page_title: Canada's Sports Hall of Fame
section_title: History
hierarchical_section_title: Canada's Sports Hall of Fame / History
caption_attribution_description: English: 2019 is the first year that Athletes and Builders inducted into Canada's Sports Hall of Fame received the Order of Sport award, Canada's highest sporting honour, for both their sports accomplishment and their community spirit. Pictured are the Inaugural Hall of Famers Alex Bilodeau, Martin Brodeur, Jayna Hefford, Waneek Horn-Miller, Vicki Keith, Guylaine Bernier, Doug Mitchell, Colette Bourgonje
context_page_description: Canada's Sports Hall of Fame is a Canadian sports hall of fame and museum in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. Dedicated to the history of sports in Canada, it serves as a hall of fame and museum for accomplished Canadian athletes, and sports builders and officials.
  Established in 1955, the organization inducted its first class of hall of famers, and opened a museum to the public that year. The museum was originally located at Exhibition Place in Toronto. In 1957, the hall of fame moved to another facility at Exhibition Place, sharing the space with the Hockey Hall of Fame. A new building to house the two hall of fames was later built at Exhibition Place in 1961. The two halls of fame continued to share facilities until 1993, when the Hockey Hall of Fame moved to a different location. Canada's Sports Hall of Fame became the building's sole occupant until it was closed in 2006 to make way for BMO Field. The organization continued to induct honourees to its hall of fame, although a new facility to house its museum was not completed until 2011. The 4,100 square metres facility was opened at Canada Olympic Park in Calgary, and houses the organization's offices and hall of fame museum.
context_section_description: Efforts to create a national sports hall of fame were spurred by Harry Price, the chairman of the sports committee of the Canadian National Exhibition, who began to travel across Canada in 1947 to gather support for a museum and hall of fame. The hall of fame museum was formally opened on 24 August 1955, at Stanley Barracks in Exhibition Place, Toronto. In 1957, the hall of fame was relocated to the Press Building in Exhibition Place, sharing the facilities with the Hockey Hall of Fame. 
  After the Hockey Hall of Fame announced it would build a new museum and hall of fame building at Exhibition Place in 1958, it extended an invitation to Canada's Sports Hall of Fame to move into its new facility. The Hall of Fame building was officially opened on 1 May 1961, with Canada's Sports Hall of Fame, and the Hockey Hall of Fame as its occupants. Canada's Hall of Fame would share the same building with the Hockey Hall of Fame until 1993, when the Hockey Hall of Fame moved into Brookfield Place in downtown Toronto. The Hockey Hall of Fames' move to downtown Toronto led to a decline in attendance, and in the late 1990s, plans were made to move the hall of fame to Ottawa. However, the federal government cancelled those plans in 1999. 
  Canada's Sports Hall of Fame closed its museum to the public in 2006, with the building demolished to make way for BMO Field. The organization placed its collections in storage at Stanley Barracks, until a new facility to house the museum was completed. In 2008, the hall of fame's board of governors announced a national bid for a new permanent location for the museum. Nine cities submitted bids to host the museum, although the city of Calgary was eventually selected. Constructed at Canada Olympic Park, funding was provided by the federal government, provincial, and municipal government; in addition to private funds. The federal government contributed C$15 million to the construction budget, whereas the provincial government contributed C$10 million, and the municipal government contributing C$5 million. Canada's Sports Hall of Fame was tasked with raising an additional C$20 million to help pay operational expenses. The building opened to the public on 1 July 2011.
  In 2019, the hall of fame introduced the People's Choice Award, to recognize an individual sport champion who also contributes to charities and local communities. The inaugural winner of the award was champion golfer and 9-time winner on the LPGA Tour, Brooke Henderson. In the same year, the organization also introduced the Order of Sport Award, which served as a physical award for being inductee to the hall of fame.
caption: Ceremony for the inaugural members of the hall of fame's Order of Sport, October 2019
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