The Richmond Olympic Oval is now known by another name: Anneau olympique de Richmond.

City council decided Monday to will allow the French translation of the Olympic facility's name to be added to the building's exterior in time for the Winter Olympics in February 2010.

"We had always said we would allow French signage as long as we can approve the design and the cost is paid by someone else. This complied with that," said Mayor Malcolm Brodie.

Brodie said the Vancouver Organizing Committee pushed for the French translation, and told Richmond officials it would pay to upgrade the venue's three prominent exterior signs—as long as city council made the changes permanent.

City council agreed.

With approximately 40 per cent of the population being of Chinese origin, Richmond isn't known for its French connections. According to the 2006 Census, just 1,155 people in Richmond declared their mother tongue as French and just 10,000 people said they had knowledge of both official languages.

"It never occurred to us to have French in the signage, but I'm not resistant to the change so long as the appearance is commensurate with what was there and the costs are covered," said Brodie.

The French words will be placed below the English words in the same style.

Earlier this year, members of the Standing Senate Committee on Official Languages expressed their dismay about the lack of French on the oval's sign.

Brodie said adding French to the oval acknowledges $30 million of federal funding that went into the oval's capital cost, and half the Olympic legacy fund—$55 million—is also from the federal government.

But no party, he said, forced the city to make its decision.

The venue will become the only city-owned facility to feature both official languages on its exterior signs.

"It's really become a building that's known throughout our country and internationally, and so to have the bilingual sign I think is a positive step," Brodie added.

Council's decision doesn't include signs Vanoc may erect inside the oval during its exclusive use period of Dec. 1 to April 1, 2010. Vanoc is required to return the venue as it was when handed over—unless city council opts for some changes to be permanent.