Richmond Hill is a Little Greener Thanks to the Community
Council received a staff report outlining Richmond Hill’s recent achievements toward protecting and maintaining healthy and diverse wood lots and natural areas. One of the achievements was the Community Stewardship Program where last year, 1,850 volunteers and 40 schools and community groups planted 10,000 trees, restored 12.5 acres of land, 1.2 kilometres of stream and removed almost 300 bags of invasive species. And in 2014, residents also took advantage of the subsidized Healthy Yards Program. They purchased 650 native trees, 2,250 native wildflowers and 250 rain barrels to create healthy gardens that collectively improve our local environment. In addition, the Community Allotment Garden in Phyllis Rawlinson Park was fully leased in 2014 with 53 gardeners. For more information, contact Terry Ricketts, Director, Environment Services at 905-747-6504.

Lights Out for Climate Change
Richmond Hill will once again be participating in the Earth Hour challenge, turning off all non-essential lighting in its facilities, where feasible. Earth Hour is an annual global environmental initiative created by the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) to generate awareness and inspire action against climate change. Members of the community (individuals and businesses) are asked to show their support by turning off their lights from 8:30 to 9:30 p.m. (or longer) on Saturday, March 28. Over the past five years, the Richmond Hill community saved 45 megawatts of electricity through its participation in Earth Hour. That’s enough to power a typical household for about four years! Individuals can further show their support and help encourage others to participate by sharing their Earth Hour plans at RichmondHill.ca/EarthHour. For more information, contact Terry Ricketts, Director, Environment Services at 905-747-6504.

Richmond Hill is committed to developing a more environmentally sustainable community that recognizes the connection between a healthy environment and quality of life. Citizens can help by participating in Town initiatives and by making meaningful changes in their daily lives. For information about upcoming ‘green’ initiatives, visit RichmondHill.ca/EnvironmentalEvents.


Sustaining Richmond Hill’s Vibrant Culture
As Richmond Hill looks forward to its second annual Cultural Summit on March 24, Council received the 2014 Annual Report on Culture. The Report highlights the successes achieved toward the Cultural Plan’s five goals. The first annual Cultural Summit in 2014 was attended by more than 100 artists, students, volunteers and residents. Attendees enjoyed the first look at Richmond Hill’s second installment of the Capturing Stories film series, with five new films that playfully share the story of Richmond Hill’s history and culture. In addition, the report highlighted that in 2014, the Festivals & Events Strategy was approved, the online Cultural Map grew with 1,350 cultural assets mapped so far, and the Creative Industries Symposium welcomed more than 300 attendees to focus on creative economy and connecting local creative businesses. Implementation of the Cultural Plan will continue in 2015 with a Museum Feasibility Study and the second annual Cultural Summit at the Richmond Hill Centre for the Performing Arts on Tuesday, March 24 at 6:30 p.m. For more information about the Cultural Plan Annual Report, contact Darlene Joslin, Director, Recreation & Culture at 905-771-2423.

No-Smoking for Outdoor Play Area Expands
Previously (May 1, 2014), Richmond Hill instituted a policy that prohibited smoking outdoors within nine metres of any entrance to municipally-owned buildings and any outdoor splash pad, sports field, playground or basketball area. The goal of the policy was to encourage voluntary compliance of patrons. With much consultation and promotion the policy was successful in reducing cigarette smoking in areas where the public, especially children, gather. New provincial legislation in support of the Smoke-Free Ontario Act will result in even greater protection against the negative effects of second-hand smoke (as the nine metre barrier is being expanded to 20 metres). Under the new law, individuals who smoke in these prohibited areas are subject to warnings or fines at a rate of $250. To ensure the community is aware of the new legislation, Richmond Hill staff will post signage in affected park locations in the spring, as well as collaborate with Region of York staff on a number of marketing/communication activities. More information on the Province’s Smoke-Free Ontario Act can be found at Ontario.ca/smokefree. For more information, contact Darlene Joslin, Director, Recreation & Culture at 905-771-2423.