Richmond Hill Historical Society
Preserving and sharing the history of Richmond Hill, Ontario since 1973
Join us on Tuesday, December 5, 2024 at 6:30 pm for our annual holiday social. Note the new date and time for this meeting. We will be celebrating in Rooms A & B on the 2nd Floor of Central Library at 1 Atkinson Street.
We will have refreshments and entertainment for the evening. Come out and have the chance to mingle with other Society members as we kick off the holiday season!
Richmond Hill Historical Society’s own Cameron Telch will be giving a virtual talk to the Ontario Genealogical Society’s York Branch on November 13, 2024 at 7:00 pm. The free talk will be delivered via Zoom, but requires pre-registration at https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZcudOChqD8rGN2tokG5iI0LO2Or9D7ZaMTG#/registration
Cameron is a third-year doctoral candidate in Educational Studies at Mount Saint Vincent University. His dissertation is on the underrepresentation of shell shock in Canadian war museums within the frameworks of critical theory and difficult knowledge. He is also the Managing Editor of the Journal of Veterans Studies.
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.
by Andrea Kulesh
Another year and another successful Mayor West’s Maple syrup Festival. On Saturday April 6th, 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.
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.
Tuesday, March 19, 2024, 7:00 pm
The Knights of Columbus Council 14411
Speaker: Francis Gabriel, Knights of Columbus
Room B, 2nd Floor, Central Branch, Richmond Hill Public Library
1 Atkinson Street
Join us as Gabriel talks about the history of the Knights of Columbus in general and about Our Lady Queen of the World Council 14411 in particular, including present-day activities of the council.
We are excited to welcome our own Cameron Telch to the next regular meeting of the Richmond Hill Historical Society. Cam will be presenting Breaking the Silences of the Archives: Humanizing the Shell Shock Experience of the Great War at 7:00 pm in the Event Room on the 3rd Floor of Central Library at 1 Atkinson Street, Richmond Hill.
We look forward to seeing you there.
Free to RHHS members, but we welcome anyone interested in this fascinating topic. There is a guest fee of $5.00.
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:
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!
A new inspirational art installation at Central Branch that delves into the immigrant experience with stories of strength, courage, sacrifice, and hope.
Richmond Hill is an incredibly diverse City of individuals from all over the world that help contribute to our community in so many ways. Immigrants play a vital role in the development of our country and in the broadening of our lived experiences. Come and immerse yourself in these compelling stories.
Sholom Wargon developed the art installation through large-print story panels in a newspaper-style layout. The rich diversity of immigrant stories from various perspectives and cultural backgrounds will resonate with many in the York Region community.
The exhibition at Central Branch runs until August 23. Central Branch is located at 1 Atkinson Street (near the corner of Yonge Street and Major Mackenzie Drive).
Learn more about The Immigrant Story and its creator, Sholom Wargon by visiting the exhibit’s official site at https://immigrantstory.ca/.
This is an exhibit worth multiple visits so stop by today.
June 19, 2023 – 6:30 pm* NOTE earlier start time!
How Has Richmond Hill Changed Since 1914?
Speaker: Cynthia Bettio, Our Lady Queen of the World Catholic Academy
Cynthia Bettio, Department Head of Canadian and World Studies at Our Lady Queen of the World Catholic Academy will be joining us with students from her Grade 10 history class to discuss the findings of their term-long project: How has Richmond Hill changed since 1914?
This is a project that came out of a keen interest in micro-history. Typically, students are instructed in the mega-narratives of this country’s history. When students are only instructed in these mega-narratives, they can sometimes miss out on the nuanced stories that impact regular, everyday citizens. This project focuses on the importance of place and how these places change over time. Through intense research and a key partnership with the Local History Room at the RHPL, students have been working on tracking how a lot in Richmond Hill has changed over time, throughout the turbulent 20th Century and into the early 21st Century. Students are using the RHPL Local Library Room with the support of Peter Wilson, Local History Librarian, in conducting their research.
Ms. Bettio will talk about the project and will be joined by her students to discuss their findings.
NOTE: This meeting will be starting at 6:30 pm and will also include an opportunity for everyone to mingle and enjoy a variety of refreshments and treats.
Join us for what promises to be a great meeting. Guest fee is $5 at the door, or consider joining the Society for $25 for the entire year. For more details, visit our Membership page.
Richmond Hill’s Rose Industry
Sunday May 28 at 1 pm
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)
Richmond Hill Historical Society 