| Town Honoured With
Snow Storage Facility Award
February 2008

Council was presented with the 2007 Ontario
Public Works Association (OPWA) Technical Innovation Award
for the Town’s nationally-recognized Snow Storage Facility
project. The Town’s Snow Storage Facility is a leading,
innovative technology and the only one of its kind in Canada.
The Snow Storage Facility earned the award for being an innovation
of proven success of a significant advance in public works
service. The project began last winter when the Town was chosen
by Environment Canada for their pollution reduction study
arising from snow disposal site runoff. Instead of allowing
melt water to drain directly into storm sewers like most sites,
the Town’s state-of-the-art snow storage disposal site
includes an impervious deck to protect underlying ground water
from the melt water and instead directs the collected runoff
through a Stormceptor unit (oil/grit separator) and a water
quality pond, eventually discharging as clean water into a
tributary of the Rouge River. It is intended that once Environment
Canada’s research is complete, Richmond Hill’s
Snow Storage Facility will be promoted as the Canadian demonstration
project for snow storage and road salt management.
People Plan Richmond Hill Summit
November / December 2007

The People Plan Summit brought
together more than 60 individual participants and groups representing
many different facets of community interest including the
arts, culture, business, residential neighbourhoods, the environment
and recreation. Throughout this program of public discussion,
invited participants shared their thoughts about what Richmond
Hill should be like in the future. With the assistance of
a third-party consultant, participants engaged in various
table-top group activities with the intent to gather information
on the core strengths of Richmond Hill, the opportunities
for change, and the challenges for the future. They also developed
benchmarks for success of the implementation of the People
Plan. The Summit is the next step in the People Plan Richmond
Hill project, taking the visions outlined at the recent launch
and open houses and developing concrete ideas and actions
to achieve them.
iTrans Shares Award with the Town
November 2007

At the November 12, 2007 Council
Meeting, iTRANS Consulting shared an award they received from
the Consulting Engineers of Ontario with Council recognizing
the Town’s 2006 Transportation Master Plan (TMP). The
2006 TMP, prepared by iTRANS Consulting whom the Town hired,
provides a road map to accommodate travel demand in the Town
over the next 15 to 20 years. As the population and employment
continues to grow, additional pressures will be placed on
the Town's road system by cars, trucks, pedestrians and cyclists.
The objectives of the Transportation Master Plan are to enhance
the accessibility of the Town to accommodate its rapidly growing
population. For more information and to view the Town’s
Transporation Master Plan, click here.
Tastes of the Hill Cheque Presentations
November 2007

On November 12, 2007 Regional
& Local Councillor Vito Spatafora presented cheques to
the Mayor’s Endowment Fund for the Arts and the Richmond
Hill Food Bank from the proceeds of the recently held Tastes
of the Hill Multicultural Food Festival. Each group was presented
$18,500, making it the largest single cash donation ever to
the Food Bank. The Tastes of the Hill event was held on October
14 at the Richmond Green Sports Centre. Festival-goers were
able to enjoy a sensational variety of foods from over 40
vendors from Richmond Hill's finest dining establishments.
People Plan Richmond Hill Open House
November 2007

On October 26, nearly 900 members
of the community joined Mayor Dave Barrow and Members of Council
at the Town's first Eid Dinner Celebration, held in honour
of Richmond Hill's Muslim community. The event consisted of
a dinner provided by The Host Restaurant, as well as entertainment
by local artists Tanveer Badar, Mohammad Hashmi, Hassan Kashani,
Junita Ghandi, Shafique Farooqi and Asad. There were also
dancers and songs performed by special request in languages
such as Urdu, Punjabi, Gujrati and English. Proceeds from
the event go to the Mayor’s Endowment Fund for the Arts.
Eid Dinner Celebration
October 2007

On October 26, nearly 900 members
of the community joined Mayor Dave Barrow and Members of Council
at the Town's first Eid Dinner Celebration, held in honour
of Richmond Hill's Muslim community. The event consisted of
a dinner provided by The Host Restaurant, as well as entertainment
by local artists Tanveer Badar, Mohammad Hashmi, Hassan Kashani,
Junita Ghandi, Shafique Farooqi and Asad. There were also
dancers and songs performed by special request in languages
such as Urdu, Punjabi, Gujrati and English. Proceeds from
the event go to the Mayor’s Endowment Fund for the Arts.
Ramadaan, Eid & Thanksgiving
October, 2007

In an initiative started
by Mrs. Lubna Malik, award winning architect, artist &
poet, Mr. Mustafa Master of Richmond Hill was invited by the
Central Library to put up a large display related to Ramadaan
& Eid so that the local community can understand some
of the basic Islamic cultural & religious background and
beliefs as related to this season. >>
Full Story
Juvenile Diabetes Ride for a Cure
Event
October 2007

Juvenile Diabetes Ride
for a Cure Event
Richmond Hill Fire Department Open
House
October 6, 2007

Dave Barrow and Sparky
enjoying the Fire Department Open House.
Tastes of the Hill
October 4, 2007

On Thursday, October 14, Town of Richmond
Hill Mayor Dave Barrow, “Tastes
of the Hill” Chair Vito Spatafora and event sponsor
representatives
gathered at The Host Fine Indian Cuisine Restaurant to sample
some of the
many food choices that will be available at the upcoming “Tastes
of the Hill” Multicultural Food Festival. More
Info
Working in Partnership with the Jewish
Community
October 1, 2007

York Central Hospital (YCH) is demonstrating
its commitment to meeting the community’s cultural needs
by providing inclusive, comprehensive and effective care to
the rapidly expanding Jewish population in York Region.
>> Full Story
Eid Celebration Dinner Announcement
September 10, 2007

On September 10, 2007 Mayor Dave Barrow announced
that he will be hosting the Town’s first Eid Celebration
Dinner in honour of Richmond Hill’s Muslim community.
Eid is a traditional Islamic holiday that marks the end of
Ramadan, the month of fasting. For Muslims, Eid is a joyous
occasion of giving and sharing. It is a day of forgiveness,
moral victory, peace of congregation, fellowship, brotherhood
and unity. The Mayor is encouraging the community to come
out and learn more about Eid. For more information, click
here.
Crosby Park Family Fun Day
May 26, 2007

On May 26, 2007, Mayor Barrow, Members of Council,
representatives from the Richmond Hill Mobility Accessibility
Foundation and community residents came together at the Crosby
Park Family Fun Day to celebrate the official groundbreaking
and learn more about the upcoming, inclusive new park design.
The Town is redeveloping Crosby Park to provide opportunities
for recreation, outdoor enjoyment and social interaction for
people of all ages and abilities. Residents had the opportunity
to learn about some of the exciting new features available
in the near future, while also enjoying many fun-filled activities,
including: music, hot air balloon rides, face painting, giveaways
and a barbecue lunch at no cost. See
more pictures here.
Town
Unveils New By-law Enforcement ATVs
May 24, 2007

On May 24, 2007, Town of Richmond Hill By-law
Officers joined Mayor Dave Barrow, Members of Council and
representatives from York Regional Police and Suzuki Canada
to unveil new by-law enforcement patrol vehicles and honour
Suzuki Canada for their generous donation of the ATVs (All
Terrain Vehicles). Town By-law Enforcement staff will now
be going off-road to patrol problem areas where it is difficult
for officers to reach in a car or on foot. Areas of significant
concern include Town parks and trails, vacant private property,
as well as Oak Ridges Moraine lands where there is a high
usage of motorized vehicles (e.g. ATVs, motocross bikes, snow
mobiles, etc.).
York
Municipalities Public Works Challenge
May 23, 2007

As part of the 10th Annual National Public
Works Week, the Town's Engineering and Public Works department
hosted the Public Works Challenge, where staff from other
municipalites competed in various obstacle courses using public
works equipment. This year, the team from the Town of Newmarket
walked away the winners, taking home the coveted Miller Cup.
Also as part of the event, Mayors from all
nine area municipalities were joined by the CAO from the Region,
to compete in the annual Mayor's Challenge. Town of Richmond
Hill Mayor Dave Barrow used home field advantage to walk away
with bragging rights and a trophy presented by Enbridge. More
Pictures
Girl Guide Emergency
Preparedness Badge Presentation
May 7, 2007
As part of the Town's Emergency Preparedness
Week (May 6 to 12) celebrations, Mayor Barrow and Members
of Council were joined by M.P.P. Monte Kwinter and Deputy
Fire Chief, Brian Ellsworth on May 7, to officially present
the 6th Richmond Hill Girl Guides with their Emergency Preparedness
Challenge badges. With the help of Richmond Hill Fire Department,
the Guides learned how to define an emergency, develop family
emergency plans, create emergency survival kits, lifesaving
skills, water and fire safety, and how to contact emergency
services. In order to get their badges, the girls had to create
a poster that included items that would go into a 72-hour
emergency kit and be able to show what they would do if they
were caught in certain emergencies.
Click
here to see how the Girl Guides surprised Mayor Barrow.
Youth Friendly Town
May 1, 2007
Mayor Barrow attending the Provincial
Award Presentation to Richmond Hill
for being a "Youth Friendly Town"
Earth
Day 2007
April 22, 2007

Mayor Barrow with Councillors and Students,
planting trees for Earth Day 2007.

Mayor Barrow with Councillors
Lynn Foster and Godwin Chan, planting trees with Richmond
Hill students on Earth Day 2007.
Mayor's Character in Business Breakfast
April 17, 2007
Come and learn more about the
Character in Business program and create a work environment
that: raises morale, values the contributions of everyone,
recognizes outstanding achievement increases loyalty and builds
a strong team.
Mayor
Dave Barrow hosts the Town’s first Nowruz Celebration
March 31, 2007

Over 600 Richmond Hill residents and business
owners will joined Town of Richmond Hill Mayor Dave Barrow
as he hosted the Town’s first Nowruz Celebration (the
traditional Iranian New Year holiday), held in honour of Richmond
Hill’s Iranian community.
Mayor
Dave Barrow at Character Community Awards Night
March 29, 2007

Mayor Dave Barrow with the
Curtain Club, winners of the Pursuing Culture with Character
Award.
Ontario
Senior Games Winners Presentation
March 26, 2007

On March 26, 2007 on behalf of Council, Mayor
Dave Barrow presented Certificates of Appreciation to the
Richmond Hill winners of the Ontario Senior Games Winterfest
2007, held February 14-16 in Brockville, Ontario. These 10
winners are active members at McConaghy Seniors’ Centre.
In badminton, Art Chepelsky and Birti Somayaji and Ricky Tai
won Bronze; Armand Gradinetti and Monica Leung won Gold; and
Roberta Simon and Sunny Somayaji won Silver. In table tennis,
Ursula Lacock and Emilia Negulescu won Gold. More than 2,000
seniors aged 55 and older competed at Winterfest in activities
including, alpine and Nordic skiing, badminton, curling, ice
hockey, skating, volleyball, bowling, table tennis, snow shoeing
and squash.
More
Photos
Richmond Hill Joins Call for Fair
Health Care Funding for GTA/905
March 20, 2007

The Town of Richmond Hill Municipal Council
has joined a number of other communities across the GTA/905
by unanimously endorsing a resolution calling on the Ontario
Government to improve local access to hospital and health
care services by addressing the growing gap in health care
funding inequities facing residents in Richmond Hill, York
Region and other GTA/905 regions.
Read
Article
Mayor
Barrow and Councillor Chan receiving Madame Zhu Taoying, Consul
General of China
March 14, 2007

Mayor Barrow and Councillor Chan receiving
Madame Zhu Taoying, Consul General of China
Bowl
for Kids' Sake Raises $36,000
March 10, 2007

On March 10, 2007, Mayor Dave Barrow and Members
of Council participated in the 2007 Bowl for Kids' Sake at
the Pro Bowl in Richmond Hill. The Big Brothers, Big Sisters
Bowlathon in Richmond Hill Raised
$36,000.00
Mayor
Dave Barrow at Chinese New Years Celebration
March 3, 2007

Mayor Dave Barrow giving speech
at New Years Celebration
Mayor
Barrow Hosts Chinese New Year Celebration
March 1, 2007

On March 1, 2007, Mayor Dave Barrow hosted
the first Mayor's Celebration of the Chinese New Year, held
in honour of Richmond Hill's Chinese community, at Dun Huang
Chinese Cuisine. Proceeds from ticket sales will raise much-needed
funds for the arts through the newly-created Mayor’s
Endowment Fund for the Arts. The Fund will contribute to the
arts in Richmond Hill by providing local arts groups and individual
artists with the opportunity to apply for grants to sponsor
programs and performances. See
More Photos
Moraine
for Life Award Presentation
February 26, 2007

On February 26, Council was officially presented
with the Moraine for Life award the Town received for its
nomination in the Municipal Leadership category from the Oak
Ridges Moraine Foundation. The Moraine for Life awards are
given to recognize an individual, organization or agency that
has made a significant contribution to improving the ecology
and hydrology of the Moraine and the social well-being of
those who live and work on or downstream of the Moraine. The
Town was selected based on the leadership demonstrated by
the Parks, Recreation & Culture Department in providing
stewardship, educational initiatives and community involvement
specifically geared toward the Moraine and its surrounding
area.
Read Article
Bayview
Hill Expansion Grand Opening Ceremony
February 21, 2007

Mayor Dave Barrow and Members of Council; Town
staff; and representatives from the Centre for Information
and Community Services (CICS), Carefirst and the Ontario Trillium
Foundation celebrated the official opening of the new addition
to Bayview Hill Community Centre on February 21. The centre
has added a new wing to house seniors’ programs provided
by the Town, in partnership with CICS and Carefirst. The 4,000
square foot addition includes one large program room with
a divider wall, and an expanded lobby, all of which are wheelchair
accessible.
Liberal
Party Leader Stephane Dion Supports Smart Commute 404-7
February 17, 2007

Smart Commute 404-7, a transportation
management project of the Richmond Hill Chamber of Commerce
and the Markham Board of Trade, was the focus of attention
for federal Liberal leader Hon. Stéphane Dion and Richmond
Hill M.P. Hon. Bryon Wilfert on February 17. Mr. Dion discussed
efforts to alleviate traffic congestion and commuting alternatives:
carpooling, walking, cycling and transit. Other commuting
alternatives such as, teleworking, flex-time, compressed work
weeks, the Lunch Express bus service and the GTA-wide online
Carpool Zone were discussed, as well. Also on-hand for the
event were Mayor Dave Barrow and Councillors Arnie Warner,
David L. Cohen and Godwin Chan.
$2
Million Gift Supports Heritage and Culture February
10, 2007 
On February 10, the Honourable
Beverly J. Oda, Minister of Canadian Heritage and Status of
Women, presented Mayor Dave Barrow with a cheque in the amount
of $2 million to support the construction of the new Richmond
Hill Centre for the Performing Arts. Canada's New Government
provided this financial support through the Cultural Spaces
Canada program of the Department of Canadian Heritage.
Read Article
Mayor
Dave Barrow to Host Chinese New Year Celebration
February 8, 2007

Mayor Dave Barrow is hosting the Town’s
first Chinese New Year Celebration at Dun Huang Chinese Cuisine
in Richmond Hill on Thursday, March 1, 2007. Held in honour
of Richmond Hill’s Chinese community, proceeds from
this event will also benefit the Mayor’s Endowment Fund
for the Arts.
Read Article
Town's
Fire Prevention Program Honoured January
22, 2007 
On Monday, January 22 the Town of Richmond
Hill was presented with a Certificate of Compliance by Jeffrey
P. Dick from the Office of the Fire Marshal. The Certificate,
which indicates that the Town's Fire Department has, and continues
to provide the community with a high quality public education
program with respect to fire safety and certain components
of fire prevention, was accepted by Mayor Dave Barrow and
Deputy Fire Chief, Brian Ellsworth (on behalf of Fire Chief
Baker).
Police
Services Board Outstanding Citizen Award December,
2006 
Chair Dave Barrow presenting Leo McArthur with
the Police Services Board Outstanding Citizen Award.
Rotary
TV Auction on Rogers Cable December
2006 
Dave on Rogers Cable for the Annual Rotary
TV auction.
Juvenile
Diabetes Award December 16,
2006 
Councillor David Cohen, Councillor Arnie Warner,
Mayor Dave Barrow and Regional and Local Councillor Vito Spatafora
at a thank you ceremony from the Juvenile Diabetes Foundation.
Richmond Hill had several bike teams participate including
Council.
Suzuki
SUV Presentation - Fire Dept. Headquarters December
12, 2006 
Town of Richmond Hill Mayor Dave Barrow and
Fire Department staff accepted the keys to two Suzuki XL-7
sport utility vehicles generously provided by Suzuki Canada.
Read Article
Council
Inaugural December 4, 2006

Last night at the Inaugural Meeting of Richmond
Hill Council, the newly elected Mayor and Members of Council
got down to business by announcing to hundreds of attendees
their visions and plans for the Town for the next four years.
Read Article
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