Category: Community Group

Royal Canadian Legion Branch 375 Awarded 2025 Bert Hunt Heritage Award

Royal Canadian Legion Branch 375 representatives Sharon Farquharson, Poppy Chair, Ross Toms, Treasurer and Branch Historian, and Bernard de Paulsen, President with Historical Society President Jim Vollmershausen. Jim presented the Bert Hunt Heritage Award to Branch 375 at the Society's June 17, 2025 meeting. (photograph by Peter Wilson)
Royal Canadian Legion Branch 375 representatives Sharon Farquharson, Poppy Chair, Ross Toms, Treasurer and Branch Historian, and Bernard de Paulsen, President with Historical Society President Jim Vollmershausen. Jim presented the Bert Hunt Heritage Award to Branch 375 at the Society’s June 17, 2025 meeting. (photograph by Peter Wilson)

Each year the Richmond Hill Historical Society gives a community member or organization the Bert Hunt Award.

The Bert Hunt Heritage Certificate Award acknowledges outstanding contributions to the preservation of Richmond Hill’s past and efforts to raise awareness about the value of that past to the community and its citizens. Bert Hunt was recognized as a community volunteer and Citizen of the Year by both the City of Richmond Hill and the Province of Ontario as he tirelessly advocated for preserving Richmond Hill’s history. The award attempts to acknowledge the legacy Bert Hunt gifted to the City.

The Richmond Hill Historical Society wishes to honour Royal Canadian Legion Branch 375 Richmond Hill with the 2025 Bert Hunt Heritage Award. It is one of many legion branches throughout Canada that support our Veterans and current members of our Armed Forces and their families.  Celebrating their 80 year anniversary, the Branch has provided the community with many services. As a self- sustaining non-profit organization, it has been an active member of the Richmond Hill community.

Since it is the World War Two, 80th Anniversary of the Victory in Europe- May 8, 1945- it seemed poignant to remember the years of service the Legion has provided in the City of Richmond Hill. Celebrating concurrently with this historic world event it makes the value of the Legion more important as the number of veterans from that conflict are dwindling in numbers.

The Annual Poppy Drive in the Fall allows the Canadian legion to provide funds that are needed to Veterans in need. Members connect annually with local businesses to have the poppy boxes. It keeps the presence of honouring the military heritage. In addition, a Veterans Services Officer assists in helping veterans applying for benefits.

The Remembrance Day Service at the Cenotaph is a joint effort provided with the Legion taking an active role with the City of Richmond Hill. Remembering the contribution of local citizens who served in so many Canadian military endeavors, keeps the heritage of that commitment current. As it is well attended by people of all ages who honour that service.

The local Air Cadets for 58 years have been sponsored by the Legion. Air Cadet 778 Banshee troop parades with other members of Richmond Hill at the Remembrance Day service as well as other times during the year. Young people learning about military service providing a modern presence to the community.

Legion President Terri O’Connor embraced a program that honoured Veterans from all conflicts. No Stone Left Alone originating in Alberta is now a part of the Legion’s Annual endeavors. It means a poppy and flag are placed at the graves of such Veterans during November. Ross Toms is a Legion member who actively recruits young people who help with this important project. To date more than 2500 graves have been honoured in such a way in the Richmond Hill Area. Ross said they are always finding more graves each year that reflect the commitment of Richmond Hill residents in Canadian military service.

Coordinating with the City, the legion accepts applications for the Yonge Street Banner Program from family or community to provide a banner honouring the person’s war time service. The family provides the funds for the banner while the legion gets it made and the City puts them up during the month of November beyond November 11th along Yonge Street in the centre of Richmond Hill.

Members of the Legion are often seen at many community events. They were active at the City of Richmond Hill’s 150th Heritage Summit held September 10, 2024. They have made many donations to Richmond Hill’s groups and organizations over the years.

As a valued service organization in the City of Richmond Hill, the Richmond Hill Historical Society is very happy to present the Bert Hunt Heritage Certificate Award to the Royal Canadian Legion Branch 375 Richmond Hill for all they have done and continue to do contributing to the conservation and preservation of Richmond Hill’s heritage by raising awareness about the value of the military heritage to the community and its citizens.

Congratulations Royal Canadian Legion Branch 375 Richmond Hill for 80 years of service to the Richmond Hill community.

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!

Society Celebrates 50th Anniversary

2023 marks a very special year for the Richmond Hill Historical Society as we celebrate our 50th Anniversary. Throughout the year, we will be looking back at our history and sharing photographs and stories of our past.

The first projects undertaken by the Society were to save and restore two buildings, Burr House and an old church, that was moved to the site from the corner of Carville Road and Bathurst Street.

Burr House was thought to have been built c. mid-1820s by Rowland Burr for his bride. Situated on Carrville Road, formerly Lot 40 Side Road, Vaughan Township. The original structure was plank on plank construction. In 1851, an addition was added to the rear. It was continuously occupied as a residence until sold to property developers, then acquired by the Town of Richmond Hill in 1975. To save the house from demolition the Society undertook the task of restoring it. With the assistance of Hill Potters Guild, the Richmond Hill Spinners and Weavers and WINTARIO Grants, restoration was completed.

In 1974, members of Richmond Hill Council visited Rowland Burr House and are pictured with Historical Society President Janet Fayle, Acting Clerk William Rice, Society member Malcolm Jardine, Chief Librarian Patricia Hart.

Guild Hall was erected in 1857 as a church for the Canadian Conference of the Evangelical Associates in North America. In 1975, the Town of Richmond Hill acquired it from the property developers and moved it from its original location at the north east corner of Carrville Road and Bathurst St. to its present site beside Burr House. The Society and Burr House Spinners and Weavers restored the building. Both buildings are a familiar landmark on Carrville Road.

The former church building arriving on site to be installed as the Guild Hall beside Burr House in September 1978. It would officially open on October 23, 1982

In 2019, Burr House was awarded the Bert Hunt Heritage Award, the Society’s top honour.

The Society’s mission is:

  • to preserve in our present community an awareness of the culture of our forefathers;
  • to hold monthly meetings for the presentation and discussion of historical information relating to the Richmond Hill area;
  • to promote existing historical publications, publish books, articles, and newsletters etc. for the
    advancement of the awareness of local sites, deeds and peoples of interest; and
  • to cooperate with other historical societies and related organizations.

For more information about joining the Society, which meets 10 times per year, please visit our Membership page.

Richmond Hill Lodge Open House – September 21, 2019

The Richmond Hill Lodge cordially invites you to their Open House on Saturday, September 21, 2019 at 1:00 pm. The Richmond Hill Masonic Hall is located at 112 Crosby Avenue. For more details, see below…

INVITATION

The City of Richmond Hill has proclaimed Saturday, the 21st of September to be a day to “Commemorate the Bi-Centennial Visit of the Duke of Richmond to Richmond Hill”.

To celebrate the namesake of our city and our lodge, Richmond Lodge is inviting our friends and neighbours in Richmond Hill to our Open House at 112 Crosby Avenue. We are opening our doors at 1:00 PM on Saturday, the 21st of September. For three hours, we are holding tours of our Hall to share our history which spans almost 200 years. Sample food commonly eaten 200 years ago. There will be prizes as well as other events.

To mark our celebration, Mayor Dave Barrow and will be present to unveil a commemorative plaque.

We are remembering the bi-centennial visit of Charles Lennox to Richmond Hill. Charles Lennox was both the Duke of Richmond and the Governor General of British North America. The Governor General visited our city in 1819. He died one month later. His memorable visit and His selfless service to our country made an indelible mark on our hearts. Our city and our lodge are so named to remind us of His good deeds.

Come out and be a part of our celebration. Everyone is welcome!
W. Bro. George Brown,
georgebrown2 at gmail.com

Full invitation (pdf)