'We're not doing our job': Richmond councillors push for more oversight of Olympic Oval

Justin McElroy · CBC News

· Posted: Jul 10, 2025 8:00 AM EDT | Last Updated: 1 hr ago

The contention implicit Richmond's Olympic Oval continues to spell astir and astir — but determination could soon beryllium clarity connected its future. 

"We request to bash our job, and we're not doing our occupation arsenic councillors," said Coun. Bill McNulty astatine a gathering this week, criticizing his chap councillors for not providing capable oversight, and the managers of the Olympic Oval for a deficiency of connection with the city.

The Oval, which was built for the 2010 Olympics for speedskating, is afloat owned and operated by the city, but has been managed and overseen by an arms-length corporation. 

The metropolis has historically provided betwixt $3 cardinal and $4 cardinal a year, astir 20 per cent of the Oval's operating revenue, with the remainder coming from programme fees and an Olympic spot money fixed to facilities that proceed to run arsenic show and grooming venues.

But over the past 18 months, the Oval has faced a tumultuous clip successful the aftermath of its longtime CEO leaving.

Council rapidly moved to regenerate its erstwhile board, determination were respective stories captious of erstwhile expenses, and is present the metropolis is auditing the Oval's wide operations. 

The gathering this week ended with assembly approving a question enactment guardant by Coun. Kash Heed that would headdress the wealth fixed by the City of Richmond to the Oval astatine $2.5 cardinal adjacent year, on with a unit reappraisal of whether the Oval should beryllium straight overseen by the city, akin to assemblage centres crossed the region.   

The question volition request to beryllium approved astatine a afloat assembly gathering adjacent Monday.

WATCH | Richmond Olympic Oval nether microscope: 

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

At the centre of the contention is simply a retired unit subordinate who ran some the City of Richmond and the Oval for galore years — George Duncan. 

In 2022, Duncan retired arsenic Richmond's main administrative serviceman aft much than 2 decades connected the occupation and received astir $275,788 successful benefits and compensation supra his basal wage for his last year. 

While that level of retirement compensation is not unheard of for a elder staffer successful Metro Vancouver, helium stayed connected arsenic CEO of the Oval and was fixed a caller declaration with a wage paid for by the Oval.

But helium retired from that relation conscionable 2 years later, departing successful July 2024.

While some Duncan and the Oval called it a planned departure, helium received an further $372,991 successful benefits and further compensation for those six months of work, successful summation to $209,249 successful basal salary. 

A spokesperson for the Oval said it couldn't remark "as this is simply a unit matter," and Richmond Mayor Malcolm Brodie said the city's hands were tied. 

"The Oval board, which is simply a abstracted firm board, they ratified that arrangement," helium said. 

"So portion I bash deliberation that they are taxable to reappraisal and we request to analyse them further, it was a communal parting arsenic agreed."

However, that statement has rankled galore councillors, who person pointed to it arsenic grounds of the request to alteration the hands-off narration with the Oval, adjacent aft changing the members connected the board.

"Mr. Duncan was precise bully astatine penning contracts, and his … committee made definite that those things were approved," said Coun. Carol Day.

"The [new] committee that we person enactment successful spot the past 2 years is doing a phenomenal job, and I would promote them to go portion of … the committee for the caller assemblage centre, which would beryllium portion of the City of Richmond."

High performance or assemblage centre?

Beyond the governance of the Oval exists a abstracted question astir its superior focus: whether to beryllium a hub for high-performance athletes oregon fundamentally a ample assemblage centre. 

"All the different assemblage centres, for $29, you person unfastened entree for the full summer. That conscionable doesn't hap here, it's lone for the elite," said Day.

"I deliberation that sends a precise atrocious connection to radical who aren't affluent and famous."

But Coun. Alexa Loo, who was council's liaison to the Oval for galore years and competed successful snowboarding successful the 2010 Olympics, said changing its absorption could hazard losing Olympics-related backing for the facility.

"If we're keen to support that backing … and supply opportunities for Richmond athletes to marque it to the Olympics and to execute their dreams, past we person to proceed down the roadworthy of inactive having immoderate precocious performance," she said.

"I'd emotion to accidental that the Richmond Olympic Oval is simply a precise peculiar place."

Though what that spot could look like, and beryllium operated as, successful the aboriginal is presently a large question mark. 

"It's not healthy, and if you deliberation it is, you've got your caput shaken … we are the subordinate present — not the board," said McNulty.

"I deliberation that absorption is needed to marque immoderate changes to each facilities truthful that they're disposable to Richmond residents."