Richmond Hill Trails.

The City of Richmond Hill retained thinc design in October 2024 to lead the design of new and existing trails across the city. The work has two parts: repairing and replacing aging sections of the Bathurst Greenway and Stockdale Trail, and designing three new trails through Beaver Woodland, Jefferson Forest and the Elgin East Channel.

The new trails are mostly 3 metre wide asphalt paths that link neighbourhood streets to parks such as David Hamilton, Rocking Horse Ranch and Monticello. Each one threads through sensitive ground: forest edges, ravine slopes, a stormwater pond and narrow corridors behind homes. The designs use armour stone retaining walls where slopes are steep, a bridge over the stormwater channel in Beaver Woodland, accessible ramps at key entrances and restoration planting along the way. Alignments were adjusted to keep as many existing trees as possible.

On the existing trails, the work includes a new metal staircase on the Bathurst Greenway and repairs to failing sections, coordinated with geotechnical review, butternut protection and Toronto and Region Conservation Authority permitting.

Residents helped shape the designs through stakeholder meetings and public information centres in 2025. thinc design leads a team of structural, geotechnical, environmental and survey specialists. The Bathurst Greenway and Stockdale work is at final design and permitting, and the three new trails are in detailed design.