Heritage Richmond Hill

Richmond Hill's archaeological record is over 11,000 years old. Its current euro-settlement history dates back to over two hundred years ago when Yonge Street was first carved out of the landscape to serve as a military route. We became a village with surrounding hamlets and have developed into a thriving City which is experiencing significant growth and is anticipating still more into the future.

Despite this rapid growth, evidence of the rich and layered development history continues to exist today, endowing the City with a dynamic physical character. Maintaining significant built features and dynamic landscapes is important for Richmond Hill and is accomplished through heritage-specific protocols and provincial legislation provided by the Ontario Heritage Act.

The general public, including heritage property owners and students, can request information about historic sites and structures in our community. The Richmond Hill Central Public Library and Richmond Hill Heritage Centre have collections and artifacts related to the history of Richmond Hill and can also provide sources for more information. 

The Ontario Heritage Act provides the legislative framework for a municipality to designate a property; and a Designated Property is recognized by the City and the Province as a property of cultural heritage significance. 

Council, with advice from HRH, makes the decision to designate. The process towards designation starts with research to confirm the heritage value of the property; once confirmed, a designation by-law that clearly describes the reasons of significance and the key features or attributes to be protected will be submitted for consideration by HRH to Council. If Council decides to designate the property, a 30-day public notification period is required under the OHA. Within the 30-day period, objections may be filed to appeal the designation to the Conservation Review Board. If no objection is filed at the end of the 30-days, the by-law will be enacted and the designation process completed. 

Contact the Heritage Planner at 905-771-5529 or visit the Cultural Heritage Planning page for more information about heritage properties, grants or historic sites and structures.  

The Inventory of Cultural Heritage Resources augments Richmond Hill's Municipal Heritage Register. It provides a list and photo records of properties that have been identified as having potential cultural heritage interest (listed properties), and those with recognized and confirmed cultural heritage significance (designated properties). 

Contact the Heritage Planner at 905-771-5529 or visit the Cultural Heritage Planning page for more information about heritage properties, historic sites and structures.