Richmond Olympic Oval Officially Opened

December 12, 2008

Premier Gordon Campbell, Federal Minister of State for Sport Gary Lunn, Richmond Mayor Malcolm Brodie and the Vancouver Organizing Committee for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games (VANOC) officially opened the Richmond Olympic Oval, home of speed skating for the 2010 Olympic Winter Games. A two-day community celebration is highlighting the opening of the Oval, which will become a multipurpose centre of excellence for sport, recreation, health and wellness and culture.

“This is a tremendous milestone for our community,” said Mayor Brodie. “The Richmond Olympic Oval will be the signature venue of the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games. It will also provide tremendous benefits to our community and sport development for generations to come.”

The $178 million Richmond Olympic Oval was completed on time and on budget. Through VANOC, the Province of BC and the Government of Canada each contributed $30 million toward the capital cost of the project, as well as funding the $110-million Games Operating Trust, which will provide ongoing operating funding for the Oval.

“This world-class sporting facility is a legacy not only of the Olympics, but also of the innovation of British Columbia’s construction and forest industries,” said Premier Campbell. “The iconic design of the ‘wood wave’ roof is made from pine beetle enhanced wood. Like the Bird’s Nest stadium or the Water Cube in Beijing, the Richmond Oval will be a lasting symbol, known around the world.”

“Today, you see before you the culmination of a spectacular project. With the help of the governments of Canada and British Columbia, this impressive facility, built for the 2010 Winter Games competitions, will leave a lasting legacy for the community of Richmond,” said the Honourable Gary Lunn, Minister of State (Sport). “I am proud of its innovative made-in-Canada roof design, its use of pine beetle lumber, its LEED Silver designation, and its First Nations artwork. Most of all, I believe this project symbolizes our commitment to athletic excellence and how Canada is getting ready to welcome the world in 2010.”

Olympic Gold medalists Cindy Klassen and Kyle Hamilton also participated in the opening ceremonies, which included live entertainment, venue tours and the first opportunity for the public to skate on the 400-metre track that will host the speed skating competition for the 2010 Olympic Winter Games.

“We congratulate the City of Richmond, VANOC’s venue team and all of the workers on a job well done. This world-class facility will showcase the ingenuity of British Columbian workers and the natural beauty of the province when Canada and the world comes to visit us in 2010,” said Jack Poole, chairman of VANOC’s board of directors. “It is exciting to think that Canada’s top speed skaters will soon be competing in this facility for the Canadian Single Distance Championships helping set the stage for the thrilling competitions that will place in early 2009 and during the 2010 Games.”

During the 2010 Olympic Winter Games, the Oval will be host to 14 days of competition and 12 medal events. It will also be home to the anti-doping laboratory for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games.

The Oval will host its first major speed skating competition, the Canadian Single Distance Championships, featuring top skaters from Canada’s national team from December 27-31, 2008. The World Single Distance Championships, an official sport event for the 2010 Games, will be hosted at the Oval from March 12-15, 2009.

Public programming including skating, fitness, and sport activities will begin in the Oval on December 14, with expanded programming beginning in early January. During the pre-Games period, the 400-metre speed skating track will be complimented by a hardwood court area, large enough to accommodate up to four full-sized basketball courts. Also available will be specialized fitness studios for rowing and spinning, and targeted resistance programs. A general fitness centre and a variety of multi-activity rooms will also be among the amenities available in the Oval when it opens.

A wide variety of competitions ranging from speed skating to futsal (indoor soccer), volleyball and wheelchair sports will be held at the Oval during 2009, including some events for the BC Seniors Games, which will be held in Richmond in September, 2009.

After the 2010 Olympic Winter Games, the Oval will expand to its permanent full-use model with the capability of hosting both summer and winter sports simultaneously. Indoor track, badminton, volleyball, basketball, combative and wheelchair sports, indoor soccer, gymnastics and special events are just some examples of the Oval’s many uses.