Celebrate Richmond Hill’s Public Works Staff
Richmond Hill will celebrate National Public Works Week (NPWW) from May 17 to 23 to recognize the commitment and dedication of Public Works staff who provide essential services to our community. Richmond Hill’s Public Works staff care for Town trees and parks, ensure drinking water is clean and safe, provide waste collection, make sure toilets flush and maintain the roads and trails systems; and sometimes work around the clock and under extreme weather conditions to ensure services are restored. NPWW is an annual event that recognizes the work of Public Works professionals across the country. Throughout the week, a variety of activities will take place in Richmond Hill, including: school tours at the Operations Centre; the annual York Municipalities Public Works Challenge (May 20); and an Open House (May 23) that will feature educational displays, a Healthy Yards event, charity barbecue and heavy equipment vehicles that the public can climb aboard to learn what it’s like to be in the driver’s seat! Richmond Hill has participated in NPWW since 1997 to promote awareness of the services Public Works provides and their contribution to Richmond Hill’s great qualify of life. For more information, visit RichmondHill.ca/PublicWorksWeek or contact Grant Taylor, Director, Public Works Operations, at 905-780-2966.
Safe Drinking Water for Richmond Hill
In accordance with the Safe Drinking Water Act, 2002, Council received the 2014 Municipal Drinking Water System Report for Richmond Hill’s water distribution system. The report confirms Richmond Hill’s commitment to provide safe drinking water to the community. It also details Richmond Hill’s compliance with provincial standards for testing and reporting processes and its inspection rating of 100 per cent under the Ministry of the Environment’s Municipal Drinking Water Inspection Program. Rigorous sampling and testing throughout the drinking water system has been completed and confirms Richmond Hill’s drinking water is safe. The Report will soon be available for viewing on the website. For more information, visit RichmondHill.ca/Water or contact Diogo Oliveira, Manager, Water & Wastewater, 905-780-2971.
Protecting Our Local Environment
Richmond Hill Residents Have the Right to a Healthy Environment
On March 30, 2015, Richmond Hill became one of only three municipalities in Ontario to support the ‘Right to a Healthy Environment’. This declaration is in support of the David Suzuki Foundation’s Blue Dot pledge that has invited all levels of government to commit to people’s right to live in a healthy environment, including the right to breathing clean air, drinking clean water, accessing nature, etc. This declaration is further supported by Richmond Hill’s Environment Strategy, Greening the Hill: Our Community Our Future, which specifies goals, objectives, actions and timeframes for building a more environmentally sustainable community. The Town is committed to protecting, enhancing and restoring its local environment by fostering education and outreach, collaborating through partnerships, supporting the development of connected communities and will report out on its progress. Richmond Hill will forward a copy of the declaration to the provincial and federal government, the Association of Ontario Municipalities and the Federation of Canadian Municipalities. For more information, contact Terry Ricketts, Director of Environment Services at 905-747-6504.
Richmond Hill Wins Award for Innovative Stormwater Project
Council was presented the Ontario Public Works Association (OPWA) 2014 Project of the Year Award in the ‘Environment’ category for the newly rehabilitated Rumble Pond Park, one of Canada’s most innovative stormwater ponds. The award recognizes excellence in project management and partnerships. Rumble Pond, located at Bathurst and Mill Streets, was identified as having reached the end of its lifecycle and in need of upgrading. As a result, Richmond Hill partnered with stormwater agencies and industry leaders using their innovative strategies and technologies to bring the facility up to current standards for water quality, flood control and erosion control. Some of the unique features include filters that clean runoff water before it enters the pond, landscaping materials that allow water to absorb into the ground and adjustable controls that allow operators to monitor and regulate pond water levels. The facility also features recreational and educational space with walkways, benches, native vegetation, a pavilion, an island and interpretive signage for the community to learn from and enjoy. Visit RichmondHill.ca/RumblePond for details and to watch a video about the project. For more information, contact Terry Ricketts, Director of Environment Services at 905-747-6504.
Richmond Hill Adds Valleyland Restoration to Ten-Year Stormwater Capital Plan
Council approved a Ten-Year Capital Plan that combines the rehabilitation of both valleylands and stormwater management ponds. Over time urban development and weather conditions can change the nature of stormwater flow and cause erosion and flooding. Sediment can accumulate in stormwater management facilities that store rain and snowmelt to prevent flooding, and rivers that connect stormwater drainage routes (valleylands) can be become damaged. This in turn can affect the integrity of municipal infrastructure such as stormwater ponds, sewers, trails and culverts. Six valleyland and four stormwater management pond sites will be added to the 10-year capital plan and considered for rehabilitation within the next five years. These projects will stabilize valleyland areas and rehabilitate aging stormwater ponds to improve water quality treatment, erosion control and flood control. Extreme weather can destroy infrastructure as witnessed in other communities and this plan emphasizes the importance of being proactive to minimize those risks. To date, Pioneer Pond, Don Head West Pond and Rumble Pond have been rehabilitated. For more information, contact Terry Ricketts, Director of Environment Services at 905-747-6504.
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