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David West
Richmond Hill Ward 4 Councillor
Monthly Newsletter
October 2019
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Access Richmond Hill: 905-771-8800 -
After Hours Emergency Number: 905-884-8013
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Fall in Richmond Hill
I hope that everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving and were able to share this time with family and friends. It is clear to me that we have a great deal to be thankful for in this community and country.
This weekend the 17th Annual Richmond Hill Studio Tour takes place and I would encourage people to visit some of the stops on the Tour (more information on the locations of the studio tour can be found below in this e newsletter). We truly have a great number of talented artists in our community and during the Studio Tour this talent is on full display.
I wanted to thank all the citizens who helped make the First Richmond Hill Envirofest a success. The weather was perfect for this event at the Mill Pond Park. Guests came away with a great deal of information about how they can make a positive environmental difference in our community. We also planted a Butterfly Garden in a canoe beside the parking lot at the Mill Pond thanks to the Butteflyway Project by the David Suzuki Foundation. There is clearly a great deal more work to be done in tackling some significant environmental challenges in communities like ours. One of the goals of this event was to enable people to make a contribution to help address some of these challenges.
As always I welcome your questions, comments and feedback about any information contained in this e newsletter.
Sincerely,
David West
Ward 4 Councillor Richmond Hill
Cell 416-346-3090
Office 905-771-2480
Banner Photo - Beautiful fall day at Mill Pond Park. Photo courtesy of Chris Robart.
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Councillor Highlights
1. Richmond Hill Celebrates Culture days - September 27-29, 2019
Arts and Culture is an important foundation for a vibrant community like Richmond Hill. A number of years ago Council passed a Culture Plan to best
foster Arts and Culture in Richmond Hill. Since that time we have all enjoyed the fruits of this effort. As a member of Council, and as the Chair of the Cultural Leadership Council, I was pleased to raise the Culture Days flag with our staff, to mark the start of Culture Days in our community and across Canada. For more information on events happening in our area please visit
https://www.richmondhill.ca/en/things-to-do/culture-days.aspx
2. Mayor's State of the City Address
Mayor Dave Barrow delivered his annual
2019 State of the City Address at the Richmond Hill Board of Trade Mayor's Luncheon and Member Showcase recently.
This year's address focused on how Richmond Hill is continuing to grow and evolve, including by developing new partnerships to benefit our residents and businesses, supporting innovation, improving our efficiency and accountability as a service provider and building up our thriving community.
"I have personally watched Richmond Hill grow into a vibrant, dynamic, welcoming community, rich in culture and optimal for business," said Mayor Barrow. "We have become a place of diverse economic growth, of innovation and of community. We are sophisticated, competitive and truly deserving of being called a City - a change that we believe will create new opportunities. And while we can be proud knowing we have built a solid foundation, we must always be planning for the future."
3. Municipal Champions for Climate Action Meeting
I attended a newly formed Municipal Leaders group in Toronto recently that will be working towards practical action that Municipalities can take to reduce Greenhouse Gas emissions. It was great to hear from past Mayor of Toronto, David Miller about some of his ideas in this area.
It was also great to congratulate Toronto Councillor Mike Layton on Toronto's recent announcement regarding declaring a Climate Emergency, and the steps they will take to become carbon neutral in the coming decades.
I look forward to seeing Richmond Hill continue to do good work in this area as well.
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Richmond Hill Blooms Gala Winners
Richmond Hill Blooms is a program that encourages residents to play a role in making Richmond Hill a more beautiful place to live, work and play by creating attractive, colourful and well-maintained front gardens and recognizing them.
Every nominated residential front garden is acknowledged with a recognition sign for their garden as part of the Richmond Hill Blooms program two-step nomination. Following this recognition, a short list of best gardens are identified by Richmond Hill staff horticulturalists. The Richmond Hill Garden and Horticultural Society then select the top three gardens per ward based on the Ontario Horticultural Association's Garden and Special Planting Criteria.
On September 19th at the Richmond Hill Centre for the Performing Arts the top three residential gardens in each ward were announced and awarded a plaque. I congratulate all residents whose gardens were nominated and thank you for taking pride and the time to help beautify our already beautiful Ward 4.
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Congratulations to Anna Capporiccio
for receiving
1st place in Ward 4
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First Richmond Hill Ward 4 EnviroFest
The 1st Ward 4 EnviroF
est took place at Mill Pond Park on October 5th from 1-4pm under
sunny skies with cool breezes. I was pleased to host an event of this type and to focus on a number of local environmental issues including the recent Council approved Bee City and Mayor's Monarch Pledge for Richmond Hill, the important issues around reducing Single Use Plastics in our local environment, and the work being done in our community related to Climate Change.
These are all important issues and they were some of the many that were discussed at the event. EnviroFest hosted many community led environmental groups as well as our own Richmond Hill Environmental Education and Engagement staff who partnered with us to deliver information and take questions from residents related to how we can help create a greener environment.
A special thank you to our to our Sponsors - Miller Waste Systems, Healthy Planet and Cobs Bread, and to Kate Goodale from the Toronto Region Conservation Authority for conducting a guided nature walk around the Mill Pond. I also wanted to say a very special thank you to Georgie Horton-Baptiste from Manitou Rapids Rainy River First Nations community, who delivered a Water Talk and closed with an
Indigenous
Water Song.
The Natural Environment Division of the City planted a canoe-garden pollinator-friendly planting activity which is
part of the David Suzuki Foundation 'Butterflyway' project. This "garden in a canoe" can be seen just south of the parking lot at Mill and Trench Streets. By next spring it will be blooming and hopefully full of pollinator insects.
The event was well attended. The exhibitors had many visitors and answered many questions from residents about how they can make a positive difference, which was the purpose of the EnviroFest.
If you missed it this year we are hoping to make it an annual event so stay tuned for next year's details.
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Richmond Hill Art and Studio Tour 2019
The Art & Studio Tour showcases many different disciplines of art, providing visitors the opportunity to meet the artists in their homes, studios, or at community spaces. Historic and city venues such as the Richmond Hill United Church, Heritage Centre, Elgin Barrow Arena and Boynton House provide unique backdrops for the artist's exhibits. The Curtain Club Theatre and Richmond Hill Centre for the Performing Arts add a creative atmosphere for the Tour. The Mill Pond Card and Gift Store and the OceanArt Gallery, pair the artists with creative industries in Richmond Hill.
The connections made between the artists, community and local businesses builds support for the arts and demonstrate that Richmond Hill is a vibrant city. Be sure to enjoy this self-guided free tour throughout Richmond Hill and visit as many sites as possible. If you prefer book your spot for $20 on one of three art buses running during the Tour and leave the driving to someone else. The artists are looking forward to meeting you!
For more information please click here or call 905-787-1441 ext. 222.
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Twickenham Pond Rehabilitation Project
In an effort to ensure that our residents are properly protected from flooding during storm events, and to ensure our future capacity to deal with larger storms it is important that our stormwater ponds operate at peak efficiency. As a part of this process work is commencing to provide rehabilitation of a series of ponds in the Twickeham Park area. Anyone living in this area is invited to join the meeting described below.
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York Region Water and Wastewater
Master Plan
Open House
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Yellow Brick House
Break the Silence - Step in My Shoes!
Again this year, I will be walking in support of the work that Yellow Brick House has been doing around the elimination of domestic violence in our community. This year's walk will be hosted at St. Andrew's College in Aurora on November 3rd. I hope you can join us. For more information or to register to participate please visit
yellowbrickhouse.org
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2020 Richmond Hill Arts Awards
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Community and Cultural Grant Program
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RHCPA Speaker Series
Thursday, October 17, 2019 (10am to 12pm) ~ Dr. Aurel Braun: Assessing the Middle East Chessboard
Thursday, October 24, 2019 (10am to 12pm) ~ Carolyn Harris: Royal Parenting from Medieval to Modern Times
November 7, 2019 (10am to 12pm) ~ Ted Barris: The Great Escape: A Canadian Story
To purchase tickets click on your preference. Or call the box office at 905 787-8811
- Speaker Series (all 6 daytime talks) - $70 . click HERE
- Bernie Farber - $20 Click HERE
- Speaker series + Bernie Farber - $85. Please call the box office to purchase this discounted package
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Great Things To See And Do Around Town
Looking for interesting things to do this month in our Community? Look no further - below is a listing of various community events that I would like to promote on behalf of the various organizers
Hill House Hospice
Catch the Ace Proressive Lottery
What is Catch the Ace?
Catch the Ace Lottery is a Progressive Lottery.
Each week tickets are sold for the opportunity to select the Ace of Spades from a deck of 52 regular playing cards. Prior to the draw, each of the 52 playing cards were placed in brown envelopes. The envelopes were shuffled and numbered 1 to 52.
When tickets are purchased the buyer chooses an envelope number from a list of available numbers, then enters the number on their ticket.
Each week one ticket is drawn. The holder of that ticket automatically wins 20% of that week's sales. The envelope number noted on the ticket is opened. If the card inside is not the Ace of Spades the card is destroyed and is no longer available for future draws. If the envelope selected is the Ace of Spades then the lottery is finished and the ticket holder wins the weekly prize plus the Ace of Spades pot.
Each week the Ace of Spades progressive pot grows by 30% of the weekly sales.
Each week the lucky winner of the draw receives 20% of the weekly sales.
50% of the weekly sales will go to Hill House Hospice.
TRCA Fall Events
Project 99A Book Drive
Richmond Hill United Church
Sat., Nov. 2nd, 2019
11am - 1pm
10201 Yonge St., Richmond Hill, ON, L4C 3B2
Lower Centennial Hall
Adult & children's books welcome
Project 99A is a Richmond Hill based not-for-profit focused on elevating global literacy.
FALL 2019
OPTION 1
Saturday October 5 and Sunday October 6
9 AM - 4:30 PM
LOCATION: Delmanor Retirement Residence
80 Elgin Mills Road E.Richmond Hill, ON L4C 0L3
Lunch included courtesy of Delmanor Retirement Residence
OPTION 2
Saturday November 30 and Saturday December 7
9AM - 4:30 PM
LOCATION: Richmond Hill United Church
10201 Yonge St. Richmond Hill, ON L4C 3B2
FACILITATED BY: Susan Kagan
COST: $195.00 per person. Includes MHFA manual
One in five people will experience a mental health problem in their lifetime. As a result, this course was developed to help people provide initial support to someone who may be developing a mental health problem or is experiencing a mental health crisis. This 12 hour course teaches mental health first aid skills.
MHFA training will teach the participants to:
- Recognize the symptoms of mental health problems
- Provide initial help
- Guide a person toward appropriate professional help
- Provide help to prevent the mental health problem from becoming more serious
- Reduce stigma towards those experiencing mental health problems
Who should attend?
Everyone can benefit from MHFA Canada training - members of the general public, teachers, health services providers, university students, emergency workers, frontline workers who deal with the public, volunteers, human resource professionals, employers, community groups.
A Resilient Evening: Anthropocene Film Screening and Filmmaker Q and A
presented by City of Richmond Hill
November 12 - 7:00 p.m.
Join us for a
FREE screening of the documentary film, Anthropocene: The Human Epoch. Filmed over four years on six of seven continents in 20 countries and 43 different locations, Anthropocene: The Human Epoch is a documentary film that explores human impact on the Earth. Come experience the powerful imagery captured by the multiple-award winning team of Jennifer Baichwal, Nicholas de Pencier, and Edward Burtynsky.
Film presentation begins at 7 p.m.; followed by a question and answer session with Canadian filmmaker, Jennifer Baichwal.
Before the film begins, learn more about community organizations taking action on climate change. You can also engage with City staff to help shape the development of the Community Energy and Emissions Plan.
Richmond Hill Historical Society
The Dam Busters
November 18 - 7:30 pm
Richmond Hill Presbyterian Church
Speaker: Ted Barris, Journalist and Author
Noted a
uthor and journalist Ted Barris returns to the Richmond Hill Historical Society for a third time to talk about his latest book The Dam Busters: Canadian Airmen and the Secret Raid Against Nazi Germany. Ted is an engaging and entertaining speaker who is always a favourite with our group.
Please note that there will be a $10 admission fee for this event for all attendees
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Ward 4 Community Corner - Your Shot
Beautiful shots taken at the
Ward 4 EnviroFest - Mill Pond Park
October 5, 2019
Photos courtesy of Chris Robart
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ARTIFACT OF THE MONTH
Jelly Sieve
From the City of Richmond Hill Collection
Courtesy of: Cheryl Butler 015.03.1.1-3
October was still the harvest time and preparation for a long winter. Crops needed to be brought in, including the last of the fruit such as berries, peaches and apples. The farmer's wife needed to preserve everything she could, making jams and jellies so the family could have a taste of fruit during the cold months. This sieve was used to make sure no seeds or skin ended up in the jelly. The fruit was cooked and then the juice was forced through the sieve using the wooden mortar, which left the seeds and flesh behind. Nothing was wasted as the mashed flesh could be used for a pie or in jams.
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