Alberta Sports Hall of Fame facts for kids
| Established | 1957 |
|---|---|
| Location | Red Deer, Alberta, Canada |
| Type | Sports Hall of Fame |
The Alberta Sports Hall of Fame is a special place in Red Deer, Alberta, Canada. It's like a museum and a hall of fame all in one! This place is dedicated to keeping the history of sports in Alberta alive. It celebrates amazing athletes and teams from the province.
It started way back in 1957. A group called the Alberta Amateur Athletic Union (AAAU) created it. Later, in 1973, another group called Sport Alberta took over. Since 1997, the Alberta Sports Hall of Fame and Museum Society has been in charge. The Hall of Fame first had a permanent display in Edmonton in 1962. It moved around a few times between Edmonton and Calgary. Finally, it found its permanent home in Red Deer in 1999.
Contents
How People Get Inducted
Getting into the Hall of Fame is a big deal! At first, only amateur athletes could join. But in 1979, professional athletes could also be considered.
Years ago, if you won a big international competition, you automatically got in. However, this rule changed by 1981. It became harder to get inducted into halls of fame across Canada. Now, only up to seven athletes or teams can be chosen each year.
People are inducted into different groups. These include athletes, teams, "builders" (people who helped grow sports), and "pioneers" (people who were first in their sport). Sports journalists in Alberta can also receive a special award called the Bell Memorial Award.
The very first people inducted were in 1958. They were boxers Charles Cheesman, Wilf Greaves, and Hugh Sloan. Also, a track athlete named George Sutherland was among the first.
Famous Inductees
This section highlights some of the amazing people and teams who have been inducted into the Alberta Sports Hall of Fame.
Individual Athletes and Builders
| Year | Inductee | Description | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | Phyllis Sadoway | A Canadian coach for the Canada national ringette team and the United States national ringette team. She's also in the Ringette Canada Hall of Fame. | |
| 2018 | Keely Brown | A Canadian ringette goalie and coach for the Canada national ringette team. She also played for the Canada women's national inline hockey team. | |
| 2007 | Don Barry | A Canadian football player for the Edmonton Eskimos. He won the Grey Cup three times. | |
| 2013 | Earl W. Bascom | An American-Canadian cowboy and rodeo performer. He's known as the "Father of Modern Rodeo." | |
| 1980 | Johnny Bright | A Canadian Football League player. He is a member of several football halls of fame. | |
| 1980 | Michelle Calkins | A synchronized swimmer who won a gold medal at the 1978 World Aquatics Championships. | |
| 2000 | Ed Chynoweth | A president of the Canadian Hockey League and Western Hockey League. | |
| 1998 | Peter Connellan | A football coach for the University of Calgary Dinos. He's also in the Canadian Football Hall of Fame. | |
| 2005 | Andy Clovechok | A Canadian ice hockey player for teams like the Vancouver Canucks. He's in at least five halls of fame. | |
| 1983 | Margaret Crosland | She won the Canadian Figure Skating Championships twice. | |
| 2008 | Melody Davidson | The head coach of the Olympic gold medal-winning Canada women's national ice hockey team. | |
| 1995 | Willie deWit | A Canadian former Olympic boxer. He is now a judge in Alberta. | |
| 2005 | Red Dutton | A professional ice hockey player and coach. He was also President of the National Hockey League. | |
| 2000 | Robert Easton | A Canadian Paralympic wheelchair racer. He is a member of three halls of fame in Canada. | |
| 1995 | Dave Fennell | Voted one of the Canadian Football League's Top 50 players of the modern era. | |
| 1986 | Bill Gadsby | A professional ice hockey player. He is also in the Hockey Hall of Fame. | |
| 2004 | Bryan Hall | A radio broadcaster for the Edmonton Eskimos. | |
| 1988 | Sharon Hambrook | A synchronized swimmer who won a gold medal at the 1982 World Aquatics Championships. | |
| 1989 | W. G. Hardy | A president of the International Ice Hockey Federation. He is also a Member of the Order of Canada. | |
| 1980 | Stu Hart | A professional wrestler and multi-sport athlete. He was the leader of the famous Hart wrestling family. | |
| 2002 | Terry Jones | A journalist who won the Elmer Ferguson Memorial Award. He's in the Canadian Football Hall of Fame and Canadian Curling Hall of Fame. | |
| 2008 | Yoshio Katsuta | A Japanese-Canadian judoka. He was the first president of the Alberta Black Belt Association. | |
| 1990 | Reg Kesler | He competed in 5 rodeo events. He was best known for providing animals for rodeos. | |
| 1983 | Ray Kingsmith | A Canadian curler and politician. He was inducted into the Canadian Curling Hall of Fame. | |
| 1980 | Pete Knight | A Canadian and World Champion rodeo bronc rider. | |
| 2013 | Ray Knight | He created the Raymond Stampede, the oldest rodeo in Canada. He was also known as the first stock contractor. | |
| 2009 | Jennifer Krempien | A Canada women's national wheelchair basketball team player. She won a Paralympic gold medal. | |
| 1990 | Joe Kryczka | A president of the Canadian Amateur Hockey Association. | |
| 1980 | Kelly Kryczka | A synchronized swimmer who won gold medals at the 1979 Pan American Games and the 1982 World Aquatics Championships. | |
| 2015 | Bruce MacGregor | A retired National Hockey League and World Hockey Association player. He was also an assistant general manager for the Edmonton Oilers. | |
| 1996 | Ron MacLean | A Canadian sportscaster for CBC Television and Rogers Media. He is the host of Hockey Night in Canada. | |
| 1993 | Lanny McDonald | A professional ice hockey player. He is also in the Hockey Hall of Fame. | |
| 2015 | Joey Moss | A long-time locker room attendant for the Edmonton Oilers and Edmonton Eskimos. He was influenced by Wayne Gretzky. | |
| 1970 | Howard Palmer | A 1941 Macdonald Brier champion curler. | |
| 1968 | Art Potter | A president of the Canadian Amateur Hockey Association and the Alberta Amateur Hockey Association. | |
| 1980 | Billy Rose | A Canadian curler. He was the skip of the 1946 The Brier champion team from Alberta. | |
| 2007 | Byron Seaman | One of the first six owners of the Calgary Flames. | |
| 1988 | John Short | An Edmonton-based sports journalist and broadcaster. | |
| 1980 | Betty Stanhope-Cole | An inductee into the Canadian Golf Hall of Fame. | |
| 1984 | Robert Steadward | A president of the Canadian Paralympic Committee and International Olympic Committee. | |
| 1958 | George Sutherland | An athlete who competed in track and field events at the British Empire Games. | |
| 2008 | Karl Tilleman | A Canadian basketball player who played in two Olympics. He is also an attorney. | |
| 1987 | Phil Tollestrup | A Canadian basketball player who played in the Olympics. He is a member of several halls of fame. | |
| 1980 | Helen Vanderburg | A gold medalist in synchronised swimming at the FINA World Aquatics Championships. | |
| 2010 | Mike Vernon | A professional ice hockey goaltender. | |
| 1994 | Marty Wood | A three-time World Champion saddle bronc rider. He is inducted into five halls of fame. |
Great Teams and Groups
| Year | Group name | Description | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | 1950 Edmonton Mercurys | This team won gold medals at the 1950 Ice Hockey World Championships. | |
| 1974 | 1951 Lethbridge Maple Leafs | This team won gold medals at the 1951 Ice Hockey World Championships. | |
| 1968 | 1952 Edmonton Mercurys | This team won gold medals in ice hockey at the 1952 Winter Olympics. | |
| 1994 | 1990 and 1992 Canada West teams (Canada national ringette team) | These teams were champions of the 1990 World Ringette Championships and the 1992 World Ringette Championships. They are also in the Ringette Canada Hall of Fame. | |
| 2011 | 1963 Edmonton Oil Kings | This team won the 1963 Memorial Cup. | |
| 2011 | 1966 Edmonton Oil Kings | This team won the 1966 Memorial Cup. |
