DDO Ongoing Projects

Phase 1 of the woodlot restoration work is now complete. This work took place between 2017-2020 and involved hazard tree removals, treatment and removal of invasive trees and plants, as well as tree planting. City staff, together with Toronto and Region Conservation Authority (TRCA) will continue to monitor the plantings and conduct required maintenance within the Phase 1 area over the next two years. Part of this work will also involve repeated spot treating of invasive plants with herbicide to control their spread and decrease competition of new plantings. Herbicide treatments will take place in the spring over a 2 to 3 day period and will take place again in fall 2021.

View the DDO Park Phase 1 and 2 Woodlot Restoration Map 

In November 2020, the TRCA, working on behalf of the City, will begin Phase 2 of the woodlot restoration (see map – Woodlot Restoration) including hazardous tree and debris removal, herbicide treatment, hydrological enhancements and native tree and shrub planting. This work will take three years to complete followed by two years of monitoring and maintenance.

View the DDO Park Phase 1 and 2 Woodlot Restoration Map 

2020/2021 Site Preparation for Plantings and Maintenance

As part of the preparatory work for the upcoming tree planting a small section of the Phase 2 area will undergo hydrological improvements. This will involve the use of grading machinery to modify approximately 0.6 ha of land to restore it to its natural conditions.  Grading improvements will take approximately 2 to 3 days to complete and will start November 16 2020, weather permitting.  During this time local residents may see and hear machinery within the park. This is a temporary and necessary step to ensure the success of planned tree plantings.  

Starting February 8 2021, the TRCA will be removing dead, hazardous and invasive trees and shrubs from the wooded areas within the Phase 2 project boundary. This work will help to make room for desirable native plant material that will help to improve the forest health and provide habitat for local wildlife.  Part of this work will also involve repeated spot treating of invasive plants with herbicide to control their spread and decrease competition for upcoming plantings. Herbicide treatments will take place in winter 2021 over a 2 to 3 day period and will take place again in spring and fall 2021.

2021 Planting Activities

In the spring of 2021, a wide variety of native trees and shrubs (evergreens and deciduous) will be planted by the TRCA that will, over time, enhance the natural aesthetic of the park and provide habitat for local wildlife. Plantings will replace the trees and invasive plants that will be removed during the winter of 2021. It will also involve the creation of new forested areas in some of the open fields that eventually form part of the woodland cover within the park. As well, site preparation for plantings will include mowing the Phase 2 planting areas in order to reduce initial grass competition. Deer fencing will be added in some areas to protect newly planted deciduous trees and shrubs from deer herbivory.

In April 2010, Corsica submitted Official Plan Amendment and Zoning By-law Amendment applications to Richmond Hill for the DDO property. The original proposal submitted by Corsica included 833 homes spread out across the majority of the DDO site. The proposal was rejected by Council and Corsica appealed this decision to the Ontario Municipal Board (OMB).

Through the OMB's mediation process, five parties to the appeal (City of Richmond Hill, Corsica Developments Inc., Toronto and Region Conservation, the Region of York and the DDO Defenders) reached an agreement for the future of the property.

The agreement proposed that 56 per cent of the property (the western portion) would become a public park while the development of 530 homes would be allowed on the eastern portion of the property. The agreement is illustrated in the Settlement Plan. 

The Settlement Plan preserves all of Richmond Hill's cultural heritage interests, provides for a large public park, and protects most of the natural features on the site. On May 1, 2013 the OMB released their decision in support of the Settlement Plan calling it "good planning" and "in the public interest."

To facilitate this work, Alectra required the construction of a 10 metre wide temporary access road, northeast of the Administration building. The hydro burial works were completed December 2019 and the temporary access road will be removed and the area will be re-naturalized by the end of 2020.

Note: Tree/shrub groupings designated as part of the DDO cultural heritage landscape are not located within this area.