Richmond Hill is at the geographic centre of the GTA and at the heart
of York Region. Once again, as it was in its early years, the community
finds itself in a strategic location. And once again, prosperity has
followed.
First and foremost, Richmond Hill prides itself as a pleasant and
convenient place to live and raise a family. While it is adjacent to
Toronto and all that the megacity has to offer, it’s also somewhat
removed in terms of lifestyle and character. Richmond Hill’s motto sums
it up succinctly: “A little north, a little nicer”.The community’s
rich history has been preserved through its many historic churches and
buildings, and the downtown has been restored to its former prominence
and splendour by a recent beautification project. It’s also a
recreation paradise with more than 166 parks, open spaces, protected
glacial lakes, and an extensive network of bicycle paths. And of
course, as a modern city, Richmond Hill has all the amenities---from
shopping to services---which residents demand.
A highly developed road network provides residents and local businesses
with easy access to major north-south corridors, such as Yonge Street
and Highways 404 and 400, as well as major east-west corridors such as
Highways 7, 401 and 407. Public transit is just as well developed.
Go
Transit, for example, operates regular rail service between Richmond
Hill and downtown Toronto which reaches its destination in less than 40
minutes. York Region Transit and GO provide bus transportation
throughout Richmond Hill and to other communities in York Region. York
Region is in the early stages of creating a new rapid transit network
that will be a real alternative to driving cars.
In increasing numbers, people are coming to appreciate all that
Richmond Hill has to offer. Between 1996 and 2001, it saw a 58%
increase in population, making it one of the fastest growing “large”
(100,000+) municipalities in Canada. 160,000 people currently call
Richmond Hill home, and this number is expected to rise to 219,000 by
2026.The population base is an affluent one, as well. More than 50 per cent of
families have an income greater than $70,000, and more than 30% over
$100,000.
This affluence is good news for area businesses and industries, which
have been growing to keep pace with the swelling population. The
economic base of Richmond Hill is diverse, with the number of firms
growing by 50 per cent in the last 10 years, and no one single sector
dominating. Of note is Richmond Hill’s position on the cutting edge of
the new information technology sector, which bodes well for the future.
And for fun, Richmond Hill has something for everyone’s tastes. Stroll
and shop through the historic downtown core, golf at one of many local
courses, visit the David Dunlap Observatory, where the first black hole
was discovered in 1972, or immerse yourself in local history at the
Richmond Hill Heritage Centre.