Province Supports 2010 Speed Skating Oval in Richmond
April 6, 2005
RICHMOND – The Province is providing $30 million toward the Olympic speed skating oval in Richmond that will be a centrepiece for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games and provide a lasting legacy for B.C. athletes of all levels, Premier Gordon Campbell announced at a at a site dedication for the project yesterday.
“When it is complete, this remarkable facility on the waterfront in Richmond will be one of Canada’s most sophisticated athletic centres creating new sporting opportunities for both recreational and elite athletes,” said Campbell. “It will be one of the marquee venues in 2010, and before and after the Games will help us realize our great goal of being a North American leader in healthy living and physical fitness.”
The 8,000 seat, 33,000 square metre speed skating facility will be located on the eastern portion of an 11-hectare city-owned site along River Road, between the Number 2 Road and Dinsmore Bridges. The main activity area will house two Olympic-sized ice rinks as well as an indoor sports field house capable of handling many sports uses for emerging and elite athletes. During the 2010 Winter Games, the facility will host the long track speed skating competition. The Richmond oval’s permanent features will also include a wellness centre, a fitness centre, as well as additional community activity areas, incorporating restaurant and retail space.
“The Richmond oval will make an incredible contribution to sport in this region and leave a legacy long after 2010 by inspiring people of all ages to get involved in physical activity,” said Linda Reid, MLA for Richmond East. “Investments in sport and healthy-living pay for themselves over the long-term by providing significant health, social and economic benefits.”
The $30 million for the Richmond oval is part of the provincial government’s $235 million venue commitment to help host the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games. The City of Richmond estimates the total cost of the Richmond Oval facility, including project and other contingencies, will be approximately $155 million.
