[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":168},["ShallowReactive",2],{"news-list":3,"article-\u002Fnews\u002Fwatermania-expropriation-richmond-2026-10-31":34,"article-people-\u002Fnews\u002Fwatermania-expropriation-richmond-2026-10-31":167},[4,21],{"path":5,"title":6,"description":7,"date":8,"publishedAt":9,"author":10,"category":11,"tags":12,"image":18,"imageAlt":19,"imageCredit":18,"updated":18,"linkedinPostUrl":18,"pinned":20},"\u002Fnews\u002Frichmond-rcmp-online-marketplace-fraud-2026-10-31","Richmond RCMP warn of online marketplace fraud after $22,000 in reported losses","Fraudsters have handed buyers envelopes of worthless paper instead of payment in multiple incidents since November 2025. RCMP advise using the Exchange Zone at the No. 5 Road detachment.","2026-10-31","2026-10-31T08:26:00-07:00","voche.me editors","Election news",[13,14,15,16,17],"Richmond RCMP","fraud","safety","online marketplace","community",null,"Illustration of a police detachment exchange zone for safe online marketplace transactions",false,{"path":22,"title":23,"description":24,"date":8,"publishedAt":25,"author":10,"category":11,"tags":26,"image":31,"imageAlt":32,"imageCredit":33,"updated":18,"linkedinPostUrl":18,"pinned":20},"\u002Fnews\u002Fwatermania-expropriation-richmond-2026-10-31","Richmond moves to take ownership of Watermania through expropriation","The City filed an expropriation notice in July 2026 to acquire the aquatic centre at Riverport before its lease expires in March 2027.","2026-10-31T08:25:00-07:00",[27,28,29,30,17],"City of Richmond","recreation","aquatic centre","expropriation","https:\u002F\u002Fimages-dh-production-baselayer.dailyhive.com\u002Fuploads\u002F2026\u002F10\u002Fwatermania-aquatic-centre-richmond-f-1.jpg?format=auto","Watermania aquatic centre at the Riverport Sports and Entertainment Complex in Richmond, BC","City of Richmond \u002F Daily Hive",{"id":35,"title":23,"aiMetadata":36,"author":10,"body":49,"candidates":116,"category":11,"date":8,"description":24,"extension":117,"faq":118,"image":31,"imageAlt":32,"imageCheckedAt":25,"imageCredit":33,"imageScene":18,"linkedin":143,"linkedinPostUrl":18,"meta":150,"metaDescription":18,"navigation":152,"path":22,"pinned":20,"primarySourceUrl":153,"publishedAt":25,"seo":154,"seoTitle":18,"sourceId":155,"sourceIsPaywalled":20,"sources":156,"stem":162,"storyType":163,"tags":164,"topicKey":165,"updated":18,"__hash__":166},"news\u002Fnews\u002Fwatermania-expropriation-richmond-2026-10-31.md",{"summary":37,"keyTopics":38,"semanticKeywords":43},"Richmond filed an expropriation notice in July 2026 to take ownership of Watermania aquatic centre before its 30-year lease expires in March 2027. The facility is assessed at $49.4 million and a formal independent inquiry is scheduled for late November 2026.",[39,30,29,27,40,41,42],"Watermania","Riverport","recreation facility","public inquiry",[44,45,46,47,48],"Richmond aquatic centre","Watermania expropriation","Riverport Sports Complex","Richmond recreation","City of Richmond council decision",{"type":50,"value":51,"toc":109},"minimark",[52,56,59,64,67,70,74,77,80,83,87,90,93,102],[53,54,55],"p",{},"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.",[53,57,58],{},"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.",[60,61,63],"h2",{"id":62},"what-watermania-is","What Watermania is",[53,65,66],{},"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.",[53,68,69],{},"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.",[60,71,73],{"id":72},"why-expropriation-now","Why expropriation now",[53,75,76],{},"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.",[53,78,79],{},"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.\"",[53,81,82],{},"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.",[60,84,86],{"id":85},"the-independent-inquiry","The independent inquiry",[53,88,89],{},"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.",[53,91,92],{},"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.",[53,94,95,96,101],{},"The new Richmond City Council, which includes ",[97,98,100],"a",{"href":99},"\u002Fbc\u002Frichmond-2026\u002Fcandidates\u002Frob-howard","Mayor Rob Howard"," and eight newly elected councillors, takes office on 2 November 2026 and will inherit the expropriation file.",[53,103,104,105,108],{},"Richmond residents who want to follow the inquiry process can check the Richmond news section at ",[97,106,107],{"href":107},"\u002Fbc\u002Frichmond-2026\u002Fnews"," for updates.",{"title":110,"searchDepth":111,"depth":111,"links":112},"",2,[113,114,115],{"id":62,"depth":111,"text":63},{"id":72,"depth":111,"text":73},{"id":85,"depth":111,"text":86},[],"md",[119,122,125,128,131,134,137,140],{"question":120,"answer":121},"What is the City of Richmond planning to do with Watermania?","Richmond filed a formal expropriation notice on July 6, 2026 to take ownership of Watermania aquatic centre at 14300 Entertainment Blvd. The City has operated the facility as a tenant since it opened in 1997, but it does not own the building or the land. The notice states that acquiring the property would serve the public interest by keeping the facility open as a public indoor aquatic centre and fitness facility.",{"question":123,"answer":124},"Why is the City pursuing expropriation rather than renewing the lease?","The City's expropriation notice says acquiring ownership would support responsible long-term financial and asset management. 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. The City cited similar reasoning when it purchased the adjacent Richmond Ice Centre in 2019.",{"question":126,"answer":127},"What is Watermania and where is it?","Watermania is a large indoor aquatic centre at 14300 Entertainment Blvd., inside the Riverport Sports and Entertainment Complex in southeast Richmond. It features an indoor wave pool with two waterslides, a 57-metre competition pool, a fitness centre, diving facilities, whirlpools, a steam room and a sauna. The City has operated it since it opened in 1997.",{"question":129,"answer":130},"When does the current lease expire?","The lease between the City and the private landowner, 14300 Entertainment Blvd. Investments, expires in March 2027, according to Daily Hive Urbanized. The City filed its expropriation notice in July 2026, before the lease expires.",{"question":132,"answer":133},"What is the assessed value of the Watermania property?","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. Those figures reflect estimated market value as of July 1, 2025, as Daily Hive reported.",{"question":135,"answer":136},"What happens next with the expropriation?","The private landowner has initiated a formal independent inquiry into the expropriation. That inquiry is scheduled to begin in late November 2026, according to Daily Hive. The process will allow both the City and the landowner to present their positions. Outgoing Mayor Brodie said the City respects the process and looks forward to a fair outcome.",{"question":138,"answer":139},"How does an Aboriginal title claim affect this situation?","In August 2025, BC Supreme Court Justice Barbara Young granted the Cowichan Tribes Aboriginal title over 740 acres of land to the north and east of the Riverport complex. The City of Richmond, the federal and provincial governments, Musqueam First Nation and Tsawwassen First Nation have appealed that decision. The Cowichan Tribes have filed their own appeal seeking title over a broader 1,846-acre area that includes the Riverport complex. Daily Hive reported these competing appeals could take many years to resolve.",{"question":141,"answer":142},"Where can Richmond residents find out more about the Watermania situation?","Richmond residents can read the full Daily Hive Urbanized report by Kenneth Chan at dailyhive.com. For news about the new Richmond City Council, which takes office on 2 November 2026, visit the Richmond news page on this site at \u002Fbc\u002Frichmond-2026\u002Fnews.",{"short":144,"long":145,"hashtags":146},"Richmond filed a formal notice to take ownership of Watermania aquatic centre before its lease expires in March 2027. A public inquiry is scheduled for late November.","The City of Richmond filed an expropriation notice in July 2026 to take ownership of Watermania, the large indoor aquatic centre at Riverport that the City has operated as a tenant since 1997. The lease expires March 2027. A formal independent inquiry, initiated by the private landlord, is set for late November 2026. The facility is assessed at $49.4 million.",[147,148,39,149],"Richmond","RichmondBC","RichmondCouncil",{"sourceName":151},"Daily Hive Vancouver",true,"https:\u002F\u002Fdailyhive.com\u002Fvancouver\u002Fwatermania-aquatic-centre-city-of-richmond-expropriation-acquisition",{"title":23,"description":24},"daily-hive:https:\u002F\u002Fdailyhive.com\u002Fvancouver\u002Fwatermania-aquatic-centre-city-of-richmond-expropriation-acquisition",[157,159],{"label":158,"url":153},"Daily Hive Urbanized — City of Richmond moves to acquire Watermania through expropriation",{"label":160,"url":161},"BC Assessment property information","https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bcassessment.ca","news\u002Fwatermania-expropriation-richmond-2026-10-31","reported",[27,28,29,30,17],"city-of-richmond\u002Fcommunity","X4Ur19QtO4WoHwJuEHSGfAZMKDqoKk3GkAK3Cbl4R9k",[],1793466166623]