The BC Sports Hall of Fame is a museum located in the BC Place stadium, at Gate A, the main entrance to the stadium, in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. It collects, preserves, studies and interprets materials that relate to British Columbia's sport history, and allows researchers, writers, media members and sport historians to gain access to and appreciate BC's sporting heritage. The organization has amassed an extensive artifact and archival collection of artifacts and archival documents related to sports. The museum features galleries on BC sportspeople Terry Fox, Rick Hansen and Greg Moore. It also has several multi-sport galleries including a gallery on Aboriginal sport, the BC professional sports teams, the 1954 British Empire and Commonwealth Games, and "In Her Footsteps", a gallery focused on women in sport.

History

The BC Sports Hall of Fame was founded in 1966 by Eric Whitehead and other groups of sports-minded individuals in British Columbia. In August of that year the Hall officially opened in the BC Pavilion on the Pacific National Exhibition grounds. In 1993, the BC Sports Hall of Fame opened in BC Place. The BC Sports Hall of Fame re-opened in January 2012 after having been closed to the public for a 20-month period while the new roof was being installed on BC Place Stadium. During the construction artifacts from the museum were loaned out to institutions around the province. The Hall then opened a new Vancouver 2010 Gallery with the world's largest and broadest collection of 2010 Olympic and Paralympic artifacts, as well as a new Hall of Champions, the Hall's signature gallery. In 2017 a replica of the news desk from the Sports Page television show was put on display in commemoration of its 40th anniversary.

Induction and inductees

Since 1966, the BC Sports Hall of Fame has inducted 406 individuals and 63 teams. Once inducted, these individuals become known as Honoured Members and the teams are known as Honoured Teams of the BC Sports Hall of Fame. The five major induction categories, each with its own set of criteria, are Athlete, Builder, Pioneer, Media and Team.

Induction process

Any individual or association may submit a nomination except current members of the selection committee. A member of the board of trustees who submits a nomination may not vote on that nomination if and when it is brought to the board of trustees for approval. Each year, nominations are accepted until June 30. Each nomination is eligible for three consecutive years. If at the end of three consecutive years of eligibility, a nomination has not been selected for induction, the nomination must sit inactive for a period of one year after which the nomination can be resubmitted.

Induction Gala

The BC Sports Hall of Fame hosts an annual Induction Gala, the official induction and public recognition ceremony, attracting over 1000 guests. The 50th Induction Gala was held on May 23, 2019, at the Vancouver Convention Centre.

Inductees

A

All round

Archery

Athletics

B

Badminton

Baseball

Basketball

Boxing

In 2010, a British Columbia Amateur Boxing Hall of Fame was started, and the 15 inductees included Harold Mann and Dale Walters. In 2011, the ten inductees included Tommy Paonessa and Len Walter.

C

Canoeing

Curling

Cycling

D

Diving

F

Field hockey

Figure skating

Football

G

Golf

Gymnastics

H

High jump

Horse racing

Hydroplane racing

I

Ice hockey

J

Judo

L

Lacrosse

M

Media

Motor cycling

Motor sports

R

Rhythmic gymnastics

Rodeo

Rowing

Rugby

S

Sailing

Shooting

Ski jumping

Skiing

Snooker

Snowboarding

Soccer

Softball

Speed skating

Squash

Swimming

Synchronized swimming

T

Taekwondo

Tennis

Track and field

Triathlon

V

Volleyball

W

Water skiing

Weightlifting

Wheelchair athletics

Wheelchair basketball

Wheelchair rugby

Whitewater/slalom kayaking

Wrestling

W.A.C. Bennett Award