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New Corporation to Operate Richmond Oval
24 June 2008
The City of Richmond has established a new corporation to operate the Richmond Oval, home of speed skating for the 2010 Olympic Winter Games. The City will be the sole shareholder in the Oval corporation. Operations will be directed by a board of directors appointed by the City.
The Richmond Oval is scheduled to open later this year. In the pre-Games period the Oval will be primarily used for speed skating training and competition, however extensive community sport, recreation and fitness programming and services will also be available. Post-Games, the facility will become a multi-purpose centre of excellence for sports and wellness, offering a broad array of sport, recreational, health, cultural and community programs and services.
Richmond examined a number of options for operations of the Oval and selected an independent corporation, with the City as the sole shareholder, as the best way to achieve the desire to be entrepreneurial and ensure financial viability in operating a complex, multi-faceted venue, while maintaining accountability to the building’s ultimate owners, the citizens of Richmond. As sole shareholder, the City will have the ability to make decisions on material financial and governance issues if it chooses.
“This is an important step in securing the long-term success of the Oval and ensuring we fulfil the vision for it to provide ongoing positive legacies for Richmond,” said Mayor Malcolm Brodie. “The Oval will provide services and benefits for our entire community and this governance model will ensure it both fulfils our community needs, satisfies our obligations to support high performance sport and is financially viable.”
Council has appointed several community leaders to the Oval board who provide a broad mix of business, financial, legal, and other expertise. The corporation’s board of directors includes Roger Barnes, George Duncan, Vic Farmer, Olga Ilich, Moray Keith, Stanley Kwok, Umendra Mital, Anna Nyarady, Michael O’Brien, Linda Sanderson and David Thom. The new board has selected Michael O'Brien, a senior vice president with the Vancouver International Airport Authority, as its chair.
Recruitment is now under way for a General Manager for the Richmond Oval and various other positions necessary to plan and implement the building start-up and initial operations. The Richmond Oval is on schedule to open later this year. The first ice is scheduled to be made in August with speed skaters scheduled to begin testing the ice in September, with public opening of the facility to follow.
Richmond Oval Board Member Biographies
Report to Council: Richmond Oval Incorporation