The Richmond Olympic Oval was built as the speed-skating venue for the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics and has since been converted into one of the most impressive public recreation centres in Canada. The building's distinctive wave-form wooden roof — made from 20,000 square metres of pine-beetle-killed lumber — is a Pacific coast architectural landmark in its own right.
Inside, the Oval today contains two NHL-size ice rinks, a 200-metre running track that replaced the Olympic speed-skating oval, a full fitness centre, basketball and volleyball courts, a climbing wall, and the Richmond Olympic Experience — an interactive museum about the 2010 Games with gold-medal memorabilia and simulator experiences. Public drop-in fees are modest (around $8 for adults), which makes it one of the best-value recreation centres in Metro Vancouver.
The Oval sits directly on the Middle Arm of the Fraser River with a waterfront plaza, and it's the anchor of Richmond's new waterfront neighbourhood (the condos you see across the plaza were all built in the 10 years after the Olympics). The dyke trail running past the Oval connects north to Bridgeport and south to Terra Nova — the whole waterfront loop is about 15 km and completely flat, making it one of the best cycling routes in Metro Vancouver.
How to get there
By car from Richmond City Centre, 5 minutes west on Westminster Highway. By transit, the 410 bus runs from Bridgeport Canada Line station to the Oval.
Local tips
- Drop-in fitness day-pass is one of the best deals in Metro Vancouver
- The Richmond Olympic Experience museum has a family ticket
- The dyke trail past the Oval is flat and connects 15 km of waterfront path
- The wave-form roof is worth a look from the outside even if you don't go in