Welcome

Chapter 1 Incoming Events in October 2024:

Oct 6: Walk and Learn Tours

Enjoy fresh air, exercise and a healthy walk through a historic building, neighborhood or park while discovering Richmond Hill community heritage with a knowledgeable guide.

Sunday, October 6, 2024 1:00 pm - 3:00 pm

Address: Elgin Barrow Arena, 43 Church Street South, L4C 1W1

October 8: Ink Spots of Richmond Hill:

Ink Making from locally-foraged Botanicals - Presentation Evening. This presentation will focus on how to make ink from foraged plant and tree material found in Richmond Hill. Admission is free, and is restricted to the first thirty registrants, due to the limited seating. 

Pre-register by emailing rhgaexec@gmail.com

Date: Tuesday, October 8, 2024 – 7:00 pm to 8:30 pm

Location: Mill Pond Gallery, 314 Mill Street, Richmond Hill

Oct 9: Traffic Safety and Operations Strategy Public Education Sessions

Traffic safety continues to be a priority for both City Council and the residents of Richmond Hill. In response to these heightened priorities, the Traffic Safety and Operations Strategy (TSOS) was finalized and adopted by Council in December 2023 (SRIES.23.005). A key action from the TSOS is to proactively engage the public and to educate them on traffic safety, seek input on traffic calming concerns in their neighborhoods, and inform them of upcoming traffic calming projects.

Ward 4 - October 9th, 2024, Elgin West Community Centre 6:30pm-8:30pm.

Address: Elgin West Community Centre

1. Tower Hill Road, from Mockingbird Drive to Rolling Hill Road

2. Wright Street, from Yonge Street to Hall Street

3. Rolling Hill Road, from Tower Hill Road to Gamble Drive

Astronomy Days

Celebrate Astronomy Days all weekend long at the Richmond Hill David Dunlap Observatory.

• Friday, October 11, 2024 8:30 pm - 10:30 pm
• Saturday, October 12, 2024 1:00 pm - 10:30 pm
• Sunday, October 13, 2024 1:00 pm - 5:00 pm

Address: Richmond Hill David Dunlap Observatory, 123 Hillsview Drive, L4C 1T3

Oct 20: 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.

Sunday, October 20, 2024 1:00 pm - 3:00 pm

Address: Mill Pond Park, 321 Mill Street, L4C 4B6

Oct 24: Entrepreneurship Finance Conference

The annual Entrepreneurship Finance Conference is a flagship event produced by the Richmond Hill Small Business Enterprise Centre (SEBC). Taking place each fall, presented in partnership with the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario, this free half-day virtual conference provides entrepreneurs of all backgrounds an opportunity to improve their knowledge and relationship with capital and financial resources through highly interactive sessions, conversations and professional advice.

Thursday, October 24, 2024 9:00 am - 1:00 pm

Address: TDB

Chapter 2 Community, City and Regional Service Changes 

N/A

Planned Design Work - Oxford Street to Direzze Court Pedestrian Connection

Plans are underway for a new pedestrian connection between Oxford Street and Direzze Court. This includes a 3m wide bridge, concrete trailheads, sidewalk to Karindon Park, wayfinding signage, site furniture and planting. We also plan to remove the Shaun Beggs Park junior playground structure and utilize Karindon Park instead. Construction is scheduled for 2026, pending Council approval.

Public comments accepted until Sunday, October 6, 2024

Contact/Project Lead: John Tiberio, Project Manager

T: 905-747-6389

E: john.tiberio@richmondhill.ca

Website: RichmondHill.ca/ParksProjects

Waste Management Service:

Many residents reached my office regarding our city’s waste collection service. I have collected their concerns with the waste management team’s response. Please see the details below. 

Q1. The collection speed has slowed down. Recently, garbage is collected after 5pm. Selywn Street, Hawkes Dr. 

A1: The City’s waste collection contract specifies that waste collection must occur between 7am and 6pm. It’s up to the contractor to set up the most efficient routes to complete their work within these hours. Collection times on a given street may change from time to time as routes are altered for better efficiency.

Q2. Overweight problem. The municipal regulation is 40lb/18kg. If you refuse to collect garbage, please indicate the specific reason.

A2: The waste collection contractors are instructed to put a sticker on items that are not in compliance with the City’s waste by-law and to leave these items at the curb. The stickers list a variety of reasons why the item may have been left however, the waste collectors are not able to check off a specific reason as they are trying to maintain collection efficiency/speed to complete their routes on time. Other factors like wearing gloves and inclement weather also make checking off the specific reason quite challenging. Residents are encouraged to read the sticker to see which reason may apply, if they are unable to decipher why their material was left behind they can call Access Richmond Hill and an advisor will help trouble shoot over the phone. If it’s still unclear, City staff or Miller Waste staff will go to the address in question to investigate further and explain the reason to the resident.

Q3. Black garbage is collected very late. Can it be collected every Week?

A3: As long as garbage is collected by 6pm the contractor is in compliance with the waste collection contract, we cannot request that collection be completed sooner or at a specific time on any given street. Changing garbage collection from bi-weekly to weekly collection would be an increase in the level of service and in collection cost, this would require Council approval. Garbage collection every other week is adequate for most residents especially if they are using the recycling and organic waste diversion programs. This collection frequency also contributes to lower waste management costs for the City and promoting waste diversion.

Q4. The garbage bins are taken away and broken. Can the broken garbage bins be exchanged for new ones?

A4: Thank you for bringing this to our attention, we will speak with our contractor to remind all staff to be more careful with waste containers to avoid damaging them. The City does not exchange garbage bins for new ones. The free exchange program is only for regular size blue boxes and green bins that are Richmond Hill branded.

Q5. Green and blue garbage bins are often not emptied cleanly. The green bins are not emptied carefully. 

A5: The workers throw them into the frame of the garbage truck that collects kitchen waste (the bin is almost lying flat in a pile of garbage) and then they are pulled down and thrown on the roadside. There are about four or five bags of kitchen waste in transparent plastic bags in the bin. Two or three bags are emptied and three bags are taken home. The collectors definitely saw that there are still some residues in it.

Q6. On the day of garbage collection, a lot of garbage fell on the path. I tried twice to drop a whole bag of garbage in the middle of the road on the small road opposite my door.

A6: Thank you for bringing these issues to our attention. We will discuss with our contractor and have City staff conduct curbside monitoring of the contractor.

Q7. If you refuse to collect garbage, please indicate the specific reason. There are many items above, I don’t know which one I violated?

A7: Please see response to #2.

Q8. The time of collection is not fixed each time, and it varies a lot. Sometimes it is in the morning, sometimes in the afternoon or evening. When it is windy, the garbage is blown everywhere, and I have to pick up the garbage everywhere myself. 

A8: As long as the contractor is collecting between 7am and 6pm they are in compliance with the waste collection contract. From time to time, unexpected truck breakdowns, changes in staff etc. can cause delays and/or changes to routes therefore impacting collection timing. Residents are encouraged to set out their material no later than 7am the morning of collection to ensure their material is not missed. Through the City’s website and waste management calendar we provide helpful tips on how to reduce wind-blown litter, these tips include:

• Put heavier items on top and do not overfill your blue bin. If needed, multiple blue boxes can be set out.
• Set out blue boxes at the curb the morning of collection, instead of the night before.
• Flatten and cut down cardboard and bundle securely. It is best to place the cardboard upright rather than laying it flat on top.
• The City offers larger blue bins with lids (32 gallons) that can be purchased at our Operations Centre or City Hall.

Q9.  Please put the garbage can on the curb after collecting the garbage, don’t throw it around. Once I came back, the garbage can was seriously damaged, it should have been thrown on the road and hit by a car.

A9:We will remind the waste collection contractor that they must handle residents’ waste containers with care especially when putting them back on the curb after collection as this is our expectation of them. However, it’s important to keep in mind that on windy days empty containers can be knocked over by the wind or even blown into the street even if the contractor placed them back carefully on the curb.

Q10. According to the introduction of the city government website, there is no limit on the number of recycling of Blue Box and Green Bin, as many as you can collect. For black garbage bags, the collection limit is 3 every 2 weeks. However, the actual implementation does not seem to be the case. Often when 2 black garbage bags are thrown, only 1 is collected. This inevitably makes people wonder whether there is a situation of inconsistency between policy and implementation.

A10: The waste collection contractor should be taking 3 garbage items from each home. Garbage bags, cans and bulky items (furniture) all count towards the 3 item limit. For items above the 3 item limit, garbage tags must be purchased and affixed to the items. If a resident is following the 3 item limit and items are being left behind they should call Access Richmond Hill so a case can be created and staff can investigate further

Street Light Issue:

The following street has been reported with lights issue. If you observe more, please send the street name and the lights # to me or report to city directly using the following link: https://www.richmondhill.ca/en/our-services/Streetlight-Maintenance.aspx

• Regent, Ellery, Tareyton, Baynards etc. 
• Sequin Dr 08-0944
• Alpaca street 09-0703, Alpaca street 09-0699, Alpaca street 09-0488, Alpaca street 09-0706
• Lourakis Street 08-0919
• Green bank Dr 09-0324, 09-0300
• Rolling Hill 09-0312,
• Courtney Crescent 09-0331
• Apollo Dr  09-0301
• Skywood Dr 09-0216
• Estrella Crescent 09-0641 

Regional Services:

Intermittent Overnight Road Closures- Jefferson Salamander Crossing

City of Richmond Hill is home to endangered Jefferson Salamanders, one of a few known populations living outside the Niagara Escarpment.During this time of year, salamanders cross Stouville Road, leaving their summer breeding grounds to return to their winter habitat. They make the passage at night and only when it’s raining.

Address: Stouville Road, Bayview Avenue to Leslie Street

Date: October 4 to 27, 2024 from 9 p.m. to 5 a.m.

For more information please contact: transportation@york.ca

1-877-464-9675 ext.75000 york.ca/RoadClosures

Ontario Services:

Attended the Monday Matter event hosted by Richmond Hill MPP Daisy Wai at Bayview Hill Community Centre & Pool, special guest MPP Associate Minister of Auto Theft and Bail Reform - Graham McGregor, and the York Regional Police District #2, gave a special presentation on auto theft and bail reform. The following is an excerpt from the meeting, please take a look.

【Part 1 Auto Theft - MPP Graham McGregor】

York Regional Police service has announced a 33% reduction of auto-theft this year compared to last year.   

We're doing a few things as well:

• Before Doug Ford became the premier, we used to graduate about 1440 police across Ontario through the Ontario Police College. Now that number is 2,000.
• The Criminal Intelligence Service Ontario, they fund major investigations.
• We've also put together the Carjacking Task Force, which ran last year, laid 124 arrests.
• We need to make sure we have the best technology we're doing to work on that and make sure that we continue to innovate and stay ahead of the curve, as organized crime tries to get smarter.

【Part 2 Bail System - MPP Graham McGregor】

We're also looking at how we can ensure that our justice system is operating as efficiently as we can.

• We're in the process right now for appointing a minimum of 25 provincial judges as well as 190 court support staff.
• We've been trying to get the federal government to start scanning and getting access to these containers, when sometimes we know where our cars are before the scanner can get there. We're trying to get the second kind of scanner to do randomized checks.
• The federal government has been working with us on. We're getting there, hopefully by the end of the year.
• Scumbag criminals are causing the crime. We will lock them up and give law enforcement the tools they need to do their job.
• We need substantive reform on our criminal code. In 2019, the federal government brought this bill called C75 regarding our bail system.
• We will continue to build more jails across Ontario.

【 Part 3: Q&A with MPP Graham McGregor】

Q1: Why can't we get the makers of vehicles to make cars with the disabled switches, or use modern technology?

A1: It's absolutely something that we're looking at and hopefully you'll hear more from us about it.

Q2: There are a lot of young people, what can we do with the youth to prevent them from going down the road and how can we prevent them from falling?

A2: Ontario provides  training centers (Liuna for example) to support 50,000 jobs training. A lot of construction jobs are in demand. The other part of it, there are cases where a kid is taken advantage of or are vulnerable people used by organized criminals. 

Q3: Can police use cameras to track the car stolen just like the camera for traffic?

A3: Privacy and security are always something to be considered.

Q4:  We have a registry for all residential and commercial cameras. Through them, the police have direct access to see what's going on. The residents and commercial units have an opportunity to register their cameras with your right.

A4:  We have a bail compliance dashboard and it's giving police across Ontario access. Thus, no matter where you're out on bail from, they'll know where you are

【 Part 4 - YRP presentation 】

Next week, YRP will announce Operation Auto Guard 2.0 project to reduce crime, we are waiting for more details. Compared with 2023 auto- theft, there is a 33% reduction this year in York Region.