At this time, the museum will remain closed to the public; however, Canada’s Sports Hall of Fame continues to be committed to its mission – educating all Canadians on the value, history, and culture of sport in this country – and is working toward reimagining its future in Calgary with the goal of developing new and unique ways to extend its impact across Canada. Although the physical museum has been closed since March 2020 (due to health restrictions), Canada’s Sports Hall of Fame quickly pivoted during the early months of COVID-19 and truly embraced its ability to be a national platform to share the stories – struggles and triumphs – of Hall of Famers.
Canada’s Sports Hall of Fame is committed to doing its part to raise awareness about systemic racism in Canada and created the #WeWillDoBetter project; a digital storytelling campaign that brings awareness to the role that racism played in the journeys of nine Black, Asian and Indigenous Hall of Famers. All videos can be viewed on sportshall.ca.
Near the end of 2020, a virtual Indigenous Summit was held that inspired a 10-year vision for Canada’s Sports Hall of Fame’s Indigenous Sport & Reconciliation initiatives. The Hall of Fame committed to supporting reconciliation by ensuring that Indigenous and non-Indigenous youth have the opportunity to be inspired by and to learn from the truths, teachings, and exceptional stories of Indigenous Hall of Famers including Chief Wilton Littlechild, Sharon Anne Firth and Bryan Trottier. From this summit, two initiatives came to fruition:
- The Indigenous Sport Heroes Education Experience, presented by Black Diamond Group, is the first of its kind educational exhibit and seven-year initiative with the aim to prompt conversation about equity and inclusion, through the lens of sport. This digital multimedia exhibit, designed like chapters in a book, will be released on August 9, 2021, to align with International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples and available to all educators in Canada at no cost to schools in September 2021.
- Beyond the Win │Indigenous-Led education program aims to meet local Indigenous priorities that help youth to learn and embrace their culture through engaging with truly inspiring Indigenous role models. The program’s education modules will be facilitated via virtual sessions that are developed in collaboration with Indigenous Peoples in each Hall of Famer’s community in order to tailor the program to their students’ specific needs, strengths and culture. Intended to reach Indigenous youth in elementary through high school with a long-term impactful and culturally sensitive approach, this education program will occur over at least a four-year time frame and is planned to launch in September 2021 (subject to Covid-19 restrictions).
“Canada’s Sports Hall of Fame is proud to announce the launch of the next phase of the Indigenous Sport & Reconciliation vision, the launch of what is arguably the most important project our organization has been involved with to date, the Indigenous Sport Heroes Education Experience. As historical educators, we understand that we need to use our platform to bring attention to the struggles and adversity of Hall of Famers and to the role sport plays in their stories. The intersection of sport and social purpose is a critical space and we are honoured to do our part,” said Cheryl Bernard, President and CEO of Canada’s Sports Hall of Fame.
These important initiatives were made possible by the support and contributions of several sponsors and partners including AMJ Campbell, WestJet, Sportsnet, Black Diamond Group, Southern Alberta Institute of Technology (SAIT), Rogers Communications Canada Inc., Bank of Montreal, Calgary Flames Foundation, Canadian National Railway Company, Cannonbury Foundation, Enbridge Inc., Mark Smith & Family, Mawer, Shell – Foothills Legacy Fund, Digital Commerce Bank, Pacific Canbriam Energy, Strad Inc., TC Energy, TC Energy – Build Strong, Scotiabank, Trans Mountain, R. Howard Webster Foundation, TSN, CBC, Aboriginal Sport Circle, Canadian Heritage, Critical Mass, Chinook Lodge Resource Centre (SAIT), John McMullen, Martin Family Initiative and Quantum Media House and by the leadership of the Board of Governors of Canada’s Sports Hall of Fame. On June 8, 2021, Canada’s Sports Hall of Fame welcomed three new Governors who will be part of reimagining the future of the Hall of Fame, Dany Assaf, Kelly Murumets and Brendan Shanahan. Click here to see the 2021/2022 Board of Governors.
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About Canada’s Sports Hall of Fame
Canada’s Sports Hall of Fame is a registered charitable organization and has been a vital cultural institution in Canada for more than 65 years. As Canada’s only national museum of sport, the organization’s focus is on recognition, education, curation, and thought leadership with an emphasis on educating youth on the values, history and culture of sport in this country. These four pillars help to support and celebrate Canada’s sport heroes who have reached the pinnacle of their careers and are going “beyond the win” and making monumental contributions to our society. Nearly 700 Hall of Famers have been inducted into Canada’s Sports Hall of Fame since its establishment in 1955, and as of 2019, the Order of Sport, Canada’s highest sporting honour, is awarded as part of Induction to Canada’s top athletes and builders for their ongoing role in building Canada through sport. For more information or to schedule interviews,
contact:
Marnie KrellDirector, CommunicationsE: mkrell@cshof.ca