History of South Richvale

Situated in the midst of a road, at 525 Carrville Road stands a single story house made of board and batten. This charming abode is believed to have been constructed around 1819 by Rowland Burr, who operated a mill along the banks of the East Don River. Nowadays this significant residence is under the ownership of the Richmond Hill Historical Society.

Goes by the name of Burr House Craft Gallery and Tea Room. It now serves as the headquarters for The Burr House Spinners and Weavers Guild providing community based programs for individuals interested in fiber arts such as spinning, weaving, knitting, quilting, dyeing, felting, basketry and tapestry. These valuable skills would have been greatly cherished by the pioneers who originally settled in this area.

South Richvale emerged as one of Torontos suburbs for commuters. Its development coincided with the establishment of Richvale Public School in 1923 followed by Richvale Post Office in 1932. The majority of development occurred during the 1950s while North Richvale took shape in the 1960s and 1970s.

Previously part of Don Head Farm renowned for its livestock breeding program that included Southdown sheep from England, Aberdeen Angus cattle, from Scotland and award winning Jersey Dairy cows.

Lifestyle

Hillcrest Mall, situated at 9350 Yonge Street south of Major Mackenzie Drive, on the side of Yonge has recently completed an expansion and renovation. Alongside this transformation they are also introducing exciting high quality retailers such as Indigo, Marshalls+Homesense, Swarovski, Carbon and Old Navy.

What sets Hillcrest apart is that it’s the shopping centre in Richmond Hill that is fully enclosed. It boasts a state of the art Hudsons Bay as its anchor store along with favorites like Aritzia, Sephora and Sporting Life. With over 100 stores to choose from in total there’s something for everyone, at Hillcrest Mall.

Richvale Community Centre and Pool

The Richvale Community Centre and Pool situated at 160 Avenue offers both an adult pool and a pool, for children along with community meeting rooms. Beside it is the Richvale Athletic Park, which features sports fields baseball diamonds, a splash pad, walking trails and more.

Morgan Boyle Park, located in the heart of the neighbourhood on Pearson Avenue is a standout among parks. This bustling green space received upgrades as part of Canadas 150th anniversary celebrations. It now boasts a playground for children a splash pad, sports fields and two tennis courts.

Hunters Point Wildlife Park provides an escape within the area of Richvale. Nestled away, from the street this park offers a tranquil walking trail and a small playground area.

Transit

In this neighbourhood there are a total of 112 transit stops. One of the rail stations available is Langstaff GO. It’s worth noting that in South Richvale the majority of commuters rely on vehicles to get around and many of them commute, to neighbouring cities.

Destination of Residents Commute

• Commute within the city – 22%
• Commute to another city – 76%

Various Modes of Commuting

• Vehicle – 80%
• Transit – 14%
• Walk/bike – 4%

Duration of Residents Commutes

• 15 to 29 minutes – 34%
• 30 to 44 minutes – 23%
• 45 to 59 minutes – 11%
• 60 minutes and over – 16%
• Less than 15 minutes – 14%

Greensborough Markham Elementary, Secondary, High Schools

The South Richvale area boasts elementary and secondary schools, both of which offer special programs. In total there are 9 schools and 8 Catholic schools catering to the needs of the community. These programs include options such, as French Immersion, International Baccalaureate, Advanced Placement and Fine Arts.

• Public Schools: 9
• Catholic Schools: 8

Public

• Rosedale Heights PS
• Ross Doan PS
• Académie de la Moraine
• Roselawn PS
• Charles Howitt PS
• ÉS Norval-Morrisseau
• Langstaff SS
• Adrienne Clarkson PS
• Baythorn PS

Catholic

• St Anthony Catholic ES
• ÉSC Renaissance
• ÉÉC Le-Petit-Prince
• Blessed Scalabrini Catholic ES
• St Charles Garnier Catholic ES
• St Theresa of Lisieux Catholic HS
• St Elizabeth Catholic HS
• St Robert Catholic HS

South Richvale Parks & Facilities

You’ll find plenty of fun at the parks and recreational facilities, in this area. The neighbourhood parks offer playgrounds for children as sports parks. There are a total of nine parks in this neighbourhood with a combined 37 facilities. On average each park has, around four amenities to enjoy.

• Number of Parks: 9
• Number of Recreation Facilities: 37

Recreation Facilities in Neighbourhood Parks

• Playgrounds – 4
• Pool – 1
• Tennis Courts – 17
• Basketball Court – 1
• Ball Diamonds – 3
• Sports Fields – 2
• Skateboard Park – 1
• Golf Course – 1
• Sledding Hill – 1
• Outdoor Games Facility – 1
• Country Club – 1
• Trails – 4

South Richvale Homes

In the part of Richvale specifically located south of Carrville Road you’ll find a collection of premium lots. Initially the housing, in this area was rather humble primarily consisting of bungalows. However over time these have been replaced by custom designed homes featuring stonework and brickwork along with multiple garages.

Moving to the section of Richvale, which lies north of Carrville Road you’ll discover a range of housing options. These include detached homes, link style homes and townhomes. While the lots here aren’t as large as those in Richvale and the houses themselves are smaller, in size they are more affordable.