The Richmond Olympic Oval and the City of Richmond are refusing to reveal details and costs of a European junket.
In 2022, a delegation that included Richmond chief administrative officer Serena Lusk and former Olympic Oval CEO George Duncan visited the Barcelona Olympic Museum and the International Olympic Committee Museum in Lausanne, Switzerland.
Richmond Councillor Carol Day says she was unaware of the trip.
“Well, I don’t know much, to be honest, I’m learning about it now. I understand there were a lot of people who went,” she told Global News.
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Councillor Kash Heed also said he was never told about it.
Richmond Olympic Oval told Global News, “costs and number of participants for the delegation were approved by the Board at that time and included within the Oval’s operating budget.”
They refused to reveal details and costs.
The City of Richmond also refuses, even though attendees included their CAO, Serena Lusk, who was paid $499,000 last year.
Richmond Oval is already undergoing a forensic audit, and now one councillor is calling for the Oval Corporation to be dissolved.
“I’m bringing forward a motion to dismantle the Richmond Olympic Oval Corporation and come up with a new structure that is going to serve the taxpayers of Richmond more sufficiently,” Heed said.
Former Olympic Oval CEO George Duncan also took part in the European junket.
In 2024, his compensation totalled approximately $582,000.
Global News has filed a freedom of information request in an effort to obtain the costs of the trip.
Until then, how taxpayer dollars were spent remains a secret.
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