David West  
Richmond Hill Ward 4 Councillor 
Monthly Newsletter 

Summer 2019

 

 

 

 

 



                         Phone:  905-771-2480      Mobile Phone:  416-346-3090       Email -  david.west@richmondhill.ca

Access Richmond Hill:  905-771-8800 -  After Hours Emergency Number:  905-884-8013

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Newsletter At A Glance
In this Issue
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The Stanley Cup in Richmond Hill

It was an exciting day in our community when the Stanley Cup arrived with Richmond Hill's native son, Jordan Binnington. Jordan is the rookie goalie for the Stanley Cup Champion St. Louis Blues . Apparently all St. Louis Blues team members have an opportunity to host the Cup for a day and Jordan  offered  to share this moment with his home town. It was a generous offer and many Richmond Hill hockey fans showed up at Richmond Green to cheer Jordan on and revel in his success. I saw many of these fans squinting their eyes at the St. Louis "blue" colour trying to fantasize that it was actually Maple Leaf "blue", but regardless, it was a really great day. 

Jordan's friends and family were also in attendance. I particularly appreciated the opportunity to speak to Jordan's parents. From a parent's perspective, it was really interesting to hear how their son's hockey career progressed from the Richmond Hill Minor Hockey Association to the NHL, and all the steps in between. I found myself thinking that this victory parade was also a very "proud parent moment"!

New Council Meeting Times
As always there have been a number of decisions made by Council lately and as always I have tried to summarize some them below in this e newsletter. One of these decisions involved setting new Council meeting times beginning in September. I believe this decision is important because having open and convenient access to Council meetings so that citizens can easily participate in local government is a fundamental foundation of a healthy democracy. 

Council and Committee of the Whole meetings will now happen at 9:30AM on Wednesday mornings. I believe this will make it very inconvenient, and in some cases impossible, for citizens to take time off work to attend Council meetings. It is for this reason that I opposed this change. 

Before this term of Council, Committee of the Whole (COW) meeting times used to be scheduled at 4:30PM on a Monday and Council meetings occurred at 7:30PM the following Monday. This gave citizens two different times and opportunities to participate at Council meetings and minimized the impact of time conflicts with work schedules. As such I believe this original schedule for meetings should have been continued.

When the proposed time change was discussed I expressed my concern that the meeting time change would mean many citizens would have difficulty taking time off work to attend meetings.  In fact since Council changed the meeting times to 1PM on a trial basis in December 2018, I have heard from a number of residents who agreed with my opposition to this change saying the new time makes it difficult for people to attend to  speak to Council about an issue that was important to them.
 
In my past 6 years on Council it is clear that we have many meetings where there are few if any citizens in the audience. These meetings typically contain fairly routine issues that do not inspire citizens to express an opinion, and that is to be expected in cases like that. However, there are also a significant number of meetings where we find that there are citizens that need to speak to an issue on the agenda, and, in fact, we have seen meetings where the Council Chambers are full of interested citizens participating in the democratic process. 

Meetings that generate a great deal of participation typically involve issues of development (and we will see an increasing number of these over the coming years) or issues that touch people personally like changes to fees, park redevelopment, decisions impacting the environment, or a municipally provided service important to a given group of residents, to name a few. It has also been my experience that, while writing letters and speaking to the local councillor is most definitely important, attending the meeting in person and speaking to Council directly is the best way to get a point across to the entire Council, and it often has the greatest impact. Thus, it has been my experience that allowing live citizen participation in meetings is important and I have always encouraged citizens to participate.
 
I believe that this current Council decision to change meeting times, will effectively reduce any opposing voices from the public and as such represents a significant, and in my view, unnecessary barrier to participation in our democratic process. You can read more about this decision and others below in this enewsletter.
 
I have always valued the opinions and feedback that I have received from residents and despite this change I hope that residents will be able to find other ways to participate in the future of our community.  I will certainly continue to be open to hearing this input and doing my best to bring these voices to council even if the voices themselves can't attend the meetings where these important decision are being made.

If you have any questions, comments, kudos, or concerns please feel free to contact me. I am always happy to speak to residents about our great community.
 
Sincerely,
David West 
Ward 4 Councillor Richmond Hill
Cell -416-346-3090
Office 905-771-2480

Banner Photo - Richmond Hill's very own Jordan Binnington brings the Stanley Cup home...(more details below)
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 Councillor Highlights 


1.  Indigenous Water Day Event at Beynon Fields Public School
In celebration of National Indigenous Month in Canada (June), a local Richmond Hill group that I helped form, called Pathways Towards Reconciliation, sponsored an event at Beynon Fields Public School where approximately 180 grade 5 and 6 students where treated to a presentation by local Indigenous leader Suzanne Smoke and a number of her guests. 

The event featured Jacob Charles leading the big drum, and a traditional dance presentation by Cedar Smoke who also lead the students in a traditional ro und dance. Ms. Smoke's group spoke about the rich culture of First Nations people in York Region and North America, and addressed some of the important issues of Reconciliation with First Nations people that we are presently working through in Canada. A number of excellent questions were asked by the students and answered by the Indigenous leaders in attendance.

It was an honour and privilege to support this work. Meegwetch to Suzanne Smoke, Jacob Charles, their crew, and the teachers at Beynon Fields Public School for the wonderful learning that was brought to our youth.


2. Mayor's Monarch Pledge partners with Bee City Canada
During the last term of Council I introduced two motions that directed staff to help protect pollinating insects such as bees while also helping to protect the threatened Monarch Butterfly. As a result, in an effort to protect our "bee-sy" pollinators, Richmond Hill partakes in the Mayor's Monarch Pledge and partners with Bee City Canada! 

To learn more about the two initiatives and the City's pollinator commitments, visit:  
http://ow.ly/yjil50ur6na #PollinatorWee
k


As a part of the Mayor's Monarch pledge, Richmond Hill is encouraging citizens to plant milkweed on their property. Milkweed is the only food source for Monarch Butterfly caterpillars and is essential to their survival. 

Last year I planted milkweed in my front yard garden and this year I noticed a Monarch Butterfly caterpillar that  appreciated my effort! This caterpillar's offspring will be the ones that make the flight in the fall back to Mexico.

I have noticed a real rebound in the number of Monarch Butterflies across Ontario and I am proud of the efforts made in communities like Richmond Hill, with the signing of the Mayor's Monarch Pledge several years ago. 

We are all doing our part to make a positive difference!


3.  The Stanley Cup came to Richmond Green
If you were born after 1967 you know that seeing the Stanley Cup in the Toronto area is a rare occurrence! This is a real shame. Richmond Hill was able to fix this problem in July when our native son, Jordan Binnington, the rookie goalie for NHL Champion St. Louis Blues, brought the Stanly Cup to our community.  

The parade route around Richmond Green was packed with fans cheering for Jordan. On behalf of Richmond Hill Council , Mayor Barrow presented Jordan with the key to the city. Jordan is only the second athlete to be presented with this honour (the other was Elvis Stojko).  

Congratulations to the St. Louis Blues and a big thank you to a real class act, Jordan Binnington, for remembering his home town and sharing this honour with all of us!  Click here to read an article by yorkregion.com on the event.


















4.  Richmond Hill Art School Art Expo
Thank you to Natasha Tolub from the Richmond Hill Art School for inviting me to enjoy the annual Richmond Hill Art School Student Art Expo. It is always a pleasure to see such creative and beautiful  work from Richmond Hill's young people.  

David with School owner Natasha (Photos courtesy of snapd Richmond Hill)
David with some of the talented artists (Photos courtesy of snapd Richmond Hill).


























5. Yonge North Mitsubishi Grand Re Opening
Congratulations to Yonge North Mitsubishi on the Grand Re Opening of the Yonge North Mitsubishi automotive dealership. It is always exciting to attend events that support the local businesses in Ward 4 and Richmond Hill. I wish them all the best in their future endeavours and thank them for their investment in our community.










6. Times Square Summer Music Festival 
Thanks to the businesses of Times Square and to the organizers of the annual Times Square Music Festival. The event featured a number of very talented Richmond Hill and York Region artists as well as a number of businesses offering great food and an excellent cultural experience. 

It is clear that music is alive and well in Richmond Hill and it is really great to see local businesses supporting this talent. The whole community benefits from partnerships like this.




7. Congratulations to All of this Year's Graduates
Late June is a time of change and new beginnings for many school age students. As a parent I know the excitement and promise that graduations bring to exciting new beginnings. Congratulations to the many students that graduated various stages of their school life this past June. In particular I would like to congratulate the hundreds of students that graduated from all three Ward 4 High Schools, Alexander Mackenzie High School, St. Theresa of Lisieux Catholic High School and École Secondaire Norval-Morrisseau

I was proud to be able to attend the the St. Theresa of Lisieux CHS graduation ceremony and present the City's Ann Gold Scholarship award to two deserving graduates.





8. Towards a Plan - Strengthening Canada's Position in the Arctic
I was recently honoured to be invited to a conference titled Toward a Plan - Strengthening Canada's Position in the Arctic. The conference was hosted by Richmond Hill resident Irvin Studin, in partnership with Global Brief and the Institute for 21st Century Questions. Discussion centered around going beyond the Arctic stereotypes of Inuksuks, Polar Bears and Northern Lights, and toward a better understanding of the importance that this vast part of our country plays in our collective future.

As Northwest Territory Premier Bob McLeod said, the future of the Arctic is of national concern.  Nunavut Premier Savikataaq made the point that there is a great need for infrastructure investment in order to realize a future benefit for the region.  It was a great pleasure to meet both NWT Premier McLeod and Nunavut Premier Joe Savikataaq. Both of these leaders are of Inuit heritage and it was interesting to discuss these issues from their perspective. The challenges that both of these leaders face are daunting, but are important to Canada.

Climate Change is currently bringing changes and opportunities to the area with increased demand for shipping and resource exploitation, as well as issues with sovereignty. These issues need to be discussed and responsibly acted upon. The point was made that the Arctic region is bigger than the European Union but the population is only about half that of Richmond Hill.
 
 Nunavut Premier Savikataaq (L) and NWT Premier McLeod (R) 
Conference organizer Irvin Studin




9. Ribfest Richmond Hill 2019
Richmond Hill's annual Rifest was a fun community event again this year. Ribfest is a three-day outdoor festival that features professional rib teams travelling to Richmond Hill from across North America. Ribbers cook and compete for various awards including Best Sauce and Best Ribs as decided by honorary judges. As always guests enjoyed great food and fun activities as well as great live music in Richmond Green Park.
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Richmond Hill Council News

1.  New Snow Windrow Removal Program and Street Parking during Snow Events
Despite currently being in the midst of summer, Richmond Hill has started preparations for next winter and the launch of the new windrow clearing program. To support the program, a new by-law has been drafted that speaks to the authority for the city to tag and/or tow cars that are parked on City streets during a winter event. Parked cars during snow events inhibits the City's ability to conduct winter operations. In order to ensure the public is aware of the new windrow program and by-law, staff have developed a communication strategy that will include information being shared in other languages in addition to English. It is the City's hope that residents will voluntarily comply with the new by-law saving everyone time and money and ensuring effective and efficient winter operations next year. To read the full staff report please visit -  https://pub-richmondhill.escribemeetings.com/filestream.ashx?DocumentId=27480 . There is a Special Council Meeting called for September 16th at 9AM to discuss some of the details and operational challenges associated with the new Windrow Clearing Program.

2.  Changing Council and Committee of the Whole Meeting Times
As mentioned in the opening paragraph of this newsletter Council approved new times for Council and Committee of the Whole meetings beginning this fall. Committee of the Whole meetings will be held at 9:30 a.m. on the first Wednesday of each month and Council meetings will follow on the third Wednesday at 9:30 a.m. for six months starting in September. This new pilot project will replace the current pilot project which introduced meetings starting at 1PM. In addition to meeting times changing, the delegation registration time will also change. All delegations must register with the Clerk before 12 p.m. the day before a meeting. I am not in favour of this change as I believe that it will make it significantly more difficult for the public to fully participate in our democratic process. I would be in favour of reverting back to the original system whereby Committee of the Whole meetings were at 4:30PM and Council Meetings were at 7:30PM. Based on experience and comments from the public the original combination of meeting times made it much easier for the public to attend and participate in Council activities. I would hope that after the trial period ends Council will consider going back to the original times.

3.  Richmond Hill to Consider Cryptocurrency as Payment Option for Property Taxes
Council directed staff to enter into negotiations with third-party provider, Coinberry Limited, to introduce cryptocurrency as a property tax payment option for residents and businesses. Staff will report back on future opportunities for the payment of other City fees and charges using cryptocurrency no later than September 30, 2019. It is believed that with the introduction of this, Richmond Hill becomes the first large municipality in Canada to allow for this type of transaction.

4.  Richmond Hill celebrates Culture Days!
Council proclaimed, September 27-29, 2019 as Culture Days for the City of Richmond Hill. Culture Days is a national celebration that seeks to eliminate barriers to access and participation and encourage appreciation of arts and culture. During this three-day event, the City invites the community to participate in FREE "behind the scenes," activities to discover the world of artists, creators, historians, architects, curators, and designers at work. Activity locations vary from year-to-year but typically take place at the Richmond Hill Central Library, Richmond Hill Heritage Centre, the Mill Pond Gallery and more. This year's lineup of activities includes the Public Library Culture Hub, Art Conversations and demonstrations with members of the Richmond Hill Art and Studio Tour, a Heritage Walking Tour and much more! A full listing of free Culture Days activities happening in Richmond Hill will be available at RichmondHill.ca/Culture Days in September. 

5.  Real Estate Open House Sign By-Law
In July I introduced a motion to help curb the quantity of illegal Real Estate Open House signs by allowing a limited number of these signs to exist under a number of specific criteria and restricted circumstances while an Open House is taking place. The motion proposed a simple bylaw that would have been consistent with the bylaw regulating these signs in Vaughan. The proposed motion enjoyed support from the Toronto Real Estate Board, local Real Estate Agents and the public. Council passed the motion but made one important amendment that I believe diminishes the simplicity and value of the original motion. 

This amendment dictated that the Open House signs must not include the name of the agent, brokerage or contact information for the agent, but only the direction, address, time, and date of the Open House. The problem related to this change is that signs without agent contact info and brokerage information are not consistent with the requirements of Real Estate Council of Ontario regulations. This may mean that if an agent complies with Richmond Hill's new Open House Sign bylaw by not including their name, contact, and brokerage information, they would be in contravention with their own Real Estate industry rules and regulations and may possibly face penalties from their industry association.

I opposed that particular amendment on that ground but nevertheless Council did pass this modified bylaw for a 6 month trial period. When this bylaw comes back to Council in November I would hope that Council will reconsider reverting back to the original motion in order to make our bylaw consistent with all industry regulations. The original motion proposed a reasonable compromise that would have been easily enforced, and could serve both home sellers, real estate agents and the general public as well.
 
Click here  to read an article that appeared July 17, 2019 by YorkRegion.com.

6. Direction to staff Re Operating Budget
Producing an Operating and Capital Budget each year in Richmond Hill is a task that takes a great deal of work and effort by staff, Council, and the public, and it is a task that has foundational importance for our community. In simple terms a municipal Operating Budget is the fiscal reflection of the priorities and values of a community and it shapes how a  community  functions to serve its residents. At a recent Budget Committee of the Whole meeting Council passed a general direction to staff to keep any possible increases to our Operating Budget to one percent or less. In January the draft budget will be introduced to Council for consideration. This motion will make for an interesting and challenging discussion in order to maintain current services while keeping our taxes as low as possible. I would encourage citizens to be involved in this process and stay tuned to learn more.

7. Climate Emergency Motion 
In June I introduced a motion to declare a  Climate  Emergency in Richmond Hill. Unfortunately this motion did not pass but was instead deferred to a future meeting of Council in order for staff to present a report outlining some actions that Richmond Hill is currently taking, and will take in the future, related to Climate Change. Richmond Hill is already presently taking important action to respond to the impacts of Climate Change and is also taking steps to reduce our overall Greenhouse gas emissions as a municipality in order to help prevent future impacts. 

The motion as presented asked that - " Now Therefore Be It Resolved: that the City of Richmond Hill joins citizens and jurisdictions across Canada and the world by declaring a climate emergency, in recognition of the urgent need for climate action, and as a commitment to protect our community and the current and future generations who call Richmond Hill home". 

The motion was designed to confirm, support, and encourage, the work that our staff are presently doing in the area of Climate Change, and to support the related work that a number of newly formed citizens groups are also beginning to do in our community. While I am disappointed that our Council did not end up taking a decisive stance on this issue, I do look forward to the motion returning to Council so that the rest of Council can be informed of the great work Richmond Hill is currently performing, and hopefully at that time Council will join the hundreds of communities across Canada that have already declared a Climate Emergency so that we can lend our voice and leadership on this issue as well.

To learn more about what Richmond Hill is already doing around Climate Change please see the section below titled Resilient Richmond Hill. This section includes a link to the website and introduces this relatively new initiative designed to co ordinate our community's efforts in this area.

8. Age Friendly Community Motion
Councillor Chan recently introduced a motion to explore ways in which we can make Richmond Hill a more senior citizen friendly community. The motion was well supported by a number of organizations and citizens and I was happy to add my support to this motion as well. One of the purposes for this motion was to explore the possibility of convening a Senior's Advisory Committee. As one of the Council Liaisons on the Youth Action Committee, I believe that there is value to soliciting feedback from senior citizens like we do from our youth citizens, so that we can shape our community to best serve the unique needs of different age groups. Our staff will bring back a report to Council in the near future related to how we can best implement this program. To read the full motion please visit - https://pub-richmondhill.escribemeetings.com/filestream.ashx?DocumentId=26908

9. David Dunlap Observatory (DDO) - National Historic Site
The Minister of Environment and Climate Change, and Minister responsible for Parks Canada, Catherine McKenna has announced the Richmond Hill David Dunlap Observatory (RHDDO) as one of eight new national historic designations across Canada.    The property is a 76.5-hectare site located in central Richmond Hill, between Bayview Avenue to the east, the CN rail line to the west, 16th Avenue to the south and Hillsview Drive to the north. When construction was complete in 1935, the main telescope was the second largest in the world and the largest in Canada.   Click here to read an article that recently appeared in the Liberal written by Sheila Wang.

"We are thrilled that the Richmond Hill David Dunlap Observatory was recognized as a historical designation," said Mayor Dave Barrow. "This site is an important part of Canadian history and Richmond Hill's heritage." 

A number of significant studies have taken place at the Observatory, including the first direct evidence that Cygnus X-1 was a black hole.

The City of Richmond Hill became the proud owner of the David Dunlap Observatory lands in 2017, including the park, the Observatory and the Administration Building. The City fought for years to protect the cultural and natural heritage features on the property, through a number of studies and by passing a heritage designation by-law.

The property continues to be a regional centre for education and public outreach, and serves the local community through programming, such as summer camps for youth, astronomy-themed speaker nights and stargazing, lecture nights and historical tours. 

"This national historic site comes after years of staff efforts to preserve the cultural heritage of the DDO and to have it recognized nationwide," said Mayor Dave Barrow.

The City is developing a strategy to move forward with the implementation of the DDO Park Master Plan, completed in 2016, that would see serval elements built within the park for the community. For more information, visit  RichmondHill.ca/DDO.


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Ward 4 Development Applications - Update 

There are a number of development applications active in Ward 4 that continue to generate significant interest from residents.  This newsletter section is intended to keep everyone informed and updated about the status of these applications. It is not intended to be an exhaustive list of all active development applications in the ward, but a brief synopsis of select applications. Please feel free to contact me at david.west@richmondhill.ca if you have questions about applications described below or questions about an application that is not included here. 

A good general resource related to Land Use Planning can be found on the Minstry of Municipal Affirs website at  www.ontario.ca/document/citizens-guide-land-use-planning




1. 35 Wright Street
A revised proposal for this property has been submitted by the applicant that includes the preservation of the existing heritage building, and the addition of a 6 storey residential building. The original proposal included a higher building height and a proposed office use for the property. A staff report related to the revised development proposal is tentatively scheduled to come to Committee of the Whole on September 4th.

2. A Revised Development Proposal from Yonge MCD (Brookside RD. and Yonge St.)
In July Council gave direction to Richmond Hill Planning Staff by passing a directions report related to the Tertiary Plan for lands at Yonge Street and Brookside Road. This Council direction will assist staff in their efforts to negotiate a resolution to the LPAT appeal of the development application on these lands.  This staff report represents a request for direction from Richmond Hill's Planning Staff to approve a revised development concept for the area. 

The original application included some very high density condo towers but has been modified in its current proposal. The new proposal features a new road connecting Yonge St. to Brookside, a linear park parallel to the creek and protected flood plain lands, as well as stacked town houses, semi detached houses, and a 5 storey retirement home close to the north east part of the property.


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Elgin Mills Greenway Restoration Complete

A number of years ago it became evident that significant valley land erosion was taking place in the area south of Shaftsbury Road between the Elgin West Community Centre and St. Theresa of Liseux Catholic High School. This erosion was threatening to destroy a number of pieces of infrastructure including the  stormwater pond to the south and trails and bridges in this area. As a result our engineering staff studied how we could remedy this situation while continuing to provide important storm water management that this area was designed to deliver. 

Through public consultation a new series of storm ponds was designed to protect the community from flooding, purify the story water entering this area and provide amenity space for the community and for wildlife. The construction is now complete, the trails are open and I would invite you to visit the area. I believe that the end result is another great natural space for all of us to enjoy. 










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Climate Change
Together Let's create a Resilient Richmond Hill


To learn more about what Richmond Hill is doing around Climate Change please visit -


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Ward 4 EnviroFest

Plans for the Ward 4 Envirofest are underway. This event will take place at Mill Pond Park and will feature information and activities related to our natural environment. I hope you will join us on October 5th from 1-4PM. 
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My Waste is now Recycle Coach



If you are like me and sometimes have trouble remembering when various types of waste are to be picked up, and the recycle calendar is not always handy. I think that this free Recycle Coach App is for you. It is a very simple app that can be set to remind citizens about waste collection days at any address in the community. No more looking out the window at your neighbour's garbage set out to determine what waste collection day it is!

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Neighbours for the Planet
I wanted to introduce my readers to a really great grass roots initiative taking place in Richmond Hill. Neighbours for the planet is a new group that has formed to further discussion and action at a grass roots neighbourhood level. This group is made up of neighbours living in our community and they have quickly taken a leadership role in advancing issues related to Climate Change in Richmond Hill. It is clear that residents are concerned about climate change and are willing to take action even though our elected officials are sometimes not as bold. If you are interested in this issue I would encourage you to reach out to this group.



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Mill Pond Park - Concerts in the Park

You know summer has arrived in Ward 4 when the Mill Pond Park Concert series begins and that date is July 4th.

Bring a lawn chair, blanket or cushions to sit back and enjoy the Concert in the Park series.  During summer Thursday evenings 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. enjoy the following listed concerts. Also, while supplies last, enjoy a barbecue from King Henry's Arms and an ice cream from the  Mr. Freezer ice cream truck (items for a nominal fee).



Date
Entertainment
July 4
Canada Gold
July 11
Trilogy - Styx, Foreigner and Journey
July 18
Canadian Rock
July 25
Billy Joel Tribute
August 1
Richmond Hill Has Talent
August 8
The Good Brothers 
August 15
Songs and Stories of Stompin' Tom
August 22 - last concert!
Bee Gees

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RHCPA Speaker Series


Thursday September 12, 2019 - 7:30 pm ( only evening talk) ~ Bernie Farber : A Canadian Genocide: Canada's Historical Treatment of its Indigenous People
Thursday, September 26, 2019 (10am to 12pm) ~ James Lockyer: Wrongful Convictions in Canada
Thursday, October 3, 2019 (10am to 12pm) ~ Helena Moncrieff: Discovering the Urban Orchard
Thursday, October 10, 2019 (10am to 12pm) ~ John Lorinc: The Ward
Thursday, October 17, 2019 (10am to 12pm)  ~ Dr. Aurel Braun: Assessing the Middle East Chessboard
Thursday, October 24, 2019 (10am to 12pm) ~ Carolyn Harris: Royal Parenting from Medieval to Modern Times
November 7, 2019   (10am to 12pm) ~ Ted Barris: The Great Escape: A Canadian Story

To purchase tickets click on your preference.  Or call the box office at 905 787-8811
  • Speaker Series (all 6 daytime talks) - $70 . click HERE
  • Bernie Farber - $20  Click HERE
  • Speaker series + Bernie Farber - $85. Please call the box office to purchase this discounted package

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Great Things To See And Do Around Town


Looking for interesting things to do this month in our Community? Look no further - below is a listing of various community events that I would like to promote on behalf of the various organizers                                                                                                              


Richmond Hill Concert Band
Lake Wilcox Summer Band Concerts
A free band concert series, taking place in Oak Ridges this summer, on Sunday afternoons, 1 pm, July 11-Aug 14 on the Terrace at the Oak Ridges Community Centre, overlooking Lake Wilcox.

Our conductor is Capt. Nick Arrigo, of the Canadian Forces 7th Toronto Regiment, Royal Regiment of Canadian Artillery and music educator at Country Day School.  We are a charitable organization established in 2010 to provide musical service to the community and education to our members. The Band plays a wide variety of music ranging from Classical to Big Band, Marches, Broadway and popular pieces. New qualified membership is encouraged from the Town of Richmond Hill.




































Caribbean North
9th  annual fundraising concert at the Richmond Hill Centre for Performing Arts Theatre; Friday August 23, 2019.  Tickets available at www.CaribbeanPamNorth.ca or please call Pamela Harakh at 905-737-3368. 

This popular annual event highlights the best of Caribbean entertainment and includes a silent auction. 

Caribbean North Charities Foundation is a self-funded charity relying on donations of time and resources to achieve our goals. The net proceeds from this concert will benefit our charity's ongoing work in providing much needed medical equipment and training in Guyana, where we just  delivered our  donation of the skin grafting  dermatomefor the burn unit.This specialized critical care facility within the public health system in Georgetown, Guyana,continues to make a significant difference in the lives of burn patients,  improving survival chances and decreasing the length of patient stays at the hospital.

Our ongoing Canadian student mentoring program of co-op students in Richmond Hill and university internship placement assist students in achieving valuable experience about non-profit organizations, accounting, management reporting, project proposal concepts,  graphic design  and self-improvement. 

In April 2019, we received a decommissioned ambulance from York Region  of which we donated to The Commonwealth of Dominica. A shipment of 3000 Backpacks with school supplies was delivered to two countries as part of a Back to School Program.



TRCA Presents:

Floating Concert: Passages at Dusk
Date: Saturday, September 14
Time: 5pm-7:30pm (Please note: The start time for the concert is 5pm. Paddling tickets begin at 4pm)
Location: Lake St. George Field Centre, 950 Bethesda Side Road, Richmond Hill, ON L4E 3G2

Description:
As dusk descends on the waters of Lake St. George, experience evocative, contemporary tribal sounds performed on the lake! Enjoy this mystical floating concert from a spot at the water's edge, or in a canoe.




Highlights
  • Enjoy storytelling, dance and music outdoors at dusk.
  • Experience a floating concert by canoe or from the lawn performed by DATU, a modern Filipino crew remixing cultural traditions
  • Explore Lantern Exhibit by Artist-in-Residence Joanne Rich and make your own paper sun catchers.
  • Taste local flavours from seasonal food vendors.
Tickets
  • General Admission (Lawn Seating): $20 + HST (Blankets and lawn chairs welcome)
  • Paddling and Admission: $40 + HST (Limited tickets available. Beginner and seasoned paddlers welcome.)
For more information and to purchase tickets, visit trca.ca/floatingconcert

 
Come Sing with Us
Chorus York Hosts Annual Meet-&-Greet
 
As we head into our fourth concert season, Chorus York invites
interested singers for all voice parts to sit in on a rehearsal, meet our director, Stéphane Potvin, mingle with the choir and enjoy some refreshments.
 
Chorus York is a community choir based in Richmond Hill, and open to adults  of all ages. Inaugurated in February 2016, the choir is already in demand for local events and has performed for several town functions as well as presenting concerts in Thornhill & Richmond Hill.
 
Our program for the upcoming 2019-2020 season includes Celebrate the Season, a concert of seasonal favorites, on November 30 & December 1, with special guests, The Bells of St. Matthew's. On February 14, Valentine's Day, the choir will host its annual Gala Fundraiser, Romantic Melodies, at the Richmond Hill Centre for the Performing Arts, with a program of vocal and instrumental love songs performed by the choir and guest artists. The season will conclude with an evening of classical music in May and a final collaborative concert with the Richmond Hill Philharmonic Orchestra in June.
 
This year's annual Meet-&-Greet will be held on Tuesday, September 10  from 7:00 - 9:30 p.m. at the Richmond Hill Presbyterian Church (downstairs), 10066 Yonge St., Richmond Hill (Major Mackenzie & Yonge). We look forward to welcoming new singers to join us for an exciting new season.
 
Please visit our website www.chorusyork.ca for more information about the choir or call 905-884-7922.


Hill House Hospice 
Catch the Ace Proressive Lottery

  What is Catch the Ace
Catch the Ace Lottery is a Progressive Lottery.
Each week tickets are sold for the opportunity to select the Ace of Spades from a deck of 52 regular playing cards. Prior to the draw, each of the 52 playing cards were placed in brown envelopes. The envelopes were shuffled and numbered 1 to 52.

When tickets are purchased the buyer chooses an envelope number  from a list of available numbers, then enters the number on their ticket.

Each week one ticket is drawn. The holder of that ticket automatically wins 20% of that week's sales. The envelope number noted on the ticket is opened. If the card inside is not the Ace of Spades the card is destroyed and is no longer available for future draws. If the envelope selected is the Ace of Spades then the lottery is finished and the ticket holder wins the weekly prize plus the Ace of Spades pot.

Each week the Ace of Spades progressive pot grows by 30% of the weekly sales.   Each week the lucky winner of the draw receives 20% of the weekly sales.   50% of the weekly sales will go to Hill House Hospice.
 


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Ward 4 Community Corner - Your Shot

Photos courtesy of Chris Robart



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Artifact of the Month


You Scream, I Scream, We All Scream for Ice Cream!

Ice Cream Scoop  From the City of Richmond Hill Collection  Courtesy of: Richmond Hill Historical Society                       

The hot weather is finally here and what could be better than a nice cold scoop of ice cream? Although not shape like our modern-day scoops, this metal scoop would be quite effective in getting homemade ice cream out of the container and into a bowl. On the inside on the scoop was a thin metal band that circled the cup to make sure all the ice cream made it to your bowl.

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