City of Richmond Hill – Richmond Hill Historical Society

RHDDO 90th Anniversary

90th Anniversary Richmond Hill David Dunlap Observatory; photograph of a line leading to the door of the Observatory

Celebrating 90 years of discovery and exploration, the RHDDO has inspired generations with its breathtaking views of the cosmos. As a national attraction and treasured educational facility, the RHDDO has brought the wonders of the universe closer to countless visitors, sparking imaginations and igniting a passion for astronomy.

Join us for a weekend-long celebration of recognizing nine decades of celestial discovery, community engagement and a bright future of astronomical adventure. Come explore the stars with us and see how far we’ve come!

Saturday, May 31, 1 – 5 p.m. Tour the RHDDO
Saturday, May 31, 8:30 – 11 p.m. Stargazing Party
Sunday, June 1, 1 – 5 p.m. Tour the RHDDO
Sunday, June 1, 9 – 11 p.m. Happy 90th Birthday David Dunlap Observatory!

For more information, please visit the City of Richmond Hill website.

See us at the Spring Fair!

Come find our booth at Deputy Mayor Godwin Chan’s Spring Fair on Saturday, May 25, 2025 from noon until 3 pm. The Spring Fair returns this year to a new venue, Richmond Green Park, 1300 Elgin Mills Rd E, Richmond Hill.

The Spring Fair offers food, children’s activities, performances and door prizes. It is also a great opportunity to meet a variety of local groups and to meet with your neighbours for an enjoyable afternoon.

Take the opportunity to learn more about the Richmond Hill Historical Society and consider becoming a member!

We hope to see you there!

May 20, 2025 Meeting; 6:30 pm

Join us for our next regular member’s meeting on Tuesday, May 20, 2025 where Maggie Mackenzie from the City of Richmond Hill will tell the story of Growing Up Yonge. This is the first of two presentations to the Society by Maggie, Heritage Coordinator in the City’s Community Services Department. This first talk will cover the 19th Century.

Lieutenant-Governor John Graves Simcoe officially stablished Yonge Street in the 1790s. A military road from the Town of York ( now Toronto ) to Holland Landing, Yonge Street opened up the northern part of York County. Richmond Hill was an essential stopping point along the two-day journey.

Gather to visit at 6:30 pm, talk begins at 7:00 pm. Our regular meetings are held in Rooms A & B, 2nd Floor, Central Branch, Richmond Hill Public Library
1 Atkinson Street

Maple Syrup Festival, Saturday, April 12, 2025

Mark your calendars for my annual Maple Syrup Festival!

Join me for all your favourite maple syrup themed activities, including a pancake breakfast with real maple syrup. This free community event is important to me for two reasons: firstly because after a long, cold winter we can have an opportunity to gather with friends and neighbours and celebrate spring and secondly because I am a passionate amateur syrup maker and love to share this sweet part of our Canadian culture with Richmond Hill residents.

This year we will continue to have our maple syrup making demonstration and tasting booth, samples of delicious uses for maple products, and of course, thanks to our Richmond Hill Historical Society, you can purchase some of the good stuff to take home with you (all proceeds go to the RHHS). Admission is free and we ask that attendees bring a non-perishable food donation for the Richmond Hill Community Food Bank.

Together with numerous community groups, entertainers, and educators, I know it will be a fantastic day celebrating Richmond Hill community and Canadian tradition.

I look forward to sharing this sweet festival with the residents of Richmond Hill. See you there!

Saturday April 12, 2025, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Richmond Green Sports Complex
at 1300 Elgin Mills Road East.
www.DavidWest-RichmondHill.ca/MSF

Sincerely,

Mayor David West
City of Richmond Hill

Historical Society Partners with Heritage Services for Walks and Learn Tours

The Richmond Hill Historical Society is pleased to announce a new partnership with the City of Richmond Hill’s Heritage Services for their Walk and Learn Tours.

Enjoy fresh air, exercise and a healthy walk through a historic building, neighbourhood or park while discovering Richmond Hill community heritage with a knowledgeable guide. Tours run rain or shine. Wear appropriate attire for walking outdoors. Duration 1.5 – 2 hours. No registration required. Free admission.

Upcoming Fall tours include:

North Yonge Street – A Vibrant Village!
Sunday, September 22, 1 p.m.

Meet up Location: Richmond Hill Centre for the Performing Arts – 10268 Yonge Street, Richmond Hill

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

Arrive at the Richmond Hill Centre for the Performing Arts (10268 Yonge Street) and look for the Walk and Learn sandwich board.

Sports History
Sunday, October 6, 1 p.m.

Meet up Location: Elgin Barrow Arena – 43 Church Street South, Richmond Hill

Sports and recreation have played an integral part of Richmond Hill’s history. From the annual Spring Fair to organized sports, this walk will focus on the historic locations, celebrated championships, athletes, teams, and supporters who have shaped the sports community in our City. Includes a guided tour of the Richmond Hill Sports Hall of Fame.

Arrive at the Elgin Barrow Arena (43 Church Street South) and look for the Walk and Learn sandwich board.

Mill Pond Industry and Commerce
Sunday, October 20, 1 p.m.

Meet up Location: Mill Pond Park Gazebo – 321 Mill Street, Richmond Hill

Mill Pond, named for the sawmill operation that used the pond for power. 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 and an important component of Richmond Hill’s culture heritage.

On this walk, participants will explore a place of natural beauty while learning about the many industries that made the heart of Richmond Hill an attractive place to settle in the early 19th century.

Arrive at Mill Pond Park Gazebo (321 Mill Street) and look for the Walk and Learn sandwich board.

Mayor West’s Maple Syrup Festival – 2024

by Andrea Kulesh

Richmond Hill Historical Society President Jim Vollmershausen with the world’s tallest lumberjack? (Photograph by Vera Tachtaul)

Another year and another successful Mayor West’s Maple syrup Festival. On Saturday April 6^th, the Richmond Hill Historical Society joined in with this annual event at Richmond Green. Weather is always a consideration for outside activities and this year we were able to enjoy the day both inside and out. The event began at 10:00 a.m., continued through to 3:00 p.m. and was very well attended. The activities were expanded including wagon rides, taffy tasting and demonstrations for everyone to enjoy seeing how maple syrup is made. There was great entertainment, raffles and pancakes served with delicious maple syrup. Carrick Bros supplied the maple products we were selling this year for our annual fundraiser. They expanded their product list to include yummy maple cream, maple sugar and flavored syrup aged in bourbon, cherry brandy, apple brandy and even tequila barrels!

My personal favorite was the fellow on stilts dressed as a lumberjack. He was very entertaining, performed throughout the event, and was popular with young and old.

A special cameo appearance by the Winter Carnival’s own mascot Ookpik (Photograph by Vera Tachtaul)

At the planning committee, numbers were being estimated to be more than last year. It was hard to tell this year with the surges of people entering the event but there were lots and lots of families enjoying the free pancakes and learning about how to make maple syrup. There will be a tally at our follow-up meeting but I’m sure it was well over 2000 people.

Our booth was very busy, and we were selling all day long. We had a bit of inventory returned at the end, but we did very well in a 5-hour fundraising effort. Jim will make a report when we get the final numbers tallied.

Thank you to members who attended and supported the Society and thank you to all of our wonderful member volunteers who made the day such a success! We thank Mayor West and his great team once again for including us as part of the event.

Richmond Hill Heritage Summit

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:

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 150th Walk and Learn

Richmond Hill’s Rose Industry
Sunday May 28 at 1 pm

An aerial view of the greenhouses in Richmond Hill (Photo courtesy Richmond Hill Public Library)

The rose industry was Richmond Hill’s major employer during the early half of the last century. In fact, the greenhouses played a key role in Richmond Hill’s ability to survive the Great Depression. Come walk through an area of the City’s early economic and demographic growth as you discover why Richmond Hill was once called the “Rose Capital of Canada.” A registered adult must accompany all registered participants under the age of 16.

Meet at the Heritage Centre/Amos Wright Park — 19 Church Street North (see map)

David Dunlap Observatory Park Design Public Consultation

Photograph of the David Dunlap Observatory (photograph by Peter Wilson) — The David Dunlap Observatory (photograph by Peter Wilson)

The City of Richmond Hill is seeking public feedback on proposed designs for an accessible pedestrian/cycling overpass bridge and pickleball facility at the Richmond Hill David Dunlap Observatory (RHDDO) Park.

An online survey is available until March 17, 2023 and a Virtual Information Centre will be held on Thursday, March 9 from 6 – 8 pm. For complete details, access to the survey and a link to register for the Virtual Information Centre, visit https://www.richmondhill.ca/en/find-or-learn-about/ddo-ongoing-projects.aspx.

The David Dunlap Observatory opened in 1935, and was built on land donated by Jessie Dunlap in memory of her husband David. The main Observatory building, pictured above, houses a 74-inch (1.88m) reflector telescope.

For more information on the David Dunlap Observatory, visit the City’s website at https://www.richmondhill.ca/en/find-or-learn-about/David-Dunlap-Observatory.aspx.

RH150 Flag Raising

A photograph of the Richmond Hill 150 photo booth and flags raised outside Richmond Hill City Hall — The Richmond Hill photo booth at the official raising of the RH150 flag at East Beaver Creek. It will be making stops around Richmond Hill throughout the year.

Mayor David West and a host of dignitaries and special guests gathered at East Beaver Creek at 9:00 am on Wednesday, January 25, 2023 for the official raising of the Richmond Hill 150 flag. This kicks of a full year of activities planned by the City to commemorate Richmond Hill’s milestone 150th Anniversary.

A series of special banners are already on display along Yonge Street in the heart of the original Village of Richmond Hill, which was officially incorporated on January 6, 1873. Abraham Law served as the first Reeve of the village.

The Richmond Hill Historical Society, also celebrating its own 50th Anniversary milestone, will be helping to commemorate this special year. Our biggest project is a partnership with the City – the presentation of a Heritage Summit on Sunday, September 10, 2023 at the Richmond Hill Centre for the Performing Arts.

The afternoon component of the Summit has been dubbed “An Appreciation of Richmond Hill’s Heritage” when a number of City organizations that have been contributing to the City’s heritage over the years will have an opportunity to showcase those contributions and discuss them with what we anticipate will be a good crowd. The evening component will take place in the theatre and has been dubbed “A Celebration of Richmond Hill’s Heritage.”

Throughout the year, we will be sharing information about this special event and all that we have in store. We invite you to join the Society as we celebrate these two special milestones.

Further reading…

City of Richmond Hill’s official flag raising press release.

Visit the City of Richmond Hill’s RH 150 webpage for more information about what is planned for the coming year.

Sheila Wang’s article in the Richmond Hill Liberal on the flag raising event.