Richmond Hill
Richmond Hill, population 162,704, is a town located in Southern Ontario, Canada in the central portion of York Region, Ontario. It is part of the Greater Toronto Area, being located about halfway between Toronto and Lake Simcoe. It is about 5 kilometres north of the Toronto city limit, Steeles Avenue and about 20 kilometres north of the downtown core of Toronto. It is the third most populous municipality in York Region and the 28th most populous municipality in Canada.
Once considered the "Rose Capital of the World", Richmond Hill has in recent years seen a huge population upsurge, being Canada's fastest-growing community in the 1990s. The town is home to the world-renowned David Dunlap Observatory telescope. It is twinned with Lakeland, Florida.
Richmond Hill has 166 parks, under the Town of Richmond Hill Parks, Recreation, and Culture department, of which most are small urban parks and 544 hectares of undeveloped natural area for recreation. The largest such park is Richmond Green Sports Centre and Park which includes several baseball diamonds, 2 skating rinks, a 300-person amphitheatre and a skateboard park. The Town also has a total of 5 public swimming pools, including Canada's largest indoor Wave Pool. Additionally, each summer, the town features a concert series entitled "Concerts in the Park". Each concert has a specific theme, such as children's music and "The Beach Boys", and all are very popular. These series are held by Mill Pond and the Richmond Green. The Richmond Hill Heritage Centre serves as a museum of the town's history. It also runs a variety of programmes related to the town's history.[16] The town is also home the Richmond Hill Country Club, which features an 18 Hole championship layout at the Richmond Hill Golf Club, and the Bloomington Downs Golf Course.
In 2009, Richmond Hill Centre for the Performing Arts was opened. This 43,000-square-foot (4,000 m2) multi-use cultural facility offers quality entertainments of art and music.
Richmond Hill was a winner in the 2003 National Communities in Bloom competition, with a special mention about the town's floral displays.