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 is a special place in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. It's a museum and a hall of fame that celebrates the amazing history of sports in Canada. This place honors Canadian athletes, coaches, and others who have made a big difference in sports. It's also known as the Panthéon des sports canadiens in French.

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 started in 1947. Harry Price, who was in charge of sports for the Canadian National Exhibition, traveled across Canada to get support. The museum and hall of fame officially opened on August 24, 1955. It was first located at Stanley Barracks in Exhibition Place, Toronto.

In 1957, the Hall of Fame moved to the Press Building at Exhibition Place. It shared this 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 their new building.

The new building opened in 1961. A new section was added for Canada's Sports Hall of Fame in 1967. The two halls of fame shared the building until 1993. That year, the Hockey Hall of Fame moved to a different spot in downtown Toronto. After the Hockey Hall of Fame moved, fewer people visited Canada's Sports Hall of Fame. There was a plan to move it to Ottawa, but this plan was canceled in 1999.

Moving to Calgary

In 2006, Canada's Sports Hall of Fame closed its museum in Toronto. The building was taken down to make room for BMO Field, a sports stadium. The Hall of Fame kept its collections safe in storage. Even without a museum, they continued to honor new members each year.

In 2008, the Hall of Fame looked for a new permanent home. Nine cities wanted to host the museum, but Calgary was chosen. The new building was built at Canada Olympic Park. The Canadian government gave C$15 million for construction. The provincial government gave C$10 million, and the city gave C$5 million. The Hall of Fame also had to raise money for its daily operations. The new building opened to the public on July 1, 2011.

Awards and Digital Museum

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 golfer Brooke Henderson. She has won many times on the LPGA Tour.

In the same year, they also started the Order of Sport Award. This is a special award given to people who are inducted into the Hall of Fame. People who were inducted before 2019 were also made "peers" of this order.

Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the museum closed its doors in April 2020. It then became a digital museum. This means you can explore its exhibits online.

The Building in Calgary

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

The Hall of Fame building is 4,100 square metres (44,000 sq ft) in size. It is located on Canada Olympic Road, at Canada Olympic Park in Calgary. This park is a place for skiing and other sports training.

The building was finished in 2011. It was designed by a company called Stantec. The outside of the building looks like the platforms where athletes get their medals. It has a part that sticks out, called a cantilever. The building is red and white, 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.

The inside of the building has three main parts. There are museum and exhibit halls. There are also offices for the organization. Finally, there is storage space for the museum's collections. All these parts are connected by a tall, open area called an atrium.

Museum Exhibits

Exhibit on cycling at Canada's Sports Hall of Fame

Before it became a digital museum in 2020, the museum had a special design. The main museum space was 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 part held exhibits about different sports.

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 collection includes over 60,000 photographs. It also has 100,000 artifacts, which are old items. After the museum closed its physical space, these artifacts were moved. They are now kept safely at the Canadian Museum of History since 2023.

Honoring Inductees

As of November 2019, Canada's Sports Hall of Fame had over 670 members. These members are called "inductees." They are either athletes or "builders" of the sport. Builders are people like coaches, officials, or others who helped sports grow.

When new members are inducted, they receive the Order of Sport award. This award is a physical symbol of their achievement. All members inducted before 2019 were also recognized as "peers" of this order.

How People Are Chosen

Anyone in Canada can suggest people to be inducted. Athletes must have been retired for at least four years to be nominated. However, "builders" can be nominated even if they are still working in their careers. In some special cases, animals or even objects can be considered. This needs approval from the Hall's Board of Governors.

A new group of inductees has been chosen every year since 1955. A special committee of 10 to 16 people makes the final choices.

Sport Legends Class

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

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