Canada's Sports Hall of Fame

Canada's Sports Hall of Fame is Canada's national museum of sport, dedicated to preserving and increasing Canadians' awareness of their sport heritage. Founded in 1955 through the efforts of Harry I. Price, a former assistant athletics commissioner of Ontario, it is located in the centre of Exhibition Place in Toronto, Ont. Its current exhibit area covers 900 m², houses over 3000 artifacts, and its displays are viewed by an estimated 300 000 people annually. The Hall of Fame maintains a substantial archives of sport, including nearly 40 000 historical photographs. It also publishes a quarterly newsletter and conducts educational programs for school age children.

The annual election of honoured members draws the most public attention. Chosen by a selection committee of 12, with representatives from every province, men and women are elected to 2 categories, Athletes or Builders. Normally, athletes are only elected after a 3-year waiting period from their retirement from active competition. Nearly 400 Canadians have been so honoured. Among the most interesting inductees are Canada's greatest thoroughbred, Northern Dancer, the racing yacht Bluenose and the world champion hydroplane Miss Supertest.

The Hall of Fame is administered by a small staff responsible to a board of governors and also has representatives from coast to coast. It charges no admission fee, being supported by government grants and public and corporate donations. It is open to the general public throughout the year. In 1997, the Hall of Fame's board of governors announced that the museum would be moved to Ottawa to reside in the former federal Government Conference Centre. Shortly after the announcement the government cancelled these relocation plans in favour of a new site, the former home of the Canadian Museum of Contemporary Photography, but these plans were also cancelled. Relocation, and subsequent growth of the Hall of Fame, was at a standstill until 2008 when it announced that it would be relocating to Calgary at Canada Olympic Park in approximately 2012.

Author J. THOMAS WEST

Suggested Reading
D. Fisher and S.F. Wise, Canada's Sporting Heroes (1974), published under the auspices of CSHF.

Links to Other Sites
Athletics Canada
The official website for Athletics Canada, the governing body for track and field in Canada. Features profiles of Canadian athletes and news about major track and field events.

Backcheck: A Hockey Retrospective
Trace the development of Canada's national sport in this collection of historic hockey photographs, stories, and documents. See also the link to "Backcheck: Hockey for Kids" at the bottom of the page. From Library and Archives Canada.

Women in Canadian Sport
This series of biographies of outstanding Canadian women athletes is part of the Celebrating Women’s Achievements series from Library and Archives Canada. Also includes teaching guides and references.

Canadian Olympic Team
See profiles of your favourite Canadian Olympic athletes as well as results and reports from previous Olympic Games. Click on "About" for details on the Canadian Olympic School Program and Canadian Olympic Hall of Fame. From the Canadian Olympic Committee.

Skate Canada
The website for Skate Canada. Catch the latest news about programs and events in the world of skating. Also, check out the history of skating in Canada and profiles of members of Skate Canada’s Hall of Fame.

The Canadian Association for the Advancement of Women in Sport
CAAWS, in partnership with Sport Canada and other sport’s organizations, works to achieve gender equity in the sport community. A great information source about programs that encourage Canadian women to participate in sports and recreational activities.

Canada's Sports Hall Of Fame
Canada's Sports Hall of Fame promotes Canada's extensive and colourful sport heritage. Check out their website for illustrated biographies of Canadian athletes.

The Lou Marsh Legacy
This site profiles legendary Canadian athlete Lou Marsh and previous winners of the prestigious Lou Marsh Memorial Trophy. From the Canada's Sports Hall of Fame and the Virtual Museum of Canada.

Glossary: Sports
A bilingual glossary of sports terms. From the website for the "Translation Bureau," Government of Canada.