WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 10, 2014
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Metro Theatre’s production of Aladdin produces some Christmas pantomime magic for local cast members. Page 11
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Santa came to town, Steveston-style, Saturday when he hopped aboard a Vancouver Whale Watch boat and was assisted by some life-jacketed youngsters filling in for his reindeer. To see more photos, visit our online gallery at Richmond-News.com and the Pulse section on page 16. Photo by Gord Goble/Special to the News
Oval yoga classes go private ‘People who have Oval memberships will no longer have access to the classes,’ says angry participant Graeme Wood
Staff Reporter gwood@richmond-news.com
The Richmond Olympic Oval is embarking on its first, public-private partnership and it has some members steaming mad. The Oval has decided to terminate all of its membership yoga classes in order to accommodate YYoga, a private yoga company, at the large, converted fitness facility initially built for speed skating during the 2010 Winter Games.
Oval member Carol Ramos said the change is unfair. “The facility is meant to be community based and people who have Oval memberships will no longer have access to the classes. Nobody was notified of this. …Members have been in tears and many had Oval memberships for the yoga classes,” wrote Ramos in an e-mail to the Richmond News. YYoga will enter into a revenue sharing agreement for floor space at the Oval, and provide a wide-range of yoga classes for a separate fee from what Oval members are
charged. The City of Richmond has subsidized the Oval on an annual basis by about $3 million, citing it is not unlike funding any other community centre. Membership fees far outpace those of regular community centres throughout the city, largely because the city has stated the Oval offers a wider variety of programming. Oval marketer and spokesperson Aran Kay said YYoga can offer better yoga classes throughout the entire day. He said YYoga will have hot rooms, hot yoga classes and tea service, among other perks.
In turn, the Oval will eliminate its existing yoga services, which constitute about seven classes a week that serve roughly 200 members, according to Kay. Kay said members can be refunded the remaining value of their membership, should they choose. He noted the programming time spent on existing yoga services would be shifted to other services such as pilates, zoomba and stretch classes. Kay said he wasn’t aware of any future initiatives in which the Oval would shift more services over to a private company.
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