January 17, 2008 (Vancouver, BC) – Marking another milestone on the road to the 2010 Winter Games, the last section of the unique “wood wave” roof of the Richmond Oval was put into place. Spanning 6.5 acres, the roof, primarily constructed of BC pine beetle kill wood, will become one of the most noticeable features of the Richmond Oval and an integral part of the Richmond skyline.

To celebrate the roof raising, Premier Gordon Campbell, Parliamentary Secretary for Federal Olympic Secretariat James Moore, Richmond Mayor Malcolm Brodie and the Richmond City Council joined VANOC Chief Executive Officer John Furlong and other guests in signing the last panel of the fifteenth and final section of the roof before it was lifted into place.

For four time Paralympic wheelchair basketball player and Beijing 2008 hopeful Jennifer Krempien, signing the roof was especially poignant. “It is exciting to watch the Oval blossom into a state-of-the-art facility with the needs of the community and athlete at the heart of the design. The Oval will be a tremendous facility to support Canada’s high performance Olympic and Paralympic athletes. Having a facility that is accessible to all athletes and community members is just one more example of how Canada strives to be a world leader in supporting our athletes.”

The community celebration
The dignitaries weren’t the only ones to commemorate the event. Over the weekend, 8,000 members of the community, including many members of the construction team, came out to celebrate and sign their names to the final panel of this unique structure. The event turned into a large community celebration with Paralympic swimmer Donovan Tildesley and Olympic freestyle mogul skier Chris Wong on hand to sign autographs. Hot chocolate, live music, a magic show and face painting rounded out the event.

Many residents also took the opportunity to tour the site and see for themselves the venue’s progress. For those unable to make it to the signing, the City of Richmond has installed a live construction cam of the building site.

A community facility
The large turn out is the start of a tradition of community involvement for the Oval. Located on the banks of the Fraser River, the Oval will host the 12 speed skating events during the 2010 Winter Games including the popular men’s and women’s team pursuit events. Post-Games, the Richmond Oval will transition into a show-case multi-purpose facility.

“The Oval will provide great benefits for our community for generations to come,” said Richmond Mayor Malcolm Brodie. “With its twin focus on sports and wellness, it will have programs and services that will appeal to the entire community, regardless of their age, fitness or physical ability.”

Designed to transition between a speed skating facility, elite athlete training zone, international sports venue, neighbourhood recreation centre and elderly rehabilitation area, the Richmond Oval will be a centre for sports of all kinds and a lasting testament to the Olympic spirit. In its legacy mode, the facility will house two international-sized hockey rinks, eight indoor gymnasiums, an indoor track and field facility, and numerous other health and wellness areas. Additionally, the City of Richmond recently announced that four large gymnasium floors will be installed inside the 400-metre skating track for pre-Games community use.

To learn more about the construction, the roof and future plans for the Richmond Oval, visit the City of Richmond website at www.richmond.ca.