Canada's Sports Hall of Fame facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Canada's Sports Hall of Fame

Panthéon des sports canadiens
Exterior facade of Canada's Sports Hall of Fame
Established	1955 (1955)
Location	169 Canada Olympic Road SW Calgary, Alberta, Canada
Type	Sports hall of fame

Canada's Sports Hall of Fame (French: Panthéon des sports canadiens) is a special place in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. It's a hall of fame and museum that celebrates the amazing history of sports in Canada. This hall of fame honors incredible Canadian athletes, coaches, and others who helped sports grow.

It all started in 1955. That year, the Hall of Fame welcomed its first group of honored people and opened its doors to visitors. The museum was first located in Toronto. It moved a few times, even sharing a building with the Hockey Hall of Fame for many years. A new building for both opened in 1961. The two halls shared this space until 1993, when the Hockey Hall of Fame moved.

Canada's Sports Hall of Fame stayed in the building until 2006. Then, it closed to make way for a new stadium. The organization kept honoring new members, but a new museum didn't open until 2011. This new, large building is in Canada Olympic Park in Calgary. It holds the Hall of Fame's offices and its museum.

By 2022, 668 people had been inducted into Canada's Sports Hall of Fame. They are either athletes or "builders" (people who helped sports grow). Anyone in Canada can suggest someone for the Hall of Fame. A special committee then chooses who gets in. The Hall of Fame also gives out awards for achievements in sports and the community.

History of the Hall of Fame

Canada's Sports Hall of Fame was first housed in Stanley Barracks in Toronto from 1955 to 1957

The idea for a national sports hall of fame came from Harry Price in 1947. He traveled across Canada to get support for this museum. The Hall of Fame museum officially opened on August 24, 1955. It was located at Stanley Barracks in Exhibition Place, Toronto. In 1957, it moved to another building in Exhibition Place. There, it shared space with the Hockey Hall of Fame.

In 1958, the Hockey Hall of Fame decided to build a new museum. They invited Canada's Sports Hall of Fame to join them in the new building. This new Hall of Fame building opened on May 1, 1961. Both halls shared this building until 1993. That's when the Hockey Hall of Fame moved to downtown Toronto. After this move, fewer people visited Canada's Sports Hall of Fame. There were even plans to move it to Ottawa, but these plans were canceled in 1999.

Canada's Sports Hall of Fame closed its museum in 2006. The building was torn down to build BMO Field. The Hall of Fame stored its collections at Stanley Barracks. They waited for a new museum to be built. In 2008, the Hall of Fame looked for a new permanent home. Nine cities wanted to host the museum. Calgary was chosen as the new location.

The new building was built at Canada Olympic Park. Money for it came from the Canadian government, the province, the city, and private donations. The building opened to the public on July 1, 2011.

Ceremony for the inaugural members of the hall of fame's Order of Sport, October 2019

In 2019, the Hall of Fame started the People's Choice Award. This award recognizes a sports champion who also helps charities and local communities. The first winner was champion golfer Brooke Henderson. In the same year, they also introduced the Order of Sport Award. This is a special award given to people inducted into the Hall of Fame.

Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the museum closed in April 2020. It was then changed into a digital museum that you can visit online.

The Hall of Fame Building

The building cantilevers 12 metres (39 ft) from the ground

The Hall of Fame and museum building is located at Canada Olympic Park in Calgary. This park is a ski hill and a training facility. The building is about 4,088 square meters (44,000 square feet) in size.

The building was finished in 2011. It was designed by Stantec. The outside of the building looks like the elevated platforms where athletes get their medals. The building is red and white, just like the flag of Canada. It was designed to be a sustainable building. It even received a special "LEED Silver" certification for being environmentally friendly.

Inside, the building has three main parts. There are museum and exhibit halls, offices for the organization, and storage for the museum's collections. All these parts are connected by a tall, open space called an atrium.

Museum Exhibits

Before its museum closed in 2020, the exhibits were on the upper level of the building. This upper level was larger than the floor below it. It seemed to float above the lower floor. This floating design was meant to look like a medal podium.

The museum had twelve galleries, a theater, and interactive exhibits. These exhibits taught visitors about the Hall of Fame's members and Canadian sports. The galleries were arranged around a central "Grand Hall." This hall displayed six national sports trophies. The museum's exhibits were designed by Cambridge Seven Associates.

The museum's collection includes over 60,000 photos and 100,000 items. After the museum closed, these items were moved to the Canadian Museum of History in 2023 for safekeeping.

Honoring Sports Legends

As of November 2019, Canada's Sports Hall of Fame had over 670 members. These members are either athletes or "builders" of the sport. Since 2019, new members receive the Order of Sport award. This award is a physical symbol of their induction. All members inducted before 2019 were also made "peers" of this order.

Anyone in Canada can suggest someone for the Hall of Fame. Athletes must have been retired for at least four years to be nominated. However, "builders" can be nominated while they are still active in their careers. Even animals or objects can be considered, but this needs special approval.

A new group of members has been added to Canada's Sports Hall of Fame every year since 1955. A special committee of 10 to 16 people chooses the new members each year.

Sport Legends Class

On June 17, 2015, the Hall of Fame created a new "Sport Legends" class. This class includes athletes whose careers happened before 1955. This was done to celebrate the 150th anniversary of Canada.

Athletes

Builders

See also

• Alberta Sports Hall of Fame
• BC Sports Hall of Fame
• Manitoba Sports Hall of Fame and Museum
• New Brunswick Sports Hall of Fame
• Nova Scotia Sport Hall of Fame
• Ontario Sports Hall of Fame