RICHMOND HILL (Ontario)

SOMETHING FOR EVERYONE

Richmond Hill is an ideal destination for any type of traveler because it has something for everyone. When traveling to Richmond Hill, you will find that although it is small and not very developed, it offers a lot when it comes to shopping, nightlife and places of interest.

Richmond Hill is located in the central portion of Ontario, Canada. It is also part of the Greater Toronto Area because it is located three miles from the center of Toronto. The town is known as the “Rose Capital of the World” because of the high volume of rose production in the city. Since the 1990s, it has been considered as the fastest-growing community in Canada.

HOW IT BEGAN

When the Regional Municipality of York was established in the 1800’s, Richmond Hill’s borders were expanded from a small 1,700 acres to 27,000 acres. The town grew and so did the communities in it. In the 1970’s, the population of the place grew even larger and in 1976, home prices in Richmond Hill were the highest in Canada.

The town continued to grow ever since the 1990s mainly because of people’s migration from many different parts of the world. Today, Richmond Hill is considered as a multicultural town with an Italian community, Chinese language churches, Hindu temple and other facilities that cater to the needs of different races living in it.

YOU MIGHT WANT TO CHECK OUT...

╣parks and natural areas. Richmond boasts of 166 parks and 544 underdeveloped natural area ideal for recreation.

╣the Richmond Green Sports Center. It is considered as the largest park in the town, which has a skateboard park, two skating rinks, a number of baseball diamonds and an amphitheater that can accommodate 300 people.

╣the David Dunlap Observatory. Check out the schedule for their public viewing nights and see the largest optical telescope in Canada. They also host star talks during Saturday evenings from the month of May to October.

╣Mill Pond. This is another park located at Richmond Hill. From The name itself, the park is surrounded with an old mill pond. The park is home to many wildlife species such as beavers, geese, swans, ducks and raccoons. It is also the venue for several town events in the winter and even in the summer. It hosts the Richmond Hill Winter and Summer Carnivals held every year. Other parks in the town include the Ozark Park, Phyllis Rawlison Park and Sunset Beach Park.

╣Crosby Park and David Hamilton Park. These are two most known among several tennis courts located in the town.

╣various sports venues. Name your sport and Richmond Hill surely has something for you. Its recreational facilities include indoor and outdoor soccer fields, hockey arenas, water play area, indoor and outdoor swimming pools, playgrounds, bocce courts and more.

╣Wave Pool. This happens to be the largest public pool in Canada. It is just one of five public swimming pools the town has that are open to locals and tourists alike. Every summer, a “Concert in the Park” is held here, which features a specific children’s theme.

╣Richmond Heritage Center. If you are interested in the town’s history, this is the place for you. The place serves as a museum that features the history of the town.

╣Richmond Hill Center for the Performing Arts. Check this place out if you are interested in the performing arts. This venue offers quality performances related to art and music.

╣Richmond Hill Public. If you want to know more about the history of the town, you might want to go to this place. The Library contains the largest collections of Genealogical data in the York Region as well as books related to history.

╣several hotels, inns and lodges located in the town. High-end hotels include the Sheraton Parkway, Holiday Inn Express and Oak Inn. Hotels in the town vary in price so you can select those budget hotels or splurge on five-star hotels if you want to experience a luxury vacation in Richmond Hill.

╣wide array of stores Richmond has to offer. It has specialty stores, malls, local shops, mini-malls, plazas, home businesses and business parks that contain more than 4,000 stores. It is best to check the yellow pages if you have a specific store that you want to visit.

╣various malls in the town. Malls in Richmond Hill include the Hillcrest Mall, which is an extension of the department stores Zellers and The Bay. Stores in this mall include Merle Norman, The Gap, Maxx, Jacob, Le Chateau and Laura. It has a food court that features some of the favorites in Canada, like Mr. Sub, A&W and New York Fries.

╣various restaurants around the town. Because Richmond is home to diverse ethnicities, it allows you to experience international food cuisines through the many restaurants in the city. Downtown Richmond Hill is where you will find hundreds of restaurants that serve Japanese, Italian Indian, Chinese, British and other cuisines. Visiting Richmond is like giving yourself a short tour of the world.

╣several community events, festivals and celebrations held annually in the town. These are things to look forward to when visiting Richmond Hill. No matter what time of the year you visit, you are sure to see one of the many events in Richmond Hill. The town celebrates numerous events almost every month, which includes the Heritage Village Day, Canada Day, Winter Carnival, Summer Carnival, Santa Claus Parade, Concerts in the Park and several others. Whether you are into music, arts or religion-related celebrations, Richmond Hill surely has an event that suits your belief and preferences.

TOURISTS SHOULD KNOW

If you are traveling from Toronto, there are several buses traveling to Richmond Hill. You can take a bus run by the York Region Transit. If you are taking the Viva Blue Bus, it can take you to the center of the Richmond Hill faster. It is the recommended bus line if you are traveling to Richmond Hill because it makes fewer stops. If traveling from Toronto, travel time should only take 30 minutes.