Richmond Hill/GTA

An image of George Sims house which was located on Yonge Street at Trayborne. The house was built in 1905 by J.L. Innes Co. and purchased in 1912 by George Sims. The F.E. Sims General Store was located on the east side of Yonge Street, north of the radial railway station (Lorne Avenue). As Richmond Hill continued to grow during the 1920's, population jumped more than 20 per cent during the decade, from 1055 to 1295 people. Older homes were renovated and new houses built on r...ecently opened streets on the east and west sides of town. This image is courtesy of Nancy Diceman. Thank you very much for sharing! #RichmondHillThenandNow

The Rise and Shine Project is dedicated to the seniors in our nursing homes who will be alone at Christmas. They are the ones who built our community, and who passed on our history, and they need our help. Our goal is to send out 500 cards with a little gift to our elders in our community, and we need your support. Let them known that during this holiday season, through these difficult times that your are thinking of them! There is a simple and easy way! A monetary donation ...is welcome too. "Happiness given is happiness received". Here's how you can be involved, by writing a holiday card for a senior: - Cards can be homemade or store-bought and should be in an envelope - Messages should include words of encouragement and be positive - Handwriting should be neat and legible so that your message is received - Please leave all cards unsealed and address them Dear Friend - Sign either your name or "Hugs from your friendly holiday elf" or "your friends in the community" - Please have your cards ready by Friday, December 11th, 2020 - Drop off cards to Joseph Kreiner Real Estate Limited located at Elgin Mills and Bathurst St. Richmond Hill, during regular business hours (9am-5pm), and the cards will be delivered directly to Kathie Weaver. Thank you to Heidi Kreiner-Ley for providing the drop off location. Founded last spring, the Rise & Shine Seniors Project was started in response to the shutdown of senior's homes due to COVID-19. Siew Tan and Kathie Weaver decided that it would be nice to bring a little ray of sunshine into the lives of seniors who can't visit with their families or friends. They reached out to family, friends, our community and Facebook friends and the response was overwhelming! Everyone stepped up and donations started coming in. Make this season a little brighter for an elder and write a card, and show them that Richmond Hill cares about our seniors. And please join the group too! https://www.facebook.com/groups/2788676034714964 #RichmondHillThenandNow

Christmas is in the air, and decorations are starting to pop up everywhere. Who had one of these in the 60's? And who's father pretended it was real? #VintageChristmas #RichmondHillThenandNow

A very pretty morning on Crosby Avenue. #RichmondHillThenandNow

Yonge and 16th/Carrville will soon be like Yonge and Bloor. Join the Zoom meeting tomorrow November 18th, 2020 at 7:30 pm and have your say. #RichmondHillThenandNow

Did you know that the True Blue and Orange Home was built by William Graham? An active builder in Richmond Hill during the first quarter of the 20th century, his other projects include the original Bank of Commerce building as well as M.L. McConaghy Centre, which stands behind our cenotaph. One of the first brochures about the Loyal True Blue and Orange Home was sent out to the public in 1926 advertised the public’s worthy support to the children at the Orange Orphanage in ...Richmond Hill was erected by the members of the Lodges of Loyal Orange, Loyal True Blues, and Ladies’ Orange Associations at a cost of $265,000 which included all of the furnishings, and without borrowing a single dollar by note or mortgage. There were 143 children there in 1926, in which 60% of whom the parents were not connected with either one of the associations. The orphans had to wear specific uniforms in order to be identified. The Loyal True Blue and Orange Home is a building which has been included in the Town of Richmond Hill's Inventory of Buildings of Architectural and Historical Importance, and has served a variety of purposes over the years. In 1982 the orphanage was abolished and the children were moved to foster care programs. The original property which covered two blocks has had parts of its land sold off over the years. Today it is known as Century Private School co-founded in 1994 and home to students from preschool to high school. Their most updated facility boasts bright classrooms, small class sizes, and an integrated and enriched curriculum encompassing the Montessori method of education up to the age of 6, followed by an enriched version of the Ontario Ministry of Education curriculum to grade 12. Someone recently asked if the Loyal True Blue and Orange Home was still there. Why, yes is. It is located at 11181 Yonge Street. #RichmondHillThenandNow

For anyone who might be interested, we created a page for areas outside of Richmond Hill.

UPDATE SUSPECT VEHICLE SOUGHT IN HOMICIDE INVESTIGATION IN RICHMOND HILL Investigators with the York Regional Police Homicide Unit are releasing an image of a... suspect vehicle involved in a homicide investigation in the City of Richmond Hill. On Friday, November 13, 2020, at 6:19 p.m., York Regional Police were called to a residence on Leisure Lane, which is in the area of Bathurst Street and Major Mackenzie Drive West for a report of a shooting. When officers arrived they located a man outside of a residence who was vital signs absent and suffering from gunshot wounds. He was transported to hospital but succumbed to his injuries. The identity of the victim will not be released until a post-mortem has been completed. Investigators are releasing an image of a suspect vehicle that was observed in the area of Leisure Lane at the time of the shooting. The license plate that was on the vehicle was stolen and did not belong with the suspect vehicle. Investigators are appealing for anyone with information on its whereabouts to come forward. Suspect Vehicle: 2004 to 2008 Acura TL Four door Black Described as being dusty and the tires appeared to have low pressure Investigators continue to appeal to anyone who may have seen anything suspicious in the area or who may have been driving in the area with dashcam, who have not yet spoken to police to please come forward. They are also appealing to anyone in the area with residential video surveillance that may have captured anything suspicious to please come forward. Anyone with information is asked to contact the Homicide Unit at 1-866-876-5423 ext. 7865, or email the Homicide Unit at [email protected], or call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS, or leave an anonymous tip online at www.1800222tips.com .

In the image is the digging of the Trans Canada Pipe Line bringing natural gas from Alberta to Eastern Ontario in 1957. Finally reaching Richmond Hill that year, construction crews crossed Yonge Street at Jefferson, preparing to lower a pipe in the line located in this case south of St. Basil's Novitiate. On 10 October 1958, a final weld completed the Trans Canada Pipe Line and it was on October 27th that year that the first Alberta gas entered Toronto. For more than two d...ecades, the Trans Canada pipeline was considered the longest in the world. Courtesy RHPL. #RichmondHillThenandNow

"One-storey nursing home stretching behind John Fedyna is the first part of a four-stage retirement complex he is building on 16 acres in Richmond Hill. There are 100 residents in the nursing home in which the beds are subsidized through the provincial extended care program. The second stage; a residence which offers hotel-type accommodation to retired and elderly people who don't need nursing care will be opening next month." - Toronto Star ca. 1975. Richmond Springs? "Mr. ...Fedyna, who has lived in Richmond Hill for more than 40 years and has been working on the concept for decades." - ca. 2013. Who knows the history? #RichmondHillThenandNow

Remembrance Day, November 11, 2020. Images are courtesy Heidi Kreiner-Ley. Thank you for sharing. #LestWeForget2020 #WeRemember #RichmondHillThenandNow

The Dr. Banting Virtual Exhibit is today at 2pm. In 2007 an interactive station was installed in Dr. Banting’s bedroom as a more creative way for people to sign a guestbook. The thought was that visitors would write about their visit, what they liked about the museum, and what they thought about the tour. It’s safe to say that no one at the museum expected the visitor’s response to this opportunity. This guest book idea soon evolved into what is now known as the Dear Dr. B...anting letters. Visitors began to leave behind letters addressed to Dr. Banting, thanking him for their life. Dear Dr. Banting is a virtual exhibit that will allow visitors to engage and interact with a selection of digitized letters from Banting House National Historic Site's collection. This exhibit is entirely virtual! On November 14th at 2:00pm they will post the link that will take you to the exhibit, so make sure you click Going to receive a reminder!

Happy World Diabetes Day and happy birthday to Dr. Frederick Banting who was born on this day, November 14, 1891. He is the co-discoverer of insulin. In 1922 the scientists went to a hospital ward with diabetic children, most of them comatose and dying from diabetic keto-acidosis. This is known as one of medicine's most incredible moments. Imagine a room full of parents sitting at the bedside waiting for the inevitable death of their child. The scientists went from bed to bed... and injected the children with the new purified extract - insulin. As they began to inject the last comatose child, the first child injected began to awaken. Then one by one, all the children awoke from their diabetic comas. A room of death and gloom became a place of joy and hope. In the early 1920's Frederick Banting and Charles Best discovered insulin under the directorship of John Macleod at the University of Toronto. With the help of James Collip insulin was purified, making it available for the successful treatment of diabetes. Banting and Macleod earned a Nobel Prize for their work in 1923. Courtesy of Library and Archives and Canada Diabetes Hope. In 1994, Banting was inducted into the Canadian Medical Hall of Fame. In 2004, he was nominated as one of the top 10 "Greatest Canadians" by viewers of the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. When the final votes were counted, Banting finished fourth behind Tommy Douglas, Terry Fox and Pierre Trudeau.

I have an antique here that has a story connected with the owner of it. If an antique must be 100 years old, this one qualifies. Nancy Diceman. In the image is Mr. Kinnear's snuff box, a part of Nancy's collection of items. The Old Kinnear Place, that was once located on Yonge Street just across from where the Loyal True Blue and Orange Home stands today, also has a history. It is about a 173-year-old murder that still has people talking about to this very day. On July ...18th, 1843 an affluent farmer named Thomas Kinnear and his housekeeper Nancy Montgomery were found murdered in Kinnear's home. Kinnear's jealous stablehand James McDermott, along with Grace Marks, the 16 year old maid, were identified as the murder suspects. Both were arrested soon after the murders and tried on November 3rd and 4th, of 1843. McDermott was hanged on November 21st, 1843, however, Marks' sentence was commuted to life imprisonment due to her young age and gender. After serving 30 years at Kingston Penitentiary, Marks was pardoned and released in 1873 due to her deteriorating mental state. No records exist as to her whereabouts after 1873. There is much controversy surrounding the conviction of Marks, as to whether she was instrumental in the two murders, or if she was merely an innocent bystander. Kinnear and Montomery are buried in the Richmond Hill Presbyterian Church's cemetary. The story states that the couple was frowned upon by society because Nancy was also Kinnear's lover and was with child at the time of the murders. To demonstrate a mid -19th century society's judgement towards an unwed union, Kinnear and Montgomery are buried in unmarked graves at the cemetary, with Montgomery positioned at the foot of Kinnear. Alias Grace is currently airing on Netflix. We may never know what Grace Marks true role in the killings were, but one thing is for certain, the murder of Thomas Kinnear and Nancy Montgomery remains the most notorious in Richmond Hill's history. Snuff is a smokeless tobacco made from ground tobacco leaves. Mr. Kinnear must have frequented it. A snuff box could of held any powder that was "sniffed", and evidence shows the stain is from tobacco. Thank you Nancy for sharing such an amazing piece of history! Maggie Mackenzie will assist you, and we will send you her contact info. #RichmondHillThenandNow

How many honeymoon stays happened here over the years? Who remembers the Black Hawk Motor Inn? Built in 1971, it was quite the swanky place to go back in the day. In a proposal sent to the Planning Committee in 1977 for a 4-storey addition to the existing building that would cost $2.1 million dollars, planned to bring more people into Richmond Hill. In the image from today, it's just a few storeys short. #RichmondHillThenandNow

The Toronto Maple Leafs unveiled their new retro jersey, with a logo that appeared in 1967, and the last time the Leafs won the Stanley Cup.

#LestWeForget #WeRemember

In 1961, Vancouver and Richmond Hill were competing for an architectural award, to be named one of two best town library buildings in the Massey Medals for Architecture competition. The Canada wide competition was open to all types of buildings which were completed since 1950. From all of the hundreds of entries considered to be most outstanding, and in the library group category, Richmond Hill Public Library was selected. But, it was not only the architectural beauty that ...was a factor in the selection process but in efficiency and "best value for the dollar in a library "buy" that was a deciding factor for the award. Whether it won or not, the fact remains that it was rated as one of the best buildings if its kind. Points of architectural interest included the pre-cast concrete roof, complete air-conditioning and its shelving. The hundreds of entries chosen for final judging appeared first at the National Gallery in Ottawa and then on a country-wide tour. The exhibition catalogue which was prepared by the Massey Foundation in co-operation with the National Gallery, the Canada Council, and the Department of External Affairs circulated the catalogue abroad to all libraries, embassies and educational institutions. Richmond Hill resident Philip R. Brook, architect of the library had already made his career known in three other buildings: the McLaughlin Library in Oshawa, the main library in Etobicoke, and the Parliament-Gerrard branch in Toronto. Mr. Brook graduated from U of T's School of Architecture in 1950. Winners for 1961 included: Kipling Collegiate Institute (Silver Medal) Private Golf Course (for George Crothers, 24 Valleyanna Drive), (Silver Medal) and Regent Park South residential towers, Belshaw Place and Blevins Place, Page & Steele (Silver Medal, all five towers demolished) https://robertmoffatt115.wordpress.com//massey-medals-for/ The library on Wright Street officially opened on June 20, 1959, due to the rapid growth of Richmond Hill, when the population rose to over 14,000 people that year. This ever changing pattern of population created a demand for enlarged facilities in every branch of municipal service, and a library was no exception. #RichmondHillThenandNow

A Richmond Hill Music Centre store recipt from 1970, courtesy Blair Hurren. Who remembers this store? #RichmondHillThenandNow

"My brother Glenn Wood was the parade marshal for 25 years, Nov 11, let's not forget to pay tribute to our brave men and women." - Cathy Wood. Thank you for sharing. #RichmondHillThenandNow

"The Centre", which was OMNI OBLI's summer program officially opened in the old barn on the west side of Yonge Street, just north of the 'A&W Coffee Shop' in 1971. The student group converted the old barn into a meeting place and headquarters for several important projects in the community, including the Special Olympics that was held in Toronto. The OMNIERS assisted students from Thornhaven and planned a regular outdoor sports program at the nearby high school. #RichmondHillThenandNow

In the early 1950‘s, a group of parents began meeting around their kitchen tables and talking about a dream; they wanted their family members with a disability to have a normal life, just like their brothers and sisters. The parents wanted to see their children go to school, graduate, find meaningful employment and most importantly, to be able to take care of themselves. It was these parents who initiated a movement that would eventually become Thornhaven School on Centre Str...Continue reading

"This is also on the east side of Bayview Avenue near Hillsview Drive. This is where my brother Dwayne lived with his family in the big house and myself and my family lived in a second little house behind the barn. We lived here till late ‘86. Notice in the second shot you can see the white round roof of The Observatory." Carol Palmer Vida. Thank you for very much for sharing all of these aerial photos which were taken by Carol's husband Marton Vida for the Palmer family in 1985. Incredible share! #RichmondHillThenandNow

Wreaths are placed at Richmond Hill's Cenotaph, one of the oldest in the GTA located at McConaghy Seniors Centre on Yonge Street in preparation for tomorrows service. Lest we forget. RichmondHillThenandNow

"This was my brother Brian and his family farm. This is the east side of Bayview Avenue across from Crosby Avenue. The silver roof and parking lot you see on Bayview was a church." Carol Palmer Vida. Thank you for very much for sharing these aerial photos which were taken by Carol's husband Marton Vida for the Palmer family in 1985. More to come. The now image is courtesy of Google Earth,... #RichmondHillThenandNow

"Ralph and Geraldine moved to this farm in 1976 with a few of the younger kids. This is a view of Major Mackenzie, 5 minutes east of Bayview. You can see the white courthouse in the fork of the road. They stayed here till 1988, when they then retired in Haliburton." Carol Palmer Vida. Thank you for very much for sharing these aerial photos which were taken by Carol's husband Marton Vida for the Palmer family in 1985. More to come. The now image is courtesy of Google Earth,... #RichmondHillThenandNow

Lest we forget. #RichmondHillThenandNow

It has obviously become necessary for us to cancel this year's Remembrance Day parade and scale back the cenotaph service. While traditionally we pay our respec...ts at 11am we cannot have more than 25 people onsite so are proposing a compromise to allow access in a safe manner throughout the day and week. We ask that anyone wishing to place a wreath or poppy, visit the memorial anytime during daylight hours while observing the guidelines below. We also intend to video the service on the 11th and make it available on Facebook and Youtube. The onsite service will be by invitation only. Guidelines: 1. Anyone wishing to place a wreath or poppy may visit the cenotaph anytime during daylight hours. 2. We ask that you do not visit between 10:45am and 11:30am on November 11, to allow for a short Legion Remembrance service. 3. Social distancing must be observed, if there is anyone present in the wreath area of the cenotaph please wait. 4. Groups must not exceed the numbers mandated by the Province and/or City of Richmond Hill (currently set at 25 maximum) 5. Each group has a maximum of 15 minutes, please respect this time allowance.

Bob's Bottoms & Ups was located in the Richmond Heights Plaza. Thank you to Karen Dance for the images. Who remembers this store from the 70's? #RichmondHillThenandNow

"This farm was on the east side of Bayview Avenue. You can see Bayview High School in the corner, across the street from Centre Street. John Wesley Palmer married Gladys Elizabeth Ball and raised their 4 boys here: Douglas, Jack, Garth and Ralph. Ralph married Geraldine Christine MacLean (1952) and lived here raising their 7 children here: Jude, Ray, Brian, Dwayne, Carole, Wendy and David. The 4 boys helped work the farm for years.... In 1976 Jude and her family stayed at this farm when Ralph and Geraldine and the youngest children moved to the next farm which was located on Major Mackenzie." - Carol Palmer Vida. Thank you for very much for sharing these aerial photos which were taken by Carol's husband Marton Vida for the Palmer family in 1985. More to come. The now image is courtesy of Google Earth, #RichmondHillThenandNow

In 1979, various grass fires hit with full force across parts of Richmond Hill, including this one which consumed about 2 acres at Summit Golf Club before flames were extinguished. Richmond Hill and Markham Fire Departments responded to 20 fires over a course of just a few days including Ratcliffs on Yonge Street of two fires just before dawn, and a cut-rate gas bar in Oak Ridges which caught the attention of the community as smoke was seen coming out of the roof. Thank you for all of the hard work our firefighters put in each and every day. Courtesy RHPL. #FirePreventionWeek2020 #RichmondHillThenandNow

With Fire Prevention Week 2020 coming to an end, we wanted to share a few memories of past fires in Richmond Hill. Who remembers cloth diapers? When a fireplace was filled to capacity and caught on fire as seen in the photograph, a quick thinking father used his baby's wet cloth diapers to put the entire blaze out. Evidence of the youngest firefighter in Richmond Hill history, and a true story. Let's just say, there was no pick up service that particular week. :) Photograph... taken in a basemnt of a home on Duncan Road ca. 1972. Do you have any fire photos to share? Send them to us. (Fires are no joke). #FirePreventionWeek2020 #RichmondHillThenandNow

"Mr. Centa taught industrial arts at Richmond Hill High School for 35 years, and was a passionate and excellent athlete. He won Ontario softball championships as a youth and was an avid curler in later years. He also love the Richmond Hill Winter Carnival. A university project on the assassination of John F. Kennedy turned into a significant hobby for him. Many will remember his multi-media presentations on the subject." May he rest in peace. Thank you to Karen Dance for the memory. #RichmondHillThenandNow

If you like #RichmondHillThenandNow you will also like this one. Thank you for following and for sharing your memories.

Courtesy of Alda Bacci Lund. Rest in Peace. Thank you for sharing.

Class sizes have certainly changed over the years. "41 kids in one classroom with one teacher. Do you recognize anyone? Kieth Mayhew is 2nd from right, front row." It is Fire Prevention Week. This school was located just west of Bathurst on the south side of Carrville (today's Rutherford Rd), across from the church and cemetery. The school had a wood burning stove with a steel grate around it, that even back then kids would burn themselves. Only the teacher was allowed to p...ut wood in it. The school was torn down years ago and a house replaced it. Thank you for sharing! Photograph and information is courtesy of Scott Mayhew. More class pictures to come next week. #RichmondHillThenandNow

I’ll take FAMOUS PEOPLE for $1000. I was the host of CBC’s Reach for the Top in 1967 - Who is Alex Trebek?" After nearly two years battling pancreatic cancer, Alex Trebek passed away today at the age of 80. After his long run as game show host for nearly 30 years on Jeopardy! the show has seen him set a Guiness World Record for the most such shows hosted by the same presenter. Before this, the Sudbury, Ontario born host was a familiar face, and voice, to all those who wa...tched and listened to many CBC programs in the 1960’s. He got his start at CBC as a university student in Ottawa, doing some announcing work that eventually led to a permanent job. Going to school in the mornings and working nights, he did every announcer job possible, to get the experience. During his CBC career he was involved in everything from sports coverage to horse racing. Acting as a host on Swan Lake, he also hosted the high school game show Reach for the Top, seen in the image from 1967. In 1977, Bayview Secondary School was fortunate enough to participate in the game show Reach for the Top. Were there others? Alex Trebek had been contracted to host Jeopardy! until 2022. Rest in peace Alex Trebek (1940-2020). A special thank you to Aubrey Freemantle, Alan Tambosso and CBC Archives. #RichmondHillThenandNow

It was in November 1958 that it was first announced in the local newspaper that Woolworth was coming to town. The modern and brand new Woolworth’s store that opened at Yonge just south of Centre Street in 1959 had just over 10,000 sq. ft. of space, and included a lunch counter with 30 stools. Before Woolworth came along, the Mansbridge Meat Market on Yonge had served customers for 36 years until Ted Mansbridge sold the store and family home in the fall of 1958. The building w...hich was torn down to make way for the modern Woolworth that opened the year later. Historically, the F.W. Woolworth Co. first started out as the first five-and-dime stores, which sold discounted general merchandise at fixed prices (usually 5 or 10 cents), often undercutting the prices of other local merchants. By the 1960's, the five-and-dime concept evolved into a much larger discount department store format. In 1962, Woolworth's founded a chain of large, single-floor discount stores called Woolco, some of which were branded as Winfields, after the founder's middle name. In 1963, Woolworth expanded into the shoe store business with the purchase of Kinney Shoe Corporation, which eventually created the store that Woolworth would be taken over by, called Foot Locker. Woolworth's eventually closed in Richmond Hill in the summer of 1971. In Canada, Woolco and Woolworth survived until 1994, when the majority of the stores were sold to Walmart Canada. #RichmondHillThenandNow

Ontario is currently considering putting an end to daylight saving time once and for all, and permanently keep the same time all year if a new private member's bill, which the government supports, passes. The bill has already passed the second reading in legislature at Queen's Park. This would mean the sun wouldn't rise in the Greater Toronto Area until almost 9 am around Christmas, making an early morning commute to school or work for many completely in the dark. The change ...will come into effect New York and Quebec also follow suit, but both areas are complaining about "logistical difficulties" and financial pressures. It was also suggested that Ontarians are "tired of watching the sun set while still at work. Daylight saving was first introduced in 1916. How would a permanent daylight saving affect you? 10:00 pm summer sunsets no more. In the image is the sundial which is located at the entrance of David Dunlap Observatory. Its pattern has a four-pointed star in the centre, with W, N and E marked. Around three edges of the sundial there are numerals from 12 (at the N mark) counting from 11 to 5 on one side, and up from 1 to 7 on the other, like the standard arrangement of a clock face. On the S side of the sundial the metal insert gives instructions To Get Standard Time Add to Dial Time The Number of Minutes Given Below and provides a chart for reference which is given in months. There are also three indicator arrows intended to be mounted to the centre of the dial, with the arrow pointed north. Made out of copper alloy (there are others currently in storage) were likely made for use at the David Dunlap Observatory in Richmond Hill during or around its construction in 1935. Another one stands at the Donalda Golf Club, and is incorporated into the club’s logo. #RichmondHillThenandNow

On this day in history, St. Mary's Anglican Church opened to Richmond Hill's community on October 8th, 1872. #RichmondHillThenandNow

It is with heavy hearts that the family of Doug Allen announces his death on October 2, 2020. He is remembered as a member of the Richmond Hill Canoe Club and most prominently as founding President of the Richmond Hill Squash Club. Rest in peace. https://marshallfuneralhome.com///Allen-Douglas/index.php #RichmondHillThenandNow

Richmond Hill, Yonge/Elgin Mills area... Anyone recognize these punks? Looks like they tried something like a key-fob attack (from some other footage that I have).

It was the fastest growing cable system of its day. Did you watch Classicomm Cable 10? The small cable provider in Canada served communities in southern York Region from it's very own offices in Richmond Hill, Ontario. Classicomm, or Classic Communications Ltd, was founded in the late 1960s by John O. Graham and Stewart H. Coxford, who were granted a cable television (CATV) licence by the CRTC for Richmond Hill and several other small communities north of Toronto. By the 1980...s the cable system had acquired additional licences, and soon covered a geographic area taking in most of southern York Region. With Steeles Avenue as its southerly service boundary, the cable system spanned the width of York Region from Markham in the east to Woodbridge in the west. Its coverage area stretched north to include communities such as Stouffville, King City, Kleinburg and Gormley. When southern York Region experienced such tremendous growth beginning in 1982, so did its subscribers. From 1986 to 1990 Classicomm was connecting up to 10,000 of them each year, making it the fastest growing cable system of its day. John Graham who founded Classicomm also co-founded country music radio station CFGM. Do you remember where they filmed the Santa Claus Parade each year? #RichmondHillThenandNow