Oak Ridges Redefined:

Bringing the Diversity of a "Traditional Suburb" to Light

Porter Greatrex

Oak Ridges, Ontario

To most, Oak Ridges is a neighbourhood fallen victim to urban sprawl, lacking density, walkability, and mixed-use (Lo et al., 2015). However, to those who live there, the community embodies the concept of diversity. This is evident through community access to educational services, the range of ethnic culinary options, along with community features that connect individuals to their culture. The following bike tour will, (1) Educate the citizens of Oak Ridges on the diversity in their community. (2) Inform citizens on how this diversity could be improved. (3) Serve as a call to action for the City of Richmond Hill to embrace the neighbourhood as diverse, and improve its inclusion in an attempt to transition away from the western stigma associated with the community. While intended to be in person, the following story map will serve those unable to participate physically.

    • Chabad Lubavitch of Aurora
    • Greek Market Café
    • Oak Ridges Public Library
    • Dr. Bette Stephenson Centre for Learning
    • Oak Ridges Community Centre

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1

Chabad Lubavitch of Aurora

Stop #1: Most citizens are only aware of this structure for its free parking and access to Bond Lake. However, the structure acts as a synagogue, event space, Hebrew school, and offers a range of programs and opportunities such as the Smile on Seniors initiative which connects Jewish Seniors with volunteers. While this is a shining example of a place of worship being integrated into the neighbourhood, it is not well known in Oak Ridges. Furthermore, zoning amendments should be explored to avoid the disregard that so many minority places of worship face through changing parking lot access (Germain & Gagnon, 2010). Through this action, citizens will gain a better understanding of what this structure represents to the Jewish community adding to citizen perceptions of multiple meanings, identities, and cultures (Galanakis, 2015).

2

Greek Market Café   

This Market represents new beginnings along with strength and positive energy (GMC, n.d). Products are imported directly from Greece including coffee, gelato, and pastries. It is well known that the café serves as a social hub for people of all ethnic backgrounds in the neighbourhood. This is just one example of the many culinary shops in Oak Ridges that serve as informal spots that bring citizens of the neighbourhood together as food is common to all (OpenCity Projects, 2015).

Question: What are some ways for the City of Richmond Hill to embrace culinary diversity in Oak Ridges?

A fantastic way to utilize the diversity of food services in Oak Ridges would be to hold events in which local businesses could come together at a central location as a way to promote these businesses and embrace their diverse backgrounds. Similar to Kensington Market's Pedestrian Sundays. Social cohesion and connectivity in the community will also flourish during these events (OpenCity Projects, 2015).

3

Oak Ridges Public Library

Stop #3: We will then head to the Oak Ridges Public Library. The library represents natural elements and the local history of the community. Programs are offered that greatly benefit the community ranging from business consultation, digital skill workshops, evening chats, and programs for children/teens (City of Richmond Hill, 2022). The library settlement partnership program provides tools for; careers, English/French, health care etc. These programs are beneficial to the community and connect immigrant residents to amenities. It is important to note that low-income residents and recent immigrants are much less likely to use education and community services (Lo et al., 2015). This, along with the city’s lack of promotion has resulted in low levels of turnout for programs (City of Richmond Hill Staff, 2022).

Question: How could the City improve citizen turnout for these programs/events?

The city could look to the Project for Public Spaces (PPS) for inspiration by facilitating more inclusive meetings and going beyond workshops (Peinhardt & Storring, 2019). This could be mobilized by reaching out to citizens where they are comfortable, asking them what type of programs they want. By doing this they are not assuming the situations citizens face and gaining knowledge on interests.

4

Dr. Bette Stephenson Centre for Learning

Stop #4: This centre offers adults the opportunity to pursue and form life goals. The centre provides adults who have not previously graduated high school or received an Ontario Secondary School Diploma the opportunity to do so. Students will in turn be able to move on to University/College or a career. Following a quadmester system, adults can receive a diploma within a year of enrollment. This, along with flexibility in course load (minimum 2 courses) as well as the opportunity to take night/day courses allows for students to work toward their degree, while not neglecting other aspects of their lives such as childcare/work. Similarly, English as a Second Language (ESL) credit courses and citizenship study classes are also offered which is particularly beneficial to recent immigrants (YRDSB, n.d). Oak ridges had an immigrant population of 18,410 residents of  38,140 total residents in its last census (Richmond Hill, 2016). This is a significant portion of the population and the centre for learning no doubt benefits the diverse public-space needs of the immigrant communities (Zhuang et al., 2020) in this neighbourhood. The car-centric nature of Oak Ridges poses some challenges regarding access to the centre which directly affects immigrant groups, especially women based on driving rates (Amardeep Kaur & Teelucksingh, 2015), however, the COVID-19 pandemic resulted in classes being offered online, a trend is going to continue in the future (YRDSB n.d.).

5

Oak Ridges Community Centre

Stop #5: The community centre is one of the standout amenities of Oak Ridges. Finished in 2012, the centre offers a range of opportunities such as access to a leisure pool, sauna, fitness studio, gymnasium, full kitchen facility and more (Richmond Hill, n.d.). The services offered benefit all members of the community, however, the centre offers more specific programs which highlight Oak Ridges' commitment to ethnic/cultural acknowledgement. Hosting drop-in programs such as: 55+ badminton, Chinese Mahjong, adult speaker series, table tennis, my first sport (parent/child), is an ideal way to empower specific groups in the neighbourhood. For example, by offering drop-in tournaments for Chinese Mahjong, recent Chinese immigrants are afforded the opportunity to encounter and interact with other community members in the public space (Zhuang, 2020), but also to be connected to their culture, and meet community members from similar backgrounds. The centre also offers access to Lake Wilcox Park which is utilized by many residents for informal cultural activities such as Tai Chi.

Question #3: While offering these programs, access to the dates and times are only available online. Why is this problematic?

A lot of the programs offered are for the elderly population in Oak Ridges. Furthermore, navigating an interactive activity site is difficult for most elderly people, not to mention those who do not speak English as their first language. Furthermore, it is in the best interest of the community to have more posters, printouts and flyers dedicated to programs offered.

Conclusion

The following bike tour has offered some insight into Oak Ridges beyond its surface level. Many services and programs are offered by institutions and the city in order to accommodate the diverse and growing population of this neighbourhood. Oak Ridges is not perfect however as we have discussed. Furthermore, increased attention and respect to places of worship, more opportunities to showcase culinary diversity, and advanced public engagement with more inclusive communication could all further the diversity of this neighbourhood to transform it into a truly significant suburb.

References

Adult day school. York Region District School Board. (2022, March 29). Retrieved March 30, 2022, from https://www2.yrdsb.ca/schools-programs/adult-learning/adult-day-school

City of Richmond Hill. (2022) Welcome to Richmond Hill Public Library. Home | Richmond Hill Public Library. (n.d.). Retrieved March 30, 2022, from https://www.rhpl.ca/

Demographics and Census. City of Richmond Hill. (2016). Retrieved March 30, 2022, from https://www.richmondhill.ca/en/find-or-learn-about/Demographics-and-Census.aspx#2016-Ward-Profiles

Kaur, A., & Teelucksingh, C. (2021). The place for immigrants in Toronto`s transit and Transportation City. Canadian Journal of Urban Research, 24(2). https://doi.org/10.32920/ryerson.14668080.v1

Galanakis, M. (2013). Intercultural Public Spaces in Multicultural Toronto. Canadian Journal of Urban Research, 22(1), 67-89. http://ezproxy.lib.ryerson.ca/login?url=https://www.proquest.com/scholarly-journals/intercultural-public-spaces-multicultural-toronto/docview/1443709977/se-2?accountid=13631

Germain, A., & Gagnon, J. E. (2003). Minority places of worship and zoning dilemmas in Montreéal. Planning Theory & Practice, 4(3), 295–318. https://doi.org/10.1080/1464935032000118652

Greek Bakery & Market in oak rides. Greek Market Cafe. (n.d.). Retrieved March 30, 2022, from https://www.greekmarketcafe.ca/cafe/

Greek Market Cafe. (n.d.). Photo Gallery [photo].  https://greekmarketcafe.ca/about-gmc/ 

Lo, L., Preston, V. A., Basu, R., Anisef, P., & Wang, S. (2015). Conclusions. Social Infrastructure and Vulnerability in the Suburbs. Toronto: University of Toronto Press.

Oak Ridges Community Centre. City of Richmond Hill. (n.d.). Retrieved March 30, 2022, from https://www.richmondhill.ca/en/things-to-do/Oak-Ridges-Community-Centre.aspx

OpenCity Projects. (2015). OpenCity projects design for Diversity Toolkit. Retrieved March 30, 2022, from http://opencityprojects.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/OCP_DFD_Toolkit.pdf

Peinhardt, K., & Storring, N. (2019). A playbook for inclusive placemaking: Community process. Project for Public Spaces. Retrieved March 30, 2022, from https://www.pps.org/article/a-playbook-for-inclusive-placemaking-community-process

City of Richmond Hill. (n.d.). Photo Gallery [photo]. Richmond Hill.  https://www.richmondhill.ca/en/things-to-do/Oak-Ridges-Community-Centre.aspx 

City of Richmond Hill. (n.d.). Photos of Oak Ridges Library (Richmond Hill Public Library) [photo]. Canada247.    https://canada247.info/explore/ontario/regional_municipality_of_york/richmond_hill/oak-ridges-library-richmond-hill-public-library-905-773-5533.html 

Zhuang, Z. C. (2020). Cities of migration: The role of Municipal Planning in immigrant settlement and Integration. Canada and International Affairs, 205–226. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-46754-8_10

Zhuang, Z. C., Edge, S., & Dean, J. (2021). What is the future of public space? hidden stories of immigrant suburbs during a global pandemic. Town Planning Review: Volume 92, Issue 2, 92(2), 229–237. https://doi.org/10.3828/tpr.2020.69

Porter Greatrex

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