Canadian skaters, like gold medalist Cindy Klassen, are hoping for a repeat performance, and more, on home ice in the Richmond Oval two years from now.
It is touted to be a signature Olympic venue, but the original plan didn't put the oval on the banks of the Fraser River in Richmond.
In 2004 the plan was to have the oval located at Burnaby's Simon Fraser University, but that proposal was put on ice by VANOC.
At the time Richmond's Mayor Malcolm Brodie said, "We didn't steal anything from anybody."
What the city did was promise a spectacular facility for long track speed skating that would be converted to a multi-purpose recreational complex after the games.
Brodie pledged the city would not raise taxes or borrow money. So far they haven't, but the budget for the massive project has risen from $155 million to $178 million.
- The federal and provincial governments have contributed $60 million.
- Casino revenues will generate $50 million.
- The city recently raised $141 million by selling off land around the oval, which is being transformed into a waterfront residential commercial development.
The most unique feature of the oval is the roof with its wood wave design says city official Greg Scott.
"They were able to utilize pine beetle killed wood from our local forests up around Williams Lake. It was milled there, it was trucked down. It's basically two by fours nailed together in a specific design."
The roof also has a rain water recovery system.
Once the games are over, the facility will reopen to the public a few months later, converted to house two ice rinks, hard courts, a track and field area, and a high performance fitness centre.
Scott adds it will be used from one end to the other for both winter and summer sports.
With a report from CTV's 2010 Reporter Mike Killeen
