Notice of Intention to Designate

The Corporation of the City of Richmond Hill 

Take notice that the Council of the Corporation of the City of Richmond Hill (“Council”) intends to designate the above noted property as a property of cultural heritage value or interest under part IV and pursuant to section 29 of the Ontario Heritage Act, R.S.O. 1990,c.0.18.

And take notice that the Council of the Corporation of the City of Richmond Hill stated their intention to designate said property under the Ontario Heritage Act on April 8^th, 2026.

A statement explaining the cultural heritage value or interest of the property and a description of the heritage attributes of the property is set out below.

Notice of Objection:

Any person who objects to the above noted Council’s intention to designate shall, within 30 days after the publication of this notice, serve on the Clerk of the City of Richmond Hill, a Notice of Objection setting out the reason for the objection and all relevant facts. The last day to submit the Notice of Objection is May 15^th, 2026.

Service may be made digitally by email to clerks@richmondhill.ca or by delivery personally to the City Clerk or by Regular Mail at the following address:

Obtaining Additional Information:

Additional information about heritage planning at the City of Richmond Hill may be obtained by contacting Heritage Planning City staff by e-mail at heritage@richmondhill.ca. Take note that a Notice of Objection may only be served to the Clerk of the City of Richmond Hill as stated above.

Dated this 15^th day of April, 2026

Statement of Significance

10030 Yonge Street – St. Mary’s Anglican Church

St. Mary’s Anglican Church property at 10030 Yonge Street is recommended for designation under Part IV, Section 29 of the Ontario Heritage Act as a property of cultural heritage value or interest, as described in the following Statement of Significance. The subject property has been found to meet Ontario Regulation 9/06 criteria 1, 2, 4, 6, 7, 8, and 9.

Description of Property

The St. Mary’s Anglican Church property at 10030 Yonge Street is a church complex containing the 1872 Chapel, the 1964 Addition (comprised of the 1964 Main Church and 1964 Administrative Corridor), and the 1956 Wrixon Hall. The property is located on the west side of Yonge Street, north of Major Mackenzie Drive West, and within the boundaries of the historical village of Richmond Hill. Only the 1872 Chapel and 1964 Main Church have been found to possess significant cultural heritage value and heritage attributes.

Design and Physical Value

The St. Mary’s Anglican Church property has design and physical value because its 1872 Chapel is a representative example of the Gothic Revival architectural style applied to the ecclesiastical building typology. Architectural features that contribute to the Chapel’s Gothic Revival style applied to the ecclesiastical typology include (but are not limited to) the building’s generally rectangular footprint, central square bell tower with octagonal slate-roofed spire and finial, dichromatic brick construction, buttresses, lancet-arched window and door openings, and stained-glass windows with wooden tracery.

The St. Mary’s Anglican Church property also has design and physical value because its 1964 Main Church is a representative example of the Modernist architectural style applied to the ecclesiastical building typology. Architectural features that contribute to the church’s modernist architectural style applied to the ecclesiastical typology include (but are not limited to) its A-frame form featuring a steeply-pitched roof and low walls, the nave’s elongated rectangular footprint, skylights, geometric stained-glass windows, and unornamented exterior elevations.

Therefore, the subject property meets O. Reg. 9/06 Criterion 1: The property has design value or physical value because it is a rare, unique, representative or early example of a style, type, expression, material or construction method.

The St. Mary’s Anglican Church property also has design and physical value for the high degree of craftsmanship and artistic merit displayed in the stained-glass windows located in the 1872 Chapel and 1964 Main Church. St. Mary’s features stained-glass windows created by different artists, including Robert McCausland Ltd., Luxfer Studios Ltd., Gerald Tooke, Angus Macdonald, and Neil Mann, and many windows were made to commemorate significant Anglican Church members. While the 1872 Chapel featured stained-glass window units in the 19^th century, the building’s ageing windows were gradually replaced by the extant stained-glass units beginning in 1937. In the 1964 Main Church, many of the stained-glass windows date back to the building’s construction in 1964, with some units installed in the later 20^th century. As such, the stained-glass windows at St. Mary’s reflect different artistic styles, ranging from traditional painted biblical scenes to abstract modernist works. Stained-glass windows at St. Mary’s Anglican Church include the Patton Window (1937), The Palmer Window (1941), The Arnold Window (1950), the Baptistery Window (1964), and the Nave Windows (1964).

Therefore, the subject property meets O. Reg. 9/06 Criterion 2: The property has design value or physical value because it displays a high degree of craftsmanship or artistic merit.

Historical and Associative Value

The St. Mary’s Anglican Church property has historical and associative value because of its direct associations with the Anglican Church. St. Mary’s is a long-standing congregation within Richmond Hill dating back to 1844 and is significant for being Richmond Hill’s first Anglican congregation. In its early years after Richmond Hill was first settled, the local Anglican community would travel to Thornhill for religious services, and then worshipped at Duncumb’s Hall on Yonge Street between 1863 and about 1870. Following a fire at Duncumb’s Hall, the community rallied to fundraise for a new dedicated church building, which opened in 1872. In subsequent years the congregation grew, expanding the church grounds to accommodate the 1964 Main Church. St. Mary’s has been active within the Richmond Hill community since its formation, and has provided social and charity work, education, and social events in addition to its religious services.

The St. Mary’s Anglican Church property also has historical and associative value because it has direct associations with the theme of Postwar church expansion and construction resulting from significant population growth in suburban communities across Canada during this period. Together, the 1872 Chapel and 1964 Main Church illustrate the evolution and expansion of suburban church properties in the Postwar period as they responded to massive population booms in the 1950s and 1960s. When St. Mary’s was first constructed in 1872, it consisted of a small brick church (“the 1872 Chapel”). However, in the 1950s and 1960s, Richmond Hill’s population grew exponentially, with a jump from 2,164 residents in 1951 to 16,446 in 1961. In response to growing population and congregation numbers, St. Mary’s Church constructed its 1964 Main Church to provide more space for the church. The 1872 Chapel and 1964 Main Church are physical reminders of how St. Mary’s Anglican Church has grown and evolved from a small village church to a large suburban church over the course of the 19^th and 20^th centuries.

Therefore, the subject property meets O. Reg. 9/06 Criterion 4: The property has historical value or associative value because it has direct associations with a theme, event, belief, person, activity, organization or institution that is significant to a community.

The St. Mary’s Anglican Church property also has historical and associative value because its 1964 Main Church demonstrates the work of the prolific Toronto-based architecture firm Brown, Brisley & Brown. At the time the 1964 Main Church was built, the firm featured architects Francis Bruce Brown (“Bruce Brown”), E.F. Ross Brisley, and Douglas Brown. Throughout the 20^th century, the firm designed over a hundred Protestant churches, making their designs significant to Protestant communities across Ontario. While the firm initially employed the Gothic Revival architectural style in its early work, it designed primarily Modernist churches in the 1950s and 1960s. Architect Bruce Brown also served as the Architectural Consultant to the Home Mission and Church Edifice Boards of the Baptist Convention in Ontario and Quebec and the president of the Royal Architectural Institute of Canada from 1964-1965.

The St. Mary’s Anglican Church property also has historical and associative value because its 1872 Chapel and 1964 Main Church demonstrate the work of Robert McCausland Ltd., a highly prominent and prolific firm that has been designing and restoring stained-glass windows for over 170 years. Started in the 1850s as Joseph McCausland and Sons, the company has produced stained-glass windows that can be found on numerous historic and landmark structures throughout Canada, including Old City Hall (Toronto), the Bank of Montreal building (now the Hockey Hall of Fame, Toronto), and countless churches. With McCausland windows present in historic and contemporary Protestant and Catholic churches across Canada, the firm’s work is of particular significance to religious communities. Robert McCausland Ltd. produced 13 windows in the 1872 Chapel and 1964 Main Church, including (but not limited to) the Porch and Bell Tower Windows (1937), Palmer Window (1941), and Mason Window (1958) in the 1872 Chapel and the Leno Window (1987) in the 1964 Main Church.

Therefore, the subject property meets O. Reg. 9/06 Criterion 6: The property has historical value or associative value because it demonstrates or reflects the work or ideas of an architect, artist, builder, designer or theorist who is significant to a community.

Contextual Value

The St. Mary’s Anglican Church property has contextual value because its 1872 Chapel is important in defining and maintaining the predominantly 19^th- and early 20^th-century main street character of Yonge Street in Richmond Hill’s village core. North of the subject property, Yonge Street features a predominantly 19^th- and early 20^th-century “main street” character, which is typified by a mixture of historical low-rise commercial, mixed-used, and institutional buildings (including churches, schools, and a post office). The subject property also contributes to the historical character of Richmond Hill’s village core more broadly, which includes commercial and institutional built form along Yonge Street and residential built form located on side streets east and west of Yonge Street.

Therefore, the subject property meets O. Reg. 9/06 Criterion 7: The property has contextual value because it is important in defining, maintaining or supporting the character of an area.

The St. Mary’s Anglican Church property has further contextual value as its 1872 Chapel and 1964 Main Church are visually and historically linked to their surroundings within a grouping of institutional buildings on the west side of Yonge Street between Major Mackenzie Drive and Arnold Crescent. These institutional buildings were all erected on lands originally owned and donated by the prominent Arnold and Miles families in the 19^th century. The original Anglican Church lot was donated by the Arnold family for the erection of an Anglican Church in 1871 and was expanded through a subsequent land donation in 1879. To the north, the Presbyterian Church lands were donated by the Miles family in 1821, and the M. L. McConaghy Public School (established as the Richmond Hill Public School in 1847) was also built on lands donated by the Miles family.

Therefore, the subject property meets O. Reg. 9/06 Criterion 8: The property has contextual value because it is physically, functionally, visually or historically linked to its surroundings.

The St. Mary’s Anglican Church property also has contextual value as the 1872 Chapel is a local landmark within Richmond Hill’s historical village core. The church is sited at a prominent and highly visible location atop a hill along Yonge Street, where it has served as a marker for the local community since its construction in 1872. The church is a local landmark due to its prominent scale, tall spire, distinct historical ecclesiastical character and high level of design, and longstanding role as a religious and community gathering space.

Therefore, the subject property meets Ont. Reg. 9/06 Criterion 9: The property has contextual value because it is a landmark.

Heritage Attributes

Design and Physical Value

The heritage attributes of the St. Mary’s Anglican Church property that contribute to its value as a representative example of the Gothic Revival style applied to the ecclesiastical typology are:

1872 Chapel exterior attributes

• The scale, form, and massing of the Chapel with a generally rectangular footprint;
• The front-gabled roof;
• The buff brick construction with decorative masonry detailing, including: 
  • Dichromatic brick detailing in the banding and arches;
  • Brick parapet end walls;
  • Brick buttresses;
  • Carved stone brackets on the east porch and parapet wall;
• The stone foundation;
• The symmetrical organization of the front (east) and side (north and south) elevations;
• The square bell tower with octagonal spire on the chapel’s front (east) elevation, including: 
  • The blue slate shingles with buff slate shingle banding;
  • The finial;
• The gable-roofed side wing projecting from the south (side) elevation;
• The windows, including: 
  • The assortment of lancet-arched, flat-arched, and roundel window openings;
  • The brick voussoirs and stone sills;
  • The leaded stained-glass units, some with wooden tracery;
  • The louvered window units;
  • The gable-roofed dormers on the spire;
• The doors, including:
  • The lancet-arched door opening on the main (east) elevation surrounded by a brick porch and featuring brick doorjambs and historical wood double door units with decorative metal hinge details;
  • The triangular-arched door opening on the east elevation of the south side wing;

1872 Chapel interior attributes

• The vaulted ceiling of the nave, with carved wooden ribs;
• The lancet-arched opening between the nave and the chancel.

The heritage attributes of the St. Mary’s Anglican Church property that contribute to its value as a representative example of the Modernist architectural style applied to the ecclesiastical typology are:

1964 Main Church exterior attributes

• The scale, form, and massing of the 1964 Main Church with a generally rectangular plan and A-frame form;
• The steeply-pitched front-gable roof with a low eave line;
• The stone veneer and exposed aggregate exterior;
• The semi-circular baptistery projecting from the east (side) elevation featuring projecting concrete fins;
• The windows, including:
  • The flat-arched window openings at ground-floor level arranged in continuous horizontal strips on all elevations;
  • The assortment of original stained- and clear-glass units at ground-floor level (where extant);
  • The skylights atop the roof peak;

• The two sets of wooden double doors with transoms on the front (north) façade.

1964 Main Church interior attributes

• The A-frame ceiling of the nave with exposed beams and pillars;
• The interior wall finishes of the nave, including stone veneer, brick and wood paneling;
• The geometric balcony at the north end of the nave, finished with wood paneling and brass railings.
• The heritage attributes that contribute to the value of the St. Mary’s Anglican Church property for its high degree of craftsmanship and artistic merit are:
• The stained-glass window units within the 1872 Chapel and 1964 Main Church.

Historical and Associative Value

The heritage attributes of the St. Mary’s Anglican Church property that contribute to the value of the property for its associations with the Anglican Church and with the theme of Postwar church construction are:

• The scale, siting and orientation of the 1872 Chapel and 1964 Main Church on the west side of Yonge Street, north of Major Mackenzie Drive;
• The 1872 Chapel’s Gothic Revival architectural style and material palette and the 1964 Main Church’s Modernist architectural style and material palette, both applied to the ecclesiastical typology.

The heritage attributes that contribute to the value of the St. Mary’s Anglican Church property for its associations with the architecture firm Brown, Brisley & Brown are:

• The 1964 Main Church’s Modernist architectural style and material palette, applied to the ecclesiastical typology.

The heritage attributes that contribute to the value of the St. Mary’s Anglican Church property for its associations with glassworks producer Robert McCausland Ltd. are:

• The McCausland stained-glass windows in the 1872 Chapel and 1964 Main Church, including:
  • The Patton Window in the 1872 Chapel;
  • The Campbell Window in the 1872 Chapel;
  • The Porch and Bell Tower Windows in the 1872 Chapel;
  • The Women’s Auxiliary Window in the 1872 Chapel;
  • The Carter Window in the 1872 Chapel;
  • The Palmer Window in the 1872 Chapel;
  • The Crockett Window in the 1872 Chapel;
  • The Arnold Window in the 1872 Chapel;
  • The Mason Window in the 1872 Chapel;
  • The three undedicated windows in the 1872 Chapel;
  • The Leno Window in the 1964 Main Church.

Contextual Value

The heritage attributes of the St. Mary’s Anglican Church property that contribute to the contextual value of the property for defining and maintaining the predominantly late 19^th- and early 20^th-century main street character of Yonge Street, for links to its surroundings, and for being a landmark are:

• The scale, siting and orientation of the 1872 Chapel and 1964 Main Church on the west side of Yonge Street, north of Major Mackenzie Drive;
• The 1872 Chapel’s Gothic Revival architectural style and material palette and the 1964 Main Church’s Modernist architectural style and material palette, both applied to the ecclesiastical typology.

Note: Wrixon Hall and the 1964 Administrative Corridor linking the 1872 Chapel and 1964 Main Church are not considered to possess heritage attributes.