Welcome

Chapter 1 Incoming Events in April 2025:

Earth Month Celebrations

April is Earth Month, a time to celebrate our natural environment and come together to protect it. We've got fun, interactive eco-themed events and initiatives for the whole family!

• April 16 - Healthy Yards Plant & Garden Sale Begins
• April 17 - Maximize Your Healthy Yard Workshop (free)
• April 21 - Clean Up, Green Up Weeks Begins (free)
• April 26 - Tree Planting at Rouge Crest Park (free)
• April 27 - An Earth Day Experience: Legacy of the Land (free)

https://calendar.richmondhill.ca/default/Detail/2025-04-01-0000-Earth-Month-Celebrations

April 5 - 55+ Income Tax Clinic

This free, in-person appointment with Community Volunteer Income Tax Program Services will provide assistance with Income Taxes. Appointments will be booked at the McConaghy Centre Reception Desk. Please call 905-737-1818 and press zero to book your appointment.

Address: McConaghy Centre – 10100 Yonge St.

Date: Saturday, April 5, 2025 10:00 am - 2:00 pm

April 12 - Mayor David West's Maple Syrup Festival

• Pancake Breakfast with REAL Maple Syrup!
• Pancake Eating Competition!
• Interactive, engaging, interesting demonstrations, booths, activities, and presentations. Fun for the WHOLE family!
• Interactive programming throughout the day
• All Day Free Pancake Breakfast with REAL maple syrup (while supplies last)
• Musical Performances
• Maple Syrup Making Demonstrations.
• Artisans, Demonstrations, Interactive booths, Community partners, and so much more!

Address: Richmond Green Sports Complex

Date: April 12 Saturday 10:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.

Chapter 2 Community, City and Regional Service Changes

April 8, 2025 Council Public Meeting:

FILES: OPA-24-0007 and ZBLA-24-0013

OWNER: Yonge MCD Inc.

ADDRESSES: 0, 11014, 11034, 11044 and 11076 Yonge Street, 0, 47 and 59 Brookside Road, and 12 and 24 Naughton Drive

LEGAL DESCRIPTION: Part of Lots 1, 2 and 23, Registered Plan 1642, Lots 1, 2, 3 and 4, Registered Plan 3600, and Lots 1 and 4, Registered Plan 3799

SUMMARY: The applicant has submitted a request for approval to amend the Official Plan and Zoning By-law to permit the construction of a medium and high density residential/community use development comprised of five (5) high-rise residential buildings of 29, 31, 33, 38 and 49 storeys, as well as 45 townhouse dwelling units and two (2) community centres on the subject lands. The development is proposed to have a total of 1,850 units and a gross floor area of 174,675 square metres (1,880,186 square feet) at a Floor Space Index of 6.8. A total of 1,348 parking spaces are also proposed.

FILES: OPA-24-0008 and ZBLA-24-0015

OWNER: Monage 24 Brookside Holdings Corp

ADDRESS: 24 Brookside Road

LEGAL DESCRIPTION: Part of Lot 3 and Part of Block A, Registered Plan 1642

SUMMARY: The applicant has submitted a request for approval to amend the Official Plan and Zoning By-law to permit a high density residential development comprised of a 23 storey apartment building on a six (6) storey podium with a gross floor area of 17,015 square metres (183,148 square feet) and a density of 7.33 Floor Space Index, containing 207 residential apartment dwelling units and 186 parking spaces on the subject lands.

April 29, 2025 Council Public Meeting:

Planning Act Applications: Official Plan Amendment and Zoning By-law Amendment Applications

Applicant: The Biglieri Group Ltd.

Owner: Amir Meysam Nahvi

Subject Lands: 50, 54, 62, 72, 78 and 86 Elgin Mills Road West

City Files: OPA-24-0010 and ZBLA-24-0018

Purpose: A request for approval of Official Plan and Zoning By-law Amendment applications to permit the construction of a 7-storey residential building with a proposed gross floor area of 16,956 square metres (182,512.87 square feet) and 227 apartment dwelling units.

Project Blaze is back and scheduled for May 23-25, 2025! 

This immersive program offers female-identifying high school students a fully-involved fire service experience, aiming to build awareness around career paths within the fire service and equip future generations with the knowledge and tools they need to be successful.

Project Blaze provides participants with practical exposure to various aspects of the fire service, including firefighting, fire prevention, communications, and administration. We believe Project Blaze is a valuable investment in our community's future, fostering interest in public service and providing young residents with valuable skills and knowledge.

Project Blaze applications are now open to female-identifying students who are enrolled at a Richmond Hill high school or who are Richmond Hill residents enrolled in a high school in a neighbouring.

To apply, applicants must:

• Identify as female, have a positive attitude & be in good physical condition
• Be enrolled at a Richmond Hill High School or be a resident of Richmond Hill attending high school in a neighbouring municipality
• Possess a valid provincial health card prior to May 23, 2025 – the first day of Project Blaze
• Be able to supply your own CSA safety footwear (all other personal protective equipment will be supplied to the participants)
• Be able to provide your own transportation to and from Richmond Hill Fire & Emergency Services Headquarters located at 1200 Elgin Mills Road East, Richmond Hill
• Complete the online registration by April 30, 2025
• Be committed to attend all Project Blaze activities for the full duration of the program, May 23 and 24 from 9a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and May 25 from 8 a.m. to 12 pm
• If an applicant feels they may be faced with a barrier(s) that could prevent them from applying to Project Blaze,

Please contact Allison Bullock, Public Educator at allison.bullock@richmondhill.ca or 905-780-2906.

Get Involved: Upcoming Official Plan Update Engagements 

The City will be holding a series of engagement events over the coming months to provide the public with opportunities to learn more about various topics related to the Official Plan Update. The purpose of this update is to ensure conformity with current provincial directions. 

1. Webinar: Environmental and Resource Policies

This virtual webinar will focus on environmental and resource policies to strengthen our natural heritage system and water resources, and to wisely manage our natural resources.

Date: Thursday, March 27, 2025
Time: 7 – 8:30 p.m.

2. Webinar: Affordable Housing, Transportation, Community Uses and Other Topics

This virtual webinar will focus on supporting affordable housing and local jobs, improving the transportation system, enhancing community uses, and other matters.

Date: Tuesday, April 22, 2025
Time: 7 – 8:30 p.m. 

3. Public Information Centre: PMTSAs and Corridors

Join us at an in-person event to learn about what is a Protected Major Transit Station Area (PMTSA), why it is important to the City's long-term growth, and what the plan is for the Regional Mixed-Use Corridors along Yonge Street and Highway 7. (Note: This event will also be held virtually in June to provide the public with another option to attend.)

Address: McConaghy Centre, 10100 Yonge Street
Date: Wednesday, May 28, 2025
Time: 7 – 9 p.m. 

4. Webinar: PMTSAs and Corridors

This virtual webinar will cover the same topics as the in-person Public Information Centre held on May 28, 2025, but it will be hosted online.

Date: Thursday, June 12, 2025
Time: 7 – 8:30 p.m.

To register for these events, please visit Richmondhill.ca/OPUpdate.

Melinda Clark Parkette Revitalization

We are revitalizing Melinda Clark Parkette, including a new playground, safety surfacing, concrete curbs, walkways, site furniture, signage, pedestrian lighting, tree removals, new tree planting, and site restoration.

Tree removal is scheduled to begin shortly and will be completed by April 1st. These removals are necessary to facilitate construction and to comply with the migratory bird nesting period. For your safety, we kindly ask all residents to avoid entering the park during the removals.

Park construction is set to start in June and, weather permitting, will be completed in the fall. As a measure of safety, the park will be closed during construction and residents are asked to refrain from entering the park. Thank you in advance for your patience during the construction phase of this project.

For more information visit RichmondHill.ca/ParksProjects.

Clean Up, Green Up Weeks 2025 - Registration Open

Public Works Operations team is once again organizing the annual Clean Up, Green Up Weeks event to give our city a spring cleaning. Last year, a total of over 10,500 volunteers signed up, and cleaned 130 streets, pathways and more than 110 parks, school yards, and other open spaces in our community.

This year, from April 21st to May 5th, residents, businesses, community groups and schools are invited to help pick up litter in our parks, trails, boulevards, and open spaces. Groups can now register online until April 6 by visiting RichmondHill.ca/CleanUpWeeks. The City will provide registered groups with gloves and garbage bags, and will arrange for collection of the filled bags.

https://www.richmondhill.ca/en/clean-up-green-up-event.aspx

RICHMOND HILL CONTINUES EXPANDING PICKLEBALL OPPORTUNITIES

Residents invited to take online survey, open until April 22 at RichmondHill.ca/Pickleball. 

Richmond Hill – The City of Richmond Hill is continuing to offer more pickleball courts for residents to enjoy this increasingly popular sport and wants your feedback on additional locations.

To further expand spaces where we can play pickleball, the City is proposing to re-line tennis courts at Macleod’s Landing Park (213 Shirrick Drive) and Newberry Park (227 Bernard Avenue). Re-lining tennis courts means adding lines to the existing courts to facilitate both tennis and pickleball play.

In response to community input provided in 2023 and 2024, the City has re-lined tennis courts at Morgan Boyle Park (5B Pearson Avenue), Grovewood Park (35 Grovewood Street), Oak Ridges Lions Club Park (80 Red Cardinal Trail) and Russell Farm Park (290 Bantry Avenue), increasing the number of dual-lined courts in the city that support both tennis and pickleball play.

The City currently offers recreational pickleball drop-in programs, an adult league and lessons at City facilities including Rouge Woods Community Centre, Bayview Hill Community Centre, McConaghy Centre, Oak Ridges Community Centre, Langstaff Community Centre and Elgin West Community Centre. There are also outdoor, seasonal pickleball courts at Richmond Green Park.

Future plans for pickleball in Richmond Hill include:

• The opening of four new pickleball courts at Bayview Hill Park in spring 2025
• Adding new pickleball courts as part of Mill Pond Park Revitalization Master Plan (approved by Council in 2024)
• Considering adding new pickleball courts as part of the Richmond Green Revitalization Master Plan.

These initiatives are being implemented as part of the 2022 Parks Plan to enhance the City’s parks for all to enjoy. For more information, visit RichmondHill.ca/ParksPlan.

19th Avenue widening from Bayview Avenue to Leslie Street

Construction start: Spring 2025

Anticipated completion: Summer 2027

York Region is widening and improving 19th Avenue from Bayview Avenue to Leslie Street in the City of Richmond Hill to accommodate growth and provide more travel options.  

Improvements include:

• Widening the road from two to four lanes
• Building a multi-use path on the south side of the road 
• Building a sidewalk on the north side of the road 
• Replacing culverts  
• Installing new traffic signals and streetlights 

Impacts to travellers throughout the project

• Lane reductions outside of peak travel times
• One lane will be maintained in each direction 
• Access will be maintained for all driveways/entrances
• Travellers are encouraged to use traffic and navigation tools. York Region provides real-time traffic and road information in open data, used by many apps.