Oak Ridges

Home

>

>

>

Oak Ridges
Click the image to see more of our gallery!
Click the photos to see more of our gallery!

      History:

      The Oak Ridges neighbourhood gets its name from the Oak Ridges Moraine an environmentally important land mass that was formed at the conclusion of the last ice age some 12,000 years ago with the retreat of gigantic glaciers. This climatic episode resulted in a new topography being formed, characterized by rolling hills and woodlots as well as kettle lakes and lush fertile farmland. This awe inspiring landscape must have looked like a land of opportunity in 1800 when a group of French Royalist led by Comte Joseph Genevieve de Puisaye were issued the first land grants to settle this area. Comte de Puisaye named the settlement Windham after the secretary of war. This settlement was poorly planned and would last just a couple of years before many of these French royalists, decided pioneer life was not for them and returned home. All that remains of the de Puisaye settlement is a historical plaque located at 12025-12045 Yonge Street, just north of Jefferson sideroad.Lake Wilcox the signature landmark in this neighbourhood was named after Col. William Willcocks, who owned property adjoining the lake in the early 1800s. It seems the spelling of the lake has changed over the years. The Tremain map of 1860 shows the spelling as Willcocks with just one L and further abbreviations were to follow. By the 1920s a new community had formed in Oak Ridges and they were here to stay. These year-round residents were joined by summer cottagers from Toronto who built seasonal cottages around Lake Wilcox. Today, these cottages are gradually being torn down and replaced with custom new builds, as Lake Wilcox has transitioned into a year round community.

      Overview:

      The Oak Ridges neighbourhood gets its name from the Oak Ridges Moraine an environmentally important land mass that has shaped and defined this community from the outset. The Oak Ridges Moraine was formed at the conclusion of the last ice age some 12,000 years ago with the advance and retreat of gigantic glaciers. This climatic episode resulted in a new topography being formed characterized by rolling hills and woodlots as well as kettle lakes and lush fertile farmland. Oak Ridges continues to be defined by its landscape with the east branch of the Humber River as well as numerous kettle lakes, conservation areas, picturesque golf courses, majestic wood lots and rural farmland forming part of the overall landscape. Lake Wilcox – the largest of the kettle lakes – is the defining landmark in the neighbourhood. There is a high density of houses ringing the lake and the residential streets that surround it. Lake Wilcox is also a recreational hub for the neighbourhood with water sports, walking paths, picnic areas, and a children’s water park. The ultra-modern Oak Ridges Community Centre off Bayview Avenue is a spectacular recreational facility enjoyed by the whole community. Oak Ridges is Richmond Hill’s largest neighbourhood in terms of land mass but not in population density. It is the furthest north of all Richmond Hill neighbourhoods. This neighbourhood is still evolving and has plenty of room to grow especially along the stretch of Yonge Street that is slowly being transformed to serve the needs of residents.

      Lifestyle:

      The shopping on Yonge Street is a bit random but more and more stores and plazas are being added every year along with some popular family restaurants. Humberlands Plaza off Bathurst Street contains medical and professional offices as well as a convenience store, dry cleaners and a children’s Montessori school.

      Homes:

      Oak Ridges has the largest variety of houses of any Richmond Hill neighbourhood. The original housing stock dating from the 1950s through the 1980s has every type of home imaginable from small bungalows to neo-colonial and Tudor-colonial style homes. There are also many ranch style bungalows. These original houses are situated on premium size lots which has resulted in many of these homes being replaced with larger custom infill houses. Entire blocks of this neighbourhood have recently been transformed with large brick amd stone mansions featuring lavish landscaping and triple car garages and sometimes tall wrought iron style private gates. The homes around Lake Wilcox off Bayview Avenue. Here you will find small frame cottages that are rapidly being replaced with enormous custom built brick and stone and sometimes stucco homes with very ornate architectural designs. To the north of Lake Wilcox you will find the Fontainbleu subdivision a recently built subdivision of upscale homes. To the south of Lake Wilcox is the Kettle Lakes Club which consists of over 400 ultra-modern townhomes situated across the street from the stunning Oak Ridges Community Centre. Newer subdivisions continue to be built along Bloomington, Bathurst Street and Yonge Street.

      Recreation:

      The Oak Ridges Community Centre located at 12895 Bayview Avenue is an ultra-modern facility situated in a ravine like setting with a view of Lake Wilcox.. This 56,000 square foot facility has a six lane pool with a waterslide and little childrens teaching area. There is a large gymnasium plus a fitness and aerobics studio. General purpose rooms are also available for a myriad of programming. This centre offers and ECO program where students can learn more about the Oak Ridges Moraine which plays a prominent role in the topography of Richmond Hill. Lake Wilcox Park situated off Bayview Avenue has a beautiful waterfront promenade that skirts the lake. While the lake cane be used for recreational purposes such as kayaking, swimming is discourages as there is no lifeguard and the lake has high levels of bacteria. This park also has a large children’s playground and splashed. The Bond Lake Arena at 70 Old Colony Road offers hockey and skating programs. There are numerous private golf courses situated just on the periphery of this neighbourhood.

      Arts:

      The oak Ridges community centre offers arts based programs for children and adults. there are also a number of privately run arts studios in the neighbourhood. The beautiful natural landscape enveloping Oak Ridges with all the kettle lakes, conservation areas, rivers and streams makes this setting an ideal one for artists.

          Oak Ridges Stats

          Walkability:

          Medium

          Bikeability:

          High

          Public Transit:

          Medium

          Affordability:

          Medium

          Greenspace:

          High

          Recreation:

          High

           

          Legend: Low, Medium, High

          Commute Times

          Time to Closest Shopping Mall:
          10 Minutes
          Time to GO Bus or Train Station:
          15 Minutes
          Time To Hospital:
          20 Minutes
          Time to Toronto Pearson International Airport
          50 Minutes
          Time to Closest Highway:
          10 Minutes

          * All commuting times provided are approximate times only. Commute times may increase or decrease depending on where you live within the neighbourhood and the time of day i.e rush hour versus off hour commutes. Time estimates to public transit are based on walking distance or bus line connection whichever is quicker. All other commute times on the chart above are based on drive times.