Access Richmond Hill
The Access Richmond Hill Contact Centre provides assistance for general inquiries, responds to questions or concerns regarding programs and services as well as accepts in person payments.
Contact Us
905-771-8800
225 East Beaver Creek Road, Ground Floor, Richmond Hill, ON L4B 3P4
Hours of Service:
Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Report Feedback
Report a problem with a service, e.g. missed garbage collection, overnight parking, potholes, street lights, etc...
Doors Open Richmond Hill is an event that supports cultural sites in the community to open their doors to everyone. This free event is part of Doors Open Ontario, launched in 2002 by the Ontario Heritage Trust.
Doors Open 2017 - Saturday, May 13 from 10 a.m. - 4 p.m.
Discover the heritage, architecture and culture Richmond has to offer at our 17 featured sites.
| Area 1 - Gormley Heritage District |
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Steeped in history, the Hamlet of Gormley is a true Richmond Hill gem! Settlement here began with the arrival of Pennsylvanian immigrants of German descent in the first decade of the 19th century. Visitors will enjoy strolling along the street and looking at the heritage homes, many of which are approximately 100 years old. Celebrating its 110th anniversary this year, this proud community will be serving up some old-fashioned hospitality for all ages to enjoy! 2. Cober-Johnson General Store - 217 Gormley Road West |
| Area 2 - Yonge Street North and Elgin Mills East |
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The Hamlet of Elgin Mills was located where Elgin Mills Road intersects Yonge Street. In the 19th century, this was the site of a steam-powered sawmill, a gristmill, and a tannery - all providing work for Richmond Hill residents. This is also where the Elgin Mills and Markham Plank Road, a toll road to present-day Woodbine Avenue, began. 3. St. Mary and St. Joseph Coptic Orthodox Church- 11308 Yonge Street 4. The Hindu Temple Society of Canada- Richmond Hill Hindu Temple - 10865 Bayview Avenue 5. Artifact Storage Centre - Operations Centre - 1200 Elgin Mill Road East 6. Thomas Boynton House - Richmond Green Sports Centre and Park - 1300 Elgin Mills Road East 7. The Eyer-Wideman Homestead - 1045 Elgin Mills Road East 8. The Curtain Club - 400 Newkirk Road 9. Al Nadwa Educational Islamic Centre - 10 Newkirk Road, Unit 13 |
| Area 3 - The Village of Richmond Hill |
| Yonge Street, Richmond Hill's "Main Street," was established by order of Lieutenant-Governor John Graves Simcoe in the 1790s. The early 19th century saw the development of businesses, homes and institutions - creating the core of a new village. Although time has brought many changes to Richmond Hill's "Main Street," some of the landmarks date back to an era when Yonge Street was just a dirt road and the horse and buggy was the preferred means of transportation. 10. The Richmond Hill Heritage Centre (Amos Wright House) - 19 Church Street North 11. Richmond Hill Lawn Bowling Club - 43 Church Street South - Behind Elgin Barrow Arena 12. The Richmond Hill Sports Hall of Fame - 43 Church Street South, 2nd floor of Elgin Barrow Arena 13. Richmomd Hill Presbyterian Church, 10066 Yonge Street 14. St. Mary's Anglican Church - 10030 Yonge Street |
| Area 4 - The Mill Pond Area |
| Richmond Hill's Mill Pond has many moods. Sometimes, it is pastoral and serene, other times, the pond resounds with the laughter of children playing in the park. Most of all, Mill Pond is a place of natural beauty. Today's Mill Pond is a place of recreation, but when it was first created in the mid-1830s, it was a site of industry and commerce. Around 1835, John Langstaff and his son, Miles, built a dam at what became known as Mill Street to harness the power of the watercourse. Langstaff's goal was to establish a sawmill for processing saw logs into lumber. Over time, other industries joined the sawmill, including Wilson's Agricultural Implements Manufacturing, as well as a foundry, a wagon works and a distillery. 15. The Mill Pond Gallery - Richmond Hill Group of Artists - 314 Mill Street |
| Area 5 - South of Major MacKenzie and Richvale |
| Three hundred years before the construction of Yonge Street, a Huron village stood on the east bank of the Don River, where the river crosses present-day Major Mackenzie Drive. The Boyle-Atkinson archaeological site, as it is known, tells the story of a community of native people living in a cluster of longhouses from about 1450 to 1500 A.D. By the late 1790s, a few hardy settlers had also taken up land in this area. Yet, it wasn't until the arrival of Abner Miles, who built an inn and a store, that the foundations were laid for the emergence of a village on the hill. This was the beginning of Miles' Hill, a commercial centre that would eventually spread northward and become Richmond Hill. The community of Richvale was the first registered residential subdivision developed on the west side of the road between Langstaff and Carrville Roads in 1910. Growth was slow at first, due to the lack of public utilities, but eventually, both Richvale School and the Richvale Post Office (1932) opened. 16. Richmond Hill Central Library - 1 Atkinson Street 17. The Burr House and Guild Hall - 528 - 530 Carrville Road |
Volunteer opportunities
We need volunteers for the Doors Open event. You can apply for the following jobs:
- Site captains
- Greeters
Doors Open sites
Interested in being a part of Doors Open Richmond Hill?
Complete the Site Application Form to have your cultural site considered for next year's Doors Open event.
Contact the Heritage Services Coordinator for more information about Doors Open Richmond Hill or call 905-737-1818, ext. 6007.