---
title: "Richmond moves to take ownership of Watermania through expropriation"
description: "The City filed an expropriation notice in July 2026 to acquire the aquatic centre at Riverport before its lease expires in March 2027."
canonical_url: "https://voche.me/bc/richmond-2026/news/watermania-expropriation-richmond-2026-10-31"
last_updated: "2026-10-31T17:02:48.602Z"
---

The City of Richmond filed a formal expropriation notice in July 2026 to take ownership of Watermania, the large indoor aquatic centre at Riverport that the City has operated as a public facility for nearly 30 years. The lease on the building and land expires in March 2027.

Daily Hive Urbanized reported that the expropriation notice, dated July 3, 2026, was filed with the Land Title Office on July 6. It names the registered owner as 14300 Entertainment Blvd. Investments and states that acquiring the property would serve the public interest by securing Watermania as an indoor aquatic centre and fitness facility.

## What Watermania is

Watermania opened in 1997 at 14300 Entertainment Blvd., inside the Riverport Sports and Entertainment Complex in southeast Richmond. It is one of four public swimming facilities the City operates. Its main features are an indoor wave pool with two waterslides, a 57-metre competition pool, a fitness centre, one- and three-metre springboards, a five-metre diving tower, two whirlpools, a steam room and a sauna.

The City has operated Watermania since it opened, but it has never owned the building or the land. Both were financed and owned by the Riverport complex developer, who leased them to Richmond under an arrangement that allowed the City to provide a major recreation facility without paying upfront construction or land costs.

## Why expropriation now

With the lease set to expire in March 2027, the City chose to pursue ownership rather than negotiate a new lease. Daily Hive obtained records showing the July 2026 expropriation notice, which does not include a purchase price or compensation offer.

Outgoing Mayor Malcom Brodie told Daily Hive that expropriation "is avoided whenever possible" and that the City's goal is to secure Watermania's long-term future. As the matter is before an independent inquiry, Brodie said the City "respects the process and looks forward to a fair outcome."

According to BC Assessment's latest roll, Watermania has an assessed value of $49.4 million: $27.41 million for the land and $21.99 million for the building, reflecting estimated market value as of July 1, 2025.

## The independent inquiry

The private landowner has initiated a formal independent inquiry into the expropriation. That inquiry is scheduled to begin in late November 2026. It will allow both the City and the landowner to present their positions before a decision is reached.

An Aboriginal title claim over the broader Riverport area adds uncertainty to the property. In August 2025, a BC Supreme Court judge granted the Cowichan Tribes Aboriginal title over 740 acres of land to the north and east of the Riverport complex. Multiple parties have filed appeals, and Daily Hive reported those could take many years to resolve.

The new Richmond City Council, which includes [Mayor Rob Howard](/bc/richmond-2026/candidates/rob-howard) and eight newly elected councillors, takes office on 2 November 2026 and will inherit the expropriation file.

Richmond residents who want to follow the inquiry process can check the Richmond news section at [/bc/richmond-2026/news](/bc/richmond-2026/news) for updates.

## Sitemap

See the full [sitemap](/bc/richmond-2026/sitemap.md) for all pages.