Richmond, B.C., councillors slash funding for Olympic Oval by $1M

Published: 2025-07-16 03:49:59 | Views: 7


Councillors in Richmond, B.C., have reduced the amount of taxpayer dollars available to the Olympic Oval — managed by an arms-length corporation — from $3.5 million annually to $2.5 million for 2026.

"We drew a line in the sand, and we came up with an idea. Now we're all working together, and I'm really proud of that," said Coun. Carol Day, Monday night, as she and her colleagues approved a motion from Coun. Kash Heed that aims to change how the oval is governed.

The Oval, which was built for the 2010 Olympics for speedskating, is wholly owned and operated by the city, but has been managed and overseen by the Richmond Olympic Oval Corporation. 

The city has historically provided around 20 per cent of the Oval's operating revenue, with the rest coming from program fees and an Olympic trust fund given to facilities that continue to operate as performance and training venues.

A white woman with short blond hair wearing a blue coat is seen outdoors.
Richmond Coun. Carol Day on July 9, 2025. Day says the city needed to draw a 'line in the sand' — and did. (Martin Diotte/CBC)

But over the last 18 months, the Oval has faced a tumultuous time in the aftermath of its longtime CEO leaving.

Council quickly moved to replace its former board; there were several stories critical of previous expenses, and the city is auditing the Oval's overall operations. 

Heed's motion includes a staff review of whether the Oval should be directly overseen by the city, similar to community centres across the region.   

WATCH | Richmond Olympic Oval under microscope: 

Richmond, B.C., councillors want more oversight of Olympic Oval

It's one of Metro Vancouver's biggest Olympic legacies, but Richmond, B.C., politicians are now asking tough questions about how the Olympic Oval has been run. It is fully owned by the city, but as Justin McElroy reports, there are questions about who it benefits, and the benefits given to its former CEO.

Outgoing CEO receives around $1 million for 2 years' work

At the centre of the controversy is a retired staff member who ran both the City of Richmond and the Oval for many years — George Duncan. 

In 2022, Duncan retired as Richmond's chief administrative officer after more than two decades on the job and received nearly $275,788 in benefits and compensation above his base salary for his final year. 

While that level of retirement compensation is not unheard of for a senior staffer in Metro Vancouver, he stayed on as CEO of the Oval and was given a new contract with a salary paid for by the Oval.

The outside of the Richmond Olympic Oval.
Councillors in Richmond, B.C., say there needs to be more oversight of the city-owned Olympic Oval. (Ben Nelms/CBC)

But he retired from that role just two years later, departing in July 2024.

While both Duncan and the Oval called it a planned departure, he received an additional $372,991 in benefits and additional compensation for those six months of work, in addition to $209,249 in base salary. 

That arrangement rankled some councillors, who have pointed to it as evidence of the need to change the hands-off relationship with the Oval, even after changing the members on the board.

"At the end of the day, we, as a council, need to do our fiduciary duty and make the right decision for the taxpayers of Richmond," said Heed. "Part of that is to cap the amount of money going to the Oval in 2026 at $2.5 million."

The Richmond Olympic Oval said in a statement that due to "prudent financial management through the first half of 2025," the funding cut for 2026 won't affect next year's service levels or the organization's overall financial performance.

The 48,000-square-metre facility earned a record $11.7 million in 2024 from registered programs, rentals, memberships and admissions.

"Looking ahead, the Oval remains steadfast in delivering on the shareholders' mandate to provide exceptional services, innovative programming, and memorable experiences for all who walk through our doors," it said. 

High performance space or community centre?

Beyond the governance of the Oval exists a separate question about its primary focus: whether to be a hub for high-performance athletes or essentially a large community centre. 

A woman wearing a pink coat sits in a council chamber, with the words, 'Councillor Alexa Loo' in front of her.
Coun. Alexa Loo argues that changing the Richmond Olympic Oval's focus could risk the loss of Olympic-related funding. (Ben Nelms/CBC)

Coun. Alexa Loo, who was council's liaison to the Oval for many years and competed in snowboarding in the 2010 Winter Olympics, said changing its focus could risk losing Olympics-related funding for the facility.

"I would like the opportunities for Richmond children and athletes, Paralympic and regular athletes to have the ability to achieve their best," she said. "And that means you have to have a high-performance space to do your training in to have that support."



Source link