UniqueV Tour
33 Rosemary Ave., Richmond Hill, Ont.
Asking Price: $1,999,800
Taxes: $6,100.98 (2024)
Lot Size: 65 by 100 feet
Agents: Ira Jelinek, Harvey Kalles Real Estate Ltd.
The backstory
As a single father with three young boys, Tommy Dolan has spent plenty of time playing a range of sports on land and water.
“They’re very rambunctious,” he says with a laugh.
In the early 2020s, the family was living in North York, but Mr. Dolan often drove north of the city to Lake Wilcox so the boys could run around the splash pad on warm summer days.
The largest kettle lake on the Oak Ridges Moraine, Lake Wilcox sits at the headwaters of the East Humber River. It’s a refuge for fish and wildlife in some areas, with lots of space for humans to walk on the boardwalk and trails, play beach volleyball, or kayak on the water.
When the COVID-19 pandemic closed down most public gathering spots, Mr. Dolan was one of the many who yearned for more outdoor space.
He began to think about a move to the rural setting of Lake Wilcox, which sits within the boundaries of the larger City of Richmond Hill.
“We were a little bit a part of that wave,” Mr. Dolan says of the exodus from the city.
The boys already attended private school in Richmond Hill, so Mr. Dolan concentrated his search in that area.
A four-bedroom detached house in the community of Oak Ridges provided a large, tree-lined lot and easy access to the lake from a parkette at the end of the cul-de-sac.
Mr. Dolan figured there would be lots of activities for the boys, who were 8, 6 and 3, when he purchased the property two years ago.
The house today
The house suited the family well, Mr. Dolan says, except for the exterior of pink brick.
One of the first changes he made was to use a mineral-based paint to give the outside a fresh look in white and charcoal grey.
“It was almost a complete makeover for the outside.”
Inside, the two-storey home’s main floor has formal living and dining rooms, along with a spacious kitchen with a breakfast nook with sliding doors to the deck.
There’s also a family room, laundry and powder room on that floor.
Upstairs, there’s a primary bedroom and three additional bedrooms, along with two bathrooms.
The lower level was only partially renovated, Mr. Dolan says, so he had it finished to create a recreation room for the boys. A home gym area is set up for martial arts training.
The plumbing was roughed in for a bathroom, so Mr. Dolan created a luxurious room with a stand-alone tub and a walk-in shower.
There’s a fifth bedroom on that level.
The home has a built-in garage, but Mr. Dolan ran into a snag: “My pickup truck wouldn’t fit,” he says.
He expanded the opening by replacing two small doors with one large one and upgraded the electrical service and electrical vehicle charger.
“I brought the garage up to speed.”
Once they settled in, the family began spending lots of time at Lake Wilcox, which they can reach from the end of the street.
“In the summer, we go to the lake almost every day,” he says. “I take a 12-foot paddleboard and we all go out together.”
When they are not paddling, they head to Lake Wilcox Park for the splash pad, playground, skate park and trails for cycling.
During the winter, members of the community play hockey and set up ice fishing spots on the lake.
“It’s very cottagey up here,” he says.
During the summer months, Mr. Dolan often works in his vegetable garden while the boys play street hockey out front.
“The nice thing is, I really don’t have to think about it because it’s so safe.”
The best feature
There is easy access to the lake from a parkette at the end of the cul-de-sac.UniqueV Tour
Mr. Dolan says the location in an area of vintage cottages and more modern infill homes is extremely peaceful. The tiny parkette provides two benches next to the water for local residents.
“We’ve got blue herons that just decide to land on the street and walk up to the parkette,” Mr. Dolan says.
The quiet is noticeable – especially compared with their previous location under a flight path for commercial jets.
“It’s my favourite thing about the house.”