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This coastal city of approximately 214,000 inhabitants is always on the lookout for opportunities, projects and initiatives to build on its Olympic legacy. In particular, it seeks to align its Olympic legacy vision with the vision of the city, which is to create the most appealing, liveable and well-managed community in Canada. Meanwhile, the goals of the Global Active City programme dovetail neatly with many of the city’s strategic plans, which is why Richmond decided to join the programme as a pilot city. Richmond, in common with several of the pilot cities, faces a growing number of challenges, including increasing urbanisation (the population grew by 12 per cent between 2011 and 2016) and a growing number of barriers to physical activity. The community is becoming ever more diverse – 70 per cent of the population is composed of ethnic minorities, with people of Chinese origin making up the greatest proportion, followed by English, Canadian, Scottish, Filipino, Indian and Irish. And although, by many standards, the city’s residents are generally healthy, a surprising number of Richmond residents, from children to seniors, nonetheless fail to meet physical activity and healthy eating targets. Furthermore, a number of residents have reported not feeling a strong sense of belonging or connection to their community. In June 2016, representatives from the Global Active City programme came to Richmond for a diagnostic visit. They then compiled a report in which they identified a few areas where work was needed for the city to meet the criteria to become a Global Active City. These included the need for greater research and evaluation to measure participation in physical activity among different age groups, parts of the city and by socio-economic status; and the need for the development of a formalised broad network of partners, which includes the public, private, health and non-profit sectors. Since that visit, Richmond has continued to work on a range of activities to fill the gaps identified and meet the criteria for Global Active City recognition. One such initiative is the development of a Community Wellness Strategy. This is a partnership initiative intended to outline a framework to guide the work of the city of Richmond, Vancouver Coastal Health, and Richmond School District No. 38 to improve wellness among Richmond residents over the next five years. Four priority areas for change have been identified: physical activity, healthy eating, mental wellness and social connectedness. The next phase of the process involves identifying each partner’s role in delivery, and identifying indicators to assess the impact of the strategy. To support the monitoring and evaluation of the strategy, the city has partnered with Vancouver Coastal Health to conduct the “My Health My Community” survey that provides data at a neighbourhood level on an ongoing basis. Meanwhile, the Global Active City programme has supported Richmond with evidence-based good practices delivered through cooperation and collaboration with the supporting team. In addition, the city has developed a network of worldwide peers to share lessons and glean ideas. ‘WE DIDN’T BUILD THE OVAL AND OUR OLYMPIC PROGRAMME JUST FOR THE GAMES. WE DID IT FOR COMMUNITY LEGACY; THAT’S WHERE THE PAYBACK IS’ GEORGE DUNCAN, CAO CITY OF RICHMOND AND CEO RICHMOND OVAL CORPORATION PROJECTS AND INITIATIVES Physical literacy Within the framework of the Canadian Sport for Life model, the city adopted the Richmond Sport for Life Strategy with physical literacy as one of its priorities. A Physical Literacy Committee was established and a physical literacy manual published in 2014. Staff developed “made in Richmond” programmes to provide opportunities for children of different ages to learn and practise basic movement skills. Physical literacy is now embedded in many programmes offered by the city and its partners. Resilient Streets grant Richmond has received funding to participate in the Resilient Streets programme, a dynamic and highly adaptable initiative aimed at increasing neighbour-to- neighbour connections by providing “entry points” or “doorways” for people to meet and build relationships with their neighbours, foster social connections and create resilience. The model includes forming a Resilient Streets Collaborative Table, which will include representatives from several city of Richmond departments. “Take Back Your Streets” The city’s Physical Literacy Street Team attended 30 community events as part of the “Take Back Your Streets” initiative from TAFISA. Street Team Leaders facilitated games for children and youth that promoted physical literacy, while also educating the public on the benefits of physical literacy and the importance of sport and being active. In the summer of 2017, over 2,500 children and nearly 1,300 adults were engaged at events across the city. OLYMPIC REVIEW 63 ACTIVE CITIES