The City of Richmond Hill has completed an environmental assessment to determine the best options to rehabilitate stormwater infrastructure in Mill Pond Park and adjacent City lands that are located along the Upper East Don River from north of Kerrybrook Drive to Regent Street. The study area is shown in the map on the reverse.

The study evaluated a range of options to rehabilitate the existing stormwater infrastructure in Mill Pond Park, the Heritage Estates Stormwater Facility and valleyland erosion sites north and south of Mill Pond.  

The preferred solution for each stormwater component is:

• Mill Pond (Alternatives B1a and B2): Partial sediment removal to improve water quality and ice conditions; modifications to the outlet to improve downstream aquatic habitat and reduce erosion.
• Heritage Estates Pond (Alternative A2): Sediment removal and pond retrofit will improve water quality treatment, better mitigate downstream erosion and reduce long-term maintenance associated with the existing outfall channel and trail crossing, as well as addressing safety slope issues.
• Heritage Estates Outfall Channel (Alternative A4): Rehabilitation of the outfall channel to address erosion concerns.
• Trail and River (Alternative C2): Sections of trail realignment, crossings reduction and localized erosion protection

The study has been conducted in accordance with Schedule B of the Municipal Class Environmental Assessment process. A Project File Report (Report) has been prepared, which documents the development and evaluation of alternative solutions and the preliminary design of the preferred solutions.  The Report is available for Public Review and comment on the City’s website at Richmondhill.ca/MillPondProject from December 21, 2023 to February 2, 2024. Alternative versions of this document are available upon request. Any outstanding concerns can be directed to the Project Lead, Kristina Delidjakova, at the City of Richmond Hill for a response (see contact information on the reverse).

In the event there are outstanding concerns regarding potential adverse impacts to constitutionally protected Aboriginal and treaty rights, a request for an order requiring higher level of study of conditions on those matters should be addressed in writing to the Minister of the Environment, Conservation and Parks and the Director of the Environmental Assessment Branch. Requests on other grounds will not be considered. Requests must be received by the Minister and Director at the addresses below by February 2, 2024, with a copy sent to the City’s Project Lead. If there are no requests by February 2, 2024, the City may proceed with design and construction of the project as documented in the Report.

City Staff Contact: 

Kristina Delidjakova

Water Resources Coordinator

City of Richmond Hill

225 East Beaver Creek

Richmond Hill, ON L4B 3P4

905-771-5539

Kristina.delidjakova@richmondhill.ca

Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks Contact:

Minister

Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks

777 Bay Street, 5th Floor

Toronto ON M7A 2J3

Minister.mecp@ontario.ca

Director

Environmental Assessment Branch

Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks

135 St. Clair Ave. West, 1st Floor

Toronto, ON M4V 1P5

EABDirector@ontario.ca

Any personal information is collected under the authority of the Municipal Act 2001, S.O. 2001, c.25, and the Environmental Assessment Act, R.S.O 1990, c. E.18. This information will be used and/or disclosed for the purposes of compiling comments, responses and related activities for the assessment process. Individuals who submit correspondence should be aware that any personal information in their communication will become part of the public record. The City will make it available to the public, unless the individual expressly requests the City to remove the personal information from the public record.  Questions about the collection of this information may be directed to Kristina Delidjakova, at 905-771-5539, 225 East Beaver Creek Rd, Richmond Hill, Ontario L4B 3P4.

This notice was issued December 21, 2023.