Canadian Football Hall of Fame facts for kids
The old venue for the Hall of Fame and Museum in 2007
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| Established | 1972 |
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| Location | Tim Hortons Field 64 Melrose Avenue North, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada |
| Type | Canadian football museum |
The Canadian Football Hall of Fame (CFHOF) is a special place in Hamilton, Ontario, that celebrates the amazing achievements in Canadian football. It's like a museum that honors the best players, coaches, and people who helped build the sport. The Canadian Football League (CFL) helps keep it going.
The Hall used to have a main building with displays, including metal busts of the people who were inducted. It also showed the history of each CFL team and even had an interactive game where you could try kicking a field goal. But now, the CFHOF is changing! Instead of one main building, it's becoming a "de-centralized" Hall of Fame. This means its displays and history will be shared in different places.
Every CFL season, the Hall holds a special ceremony to welcome new members. This "Hall of Fame Weekend" usually includes a regular season game, often with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats. The new members give a speech, and their busts are shown for the first time. To be considered for the Hall of Fame, a player must have retired from the game at least three years ago. A special group of sports writers, CFL leaders, and current Hall of Fame members vote on who gets in.
History of the Hall of Fame
The Canadian Football Hall of Fame first opened its doors on November 28, 1972. It was originally located in downtown Hamilton. In 2016, it moved to Tim Hortons Field, which is the home stadium for the Hamilton Tiger-Cats.
The idea for the Hall of Fame came about in June 1963, when the City of Hamilton was chosen to host it. A space was offered near what was then called Civic Stadium. Ivan Miller, a former sports editor, became the first person in charge of the museum. Later, the land and building were bought by the Board of Education. The Hall moved to its new spot in 1972 and closed its original building on September 19, 2015. In 2015, the CFL took over running the museum from the City of Hamilton.
The old Hall of Fame building was easy to spot because of a large metal sculpture called Touchdown. It showed a football player catching the ball and being tackled. This sculpture has since moved to Gate 3 at Tim Hortons Field.
Tim Hortons Field now has three special display areas for the Hall of Fame. There's a Grey Cup display at Gate 3, a Media Hall of Fame Wing in the press box, and a main display area on the premium level concourse. This main area will show all the busts of the inducted members and will have changing displays of cool football items. You can visit these displays during Hamilton Tiger-Cats home games. The main display is also open to the public on Wednesday evenings and Saturday mornings for free! The CFHOF also has displays that travel to different CFL team stadiums, the Grey Cup event, and other special occasions.
Honoring Canadian Football Legends
The Canadian Football Hall of Fame celebrates many amazing people who have made Canadian football what it is today. These include players, coaches, and "builders" – people who worked behind the scenes to grow the sport.
Many famous players have been inducted into the Hall of Fame, like quarterbacks Russ Jackson and Anthony Calvillo, and running backs like George Reed and Mike Pringle. These lists include people who played for many different teams across Canada, from the Edmonton Eskimos to the Montreal Alouettes. Each person inducted has a special place in Canadian football history.
Football Reporters of Canada
The Hall of Fame doesn't just honor players and builders. It also has a special section for the broadcasters and reporters who have helped share the excitement of Canadian football with fans across the country. These are the people who tell the stories, call the games, and keep everyone updated on the latest news in the world of Canadian football.
Inductees
This section recognizes many talented journalists and broadcasters who have dedicated their careers to covering Canadian football. They are an important part of the sport's history, bringing the game to life for millions of fans.
See also
- TSN Top 50 CFL Players
- List of attractions in Hamilton, Ontario
- List of Pro Football Hall of Fame inductees
Images for kids
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Touchdown sculpture, once outside the Hall of Fame
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Grover Covington, a Hall of Fame player
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Rocky DiPietro, a Hall of Fame player
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Hugh Gall, a Hall of Fame player
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Albert Grey, 4th Earl Grey, who donated the Grey Cup trophy
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Ron Lancaster, a Hall of Fame quarterback
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Hal Patterson, a Hall of Fame player
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Piffles Taylor, a Hall of Fame builder
