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

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.

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.   

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

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