It’s great to get news from various sources that concern the sports community and while news is news, some seems more pressing.
I just received this from the BC Sports Hall of Fame regarding a prestigious honour given to the Hall.
Thanks to the BC Sports Hall of Fame for sending the info over to Sportswave Media Productions.
They have been honoured with the Canadian Museums Association Award of Outstanding Achievement for its Indigenous Sport Gallery – a new and permanent fixture at the Hall – and the largest exhibit ever devoted to Indigenous sport in Canada.
The Canadian Museum Association made the announcement at its annual awards banquet in Toronto last evening, the first such honour in the 53-year history of the BC Sports Hall of Fame.
The Indigenous Sport Gallery is a 1,500-square foot permanent gallery honouring the contributions and achievements of indigenous athletes, teams, communities and events in BC and Canadian sport history.
“With over 500 artifacts celebrating more than 40 of British Columbia’s most decorated Indigenous athletes from 20 different sports, the Indigenous Sport Gallery at the BC Sports Hall of Fame is a testament to the power of sport as an essential part of our heritage and culture,” said Lisa Beare, Minister of Tourism, Arts and Culture for the Government of British Columbia. “We are so proud to be a founding partner in this initiative to recognize some of the most inspirational stories in the history of sport in B.C.”
The Government of BC, the City of Vancouver and the Indigenous Sport, Physical Activity & Recreation Council (ISPARC) collaborated with the BC Sports Hall of Fame in the funding of the project that officially opened September 25th, 2018, before more than 200 guests.
Approximately $200,000 has been invested in the gallery from conception to construction.
“The BC Sports Hall of Fame has established an international leadership position in celebrating Indigenous sport since the opening of our first Aboriginal Sport Gallery in 2008, and it is a huge honour for the Hall and our gallery funding partners to be recognized by the Canadian Museums Association,” said Tom Mayenknecht, Chair of the Board of Trustees of the BC Sports Hall of Fame. “Recognition of this kind will help expose more British Columbians to this cornerstone gallery and further support our efforts to deliver outreach and educational programming throughout the province, based on the many layers of inspirational story-telling that are part of the Indigenous Sport Gallery.”
The CMA award for outstanding achievement is presented in the exhibition category for museums with operating budgets under $1 million and recognizes effective and distinctive contributions to increasing public understanding nationwide.
The award was accepted on behalf of the BC Sports Hall of Fame by its curator Jason Beck.
“It is an honour to be part of the team that envisioned the Indigenous Sport Gallery as a meaningful showcase of indigenous athletes – from Tom Longboat and Terry Fox to Carey Price and Justina Di Stasio – in sports such as lacrosse, hockey and soccer, along with traditional games such as slahal and knobby ball,” said Beck, who has been with the BC Sports Hall of Fame for 16 years. “We share this CMA recognition with all of those who have helped shape the Indigenous Sport Gallery, including funding partners and representatives from the Four Host First Nations, the North American Indigenous Games, and ISPARC.
The Canadian Museum Association award for outstanding achievement will be officially received by the BC Sports Hall of Fame in a public ceremony to be held next month in the days leading to the Class of 2019 Induction Gala presented by Victory Square, Thursday, May 23rd, at the Vancouver Convention Centre.
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