to be sort of a non-year in terms of the Society, we would simply roll any fees that were paid for 2020 over to 2021 Some of you may choose to leave your 2020 fee in place and still pay for 2021 – that’s totally up to you. But we felt it was important to acknowledge the loss of our 2020 activities, and give our members a choice.

There were a number of other items discussed, as well:

I expect many of you saw the article in the Liberal about Richmond Hill’s Rose industry I’m pleased to let you know that the next article – on the Rebellion of 1837 – has been submitted. So keep your eye out – hopefully, it will appear soon.
I should have mentioned this in my last message, but we did determine that, as long as I am sending out these messages, we would forego our newsletter. Normally, another newsletter would be coming out around now – so don’t look for it.
We did get some information (thanks again, Marj) on two buildings we have been interested in. There has been no new developments regarding the Jefferson Schoolhouse – a demolition permit was denied by Council, and now we’re waiting for next steps. Also as you probably know, Dr. Duncomb’s Hall on Yonge Street was demolished, though I believe the Society helped ensure that original materials from the front façade of the building were salvaged and are stored at the Operations Centre. I’m not aware of any interior material that was salvaged.
Some of you may be wondering what became of the Bert Hunt Heritage Award this year – it would normally have been awarded at the Strawberry Social in June. Obviously, that didn’t happen, and it’s been decided to just wait until June 2021, when we can hopefully make the presentation in person.
And finally, you may have noticed that there are by-elections underway for York Region School Board Trustees in Wards 1, 2 and 4. It may be out of sync, and the pandemic will certainly influence how voting occurs, but I would urge you all to look for information and be sure to vote.

The last thing I wanted to mention was the availability of Walking Tours in Richmond Hill in October. Maggie Mackenzie is organizing these tours, and there are still spots available. I’ve included a lot of information about the tours below.

So that’s it for this message. I hope you found it useful. I’ll be sending out another one in a few weeks.

Thanks for your attention, and keep on staying safe.

I really hope I’ll see you soon.

Jim

Walk and Learn Heritage Tour Series

Enjoy fresh air, exercise and a healthy physically distanced walk through a historic neighbourhood and discover your community heritage! Tours are approximately 1.5 -2 hours long and take place rain or shine. Pre-registration required. COVID protocols will be in place.

The Village Backstreets

In contrast to the present-day traffic and commerce along Yonge Street, Richmond Hill’s side streets have historically been a quiet refuge. It was on these village backstreets that the ordinary citizens of the Victorian and Edwardian community lived in their comfortable but unpretentious houses. The village backstreets remain a desirable place to live, with large shade trees lining the streets, picket or plated fences, beautiful gardens and many fine old buildings.

Tuesday Oct 6, 10:00 AM
$4.20 per person
Elgin Barrow Arena Parking Lot
E-Reg Code: 60760

North Yonge Street

North Yonge Street in the village core is a unique part of the city featuring a history of politics, education, medicine and the arts!

Tuesday Oct 13, 10:00 AM
$4.20 per person
Richmond Hill Centre for the Performing Art Parking Lot
E-Reg Code: 60761

Mill Pond History

Today’s Mill Pond is a place of recreation, but did you know when it was first created in the mid-1830s, it was a hub of industry and commerce.

Tuesday Oct 20, 10:00 AM
$4.20 per person
Richmond Hill Centre for the Performing Art Parking Lot
E-Reg Code: 60762

Pre-Registration required for all tours. Please go to www.richmondhill.ca/en/find-or-learn-about/Heritage-Programs.aspx