River Ridge, 1 & 3 Hickory Tree Rd: Big Suites and Hydro in the Fee

River Ridge is where I point buyers who want real square footage in Toronto without paying downtown prices for it. The 1991 Rockport Group complex at 1 and 3 Hickory Tree Road has suites running past 2,000 square feet, an indoor pool, and a fee that covers almost every utility. The trade-off is age, and you need to go in with your eyes open about it. I’m Jatin Dua, RE/MAX Quantum Realty.

Two addresses, one corporation, and some very large suites

River Ridge carries two street addresses, 1 and 3 Hickory Tree Road, under a single condominium corporation, MTCC-983. With 413 suites over 19 storeys it is a big community by any standard, and that scale is what pays for an amenity package a smaller building could not carry.

What sets it apart is suite size. Reported layouts run from about 665 square feet to roughly 2,186 square feet. Even the smaller units are generous by current standards, where a new one-bedroom in Toronto is often well under 600 square feet. One-bedroom-plus-den and two-bedroom plans make up much of what comes to market.

Buildings of this era were designed with separate dining areas, real storage and bedrooms that fit a queen bed and a dresser. If you are moving out of a house, or you have outgrown a 500-square-foot downtown unit, that difference is what you will notice first.

The all-in fee, explained

The fee here includes cable TV, air conditioning, common elements, heat, hydro, parking and water. Having hydro in the fee is the detail most buyers miss. In most newer buildings hydro is metered to each suite, and for a large unit with air conditioning running all summer, that separate bill adds up.

Across current listings the fee works out to about $0.85 per square foot. That looks high next to a new building in the $0.60s, but the comparison is not fair until you add hydro, heating, cooling, cable and a parking charge back onto the newer building’s number.

Bulk utilities cut both ways. You get one predictable monthly cost, but the corporation carries the energy bill for 413 suites, so rising utility rates flow straight into fee increases. Ask for the fee history over the last five years and whether the board has looked at energy retrofits or suite sub-metering.

Living by the Humber in Weston

Weston sits on the east side of the Humber River, and the high-rises here look out over the valley; the River Ridge name points to that setting. The valley parkland, including Cruickshank Park, carries paved paths that continue south toward Lake Ontario, and that matters every day if you walk, run or cycle.

The village core is worth knowing too. Weston was incorporated as a village in 1881, and its historic shopping street along Weston Road, between Church Street and Wilby Crescent, still has early twentieth-century brick storefronts and small independent businesses.

Weston itself is changing. Close by on Weston Road, the Hickory Tree Towers project from Arkfield Development and CentreCourt is planned at 42 storeys with 420 purpose-built rental apartments, a quarter of them affordable. The City’s Committee of Adjustment approved the added height in July 2026, and demolition permits have been issued for the site across from Weston GO and UP Express.

For an owner at River Ridge, that kind of investment tends to bring more retail and services to the area over time, along with more construction and more people. It also adds a large new rental supply nearby, which is worth weighing if you are buying to rent out. The automatic panel on this page shows the actual transit options and walking distances.

What a 1991 high-rise asks of its owners

River Ridge is 35 years old. That puts it squarely in the period when original elevators, boilers, chillers, windows, balcony guards and the garage membrane reach the end of their design life. None of this is unusual, but each item is expensive in a 413-suite building.

The good news is that a corporation this size spreads those costs across many owners. The question is whether the reserve fund has been built up to meet them. I would read the most recent reserve fund study line by line and compare its schedule against what the board minutes say has actually been done.

Inside the suites, expect a wide range of condition. Some owners have redone kitchens, bathrooms and flooring; others are close to original. Before you make an offer, find out what the corporation allows for renovations, whether any work in the suite needed board approval, and how the original electrical panel and plumbing in that unit have been updated.

Price per square foot: why big suites look cheap

The building average sits around $482 per square foot, which is low for Toronto and low even for northwest Toronto. Part of the reason is suite size: larger units almost always trade at a lower price per square foot than small ones, so River Ridge’s average is pulled down by its generous layouts. Age and the higher all-in fee also play a part.

At the time of writing, four suites were listed for sale, asking from $399,000 to $495,500. Their fees ranged from about $590 to $855 a month, which averages out to about $0.85 per square foot including hydro and heat.

When I price a unit here, I compare it against other large-suite buildings from the same era rather than against new construction, and I adjust for floor, view toward the valley and the condition of the suite. A renovated unit and an original one can be a long way apart in value.

Building specifications

Amenities at River Ridge

An indoor pool, a gym, guest suites and a media room give River Ridge a full resort-style package for its age, and the 413-suite size is what keeps it affordable to run. Some sources also list a sauna and a tennis court; confirm what is currently open when you tour.

Jatin’s honest take on River Ridge

River Ridge — frequently asked questions

Looking at Downsview, Weston, York University Heights, Rexdale and northwest Toronto more broadly? Start with my Toronto community guide — the neighbourhoods, what each pocket is like, and how they compare.