Parks, Trails, and Open Space

East Humber Trail

Located in Richmond Hill, Ontario, this tranquil trail offers a relaxing setting for users to enjoy while connecting with nature.  The trail provides a range of unique experiences as it passes through a variety of vegetation communities and landform features typical of the Oak Ridges Moraine and East Humber River. This environmentally sensitive area is home to the provincially endangered Butternut, as well as a diversity of wildlife species.

The custom design of the new trail system includes a variety of natural materials and path systems, pedestrian bridges, and an observation deck with decorative themed panels. Some of the unique design amenities include paving at the trail entry points, trail maps, bat boxes, armourstone seating walls and customized benches. Care was taken throughout to maintain the environmentally sensitive drainage patterns.

East Humber Trail was awarded the 2013 PRO Award for Excellence in Design, recognizing the exceptional contribution to environmentally sensitive and sustainable design. The project has made a local and regional impact through deliberate design considerations protecting this natural landscape.

"A trail very worthy of an award" - York Region Environmental Alliance

The Environmental Design Research Association selected East Humber Trail for inclusion in their 2013 'Healthy + Healing Places Exhibition' at EDRA44Providence.. In making their selection, the jury said East Humber Trail "truly exemplified the exhibition theme of 'Healthy + Healing Places', as well as concern for human factors in the design of the built environments and a commitment to promoting the links between design research and practice."