Opening The Door To World’s First Fully Immersive Digital Indigenous Sport Gallery

Vancouver, BC – The Indigenous Sport Gallery at the BC Sports Hall of Fame is the largest known permanent gallery in the world dedicated to Indigenous sport and with the unveiling of one of the most comprehensive digitization projects in sports history, it can now be experienced through virtual reality by visitors from across British Columbia and across the world.

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The Digital Indigenous Sport Gallery (DISG) is designed to increase the accessibility of the Indigenous Sport Gallery and highlight the accomplishments and contributions of Indigenous athletes, coaches and builders who have had a profound impact on sport history and culture – and bring their stories to life.

A key feature includes a 360-degree virtual tour of the gallery with additional content not found in the physical gallery, such as video profiles of 14 featured athletes and honoured members as well as 3D interactive artifacts. In addition, the site features educational components like an interactive timeline and map, as well as illustrations from Tsleil-Waututh artist Olivia George.

“On behalf of the BC Sports Hall of Fame team, Chair Tom Mayenknecht and the Board of Trustees, we are tremendously grateful to the Government of Canada and the Department of Canadian Heritage, the Province of British Columbia, BC Arts Council and individuals who donated through the 100 Ravens program to bring this remarkable initiative to life – allowing us to continue to celebrate Indigenous sport together and properly recognize, profile and preserve the legacy of Indigenous sport in BC,” said Michelle Kitchen, CEO. “The vital support of partners creates a new dynamic dimension of the gallery that will provide greater access to communities across the province, Canada and beyond.”

The potential to bring the digital experience through virtual reality headsets to physical spaces beyond the BC Sports Hall of Fame will now open doors to expanding educational content for students across the province as part of the Hall’s Hero In You program. With lesson plans on Indigenous athletes such as Terry Fox already developed, the Hall can take the virtual interactive experience into the classroom. The program will also include the support of the featured Indigenous athletes and coaches themselves as in-class storytellers.

The Indigenous Sport Gallery builds upon the Hall’s previous exhibits highlighting Indigenous contributions to BC sport heritage, the First Peoples Gallery (1992) and Aboriginal Sport Gallery (2008). With the help of our founding partners the Indigenous Sport, Physical Activity and Recreation Council (I-SPARC), City of Vancouver, Province of British Columbia, and our 100 Ravens donors the Digital Indigenous Sport Gallery has come to fruition to increase youth access to the inspiring stories in the Indigenous Sport Gallery.

“Today we join in the celebration of the BC Sports Hall of Fame’s innovative work to expand the reach of the Indigenous Sports Gallery through this new interactive digital platform,” stated I-SPARC’s CEO Rick Brant. “The DISG exemplifies BC Sports Hall of Fame’s commitment to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s Call to Action 87, by honoring the rich legacy of Indigenous athletes in BC and sharing their stories of triumph. We are especially excited that the DISG provides a platform to spotlight emerging Indigenous athletes, including the annual recipients of the Premier’s Awards for Indigenous Youth Excellence in Sport.”

Quick Facts:

The Indigenous Sport Gallery contains more than 139 square metres (1,500 square feet) of permanent exhibit space that celebrates the rich history and many contributions to sport by First Nations and Métis athletes, teams, coaches, builders and volunteers More than 40 past and active Indigenous athletes are featured in the gallery, including Terry Fox, Carey Price, Jack Poole, Richard Peter (wheelchair basketball) and Angela Chalmers (middle distance running) The gallery has won two awards: Winner of the 2019 Canadian Museums Association Award of Outstanding Achievement in the Exhibitions category The 2019 Best New Exhibit in the World by the International Sports Heritage Association

ABOUT THE BC SPORTS HALL OF FAME:

Located on the traditional, ancestral, and unceded territory of the Coast Salish Peoples, including the territories of the Musqueam, Squamish, and Tsleil- Waututh Nations, the BC Sports Hall of Fame celebrates extraordinary achievement in B.C. sport history and inspires future generations to make their dreams come true. As a non-profit charitable organization, the Hall curates an astounding collection of 28,000+ heritage artifacts and 100,000 archival documents representing 150-years of sport history in British Columbia. Through Hero in You Youth Education Programs, the BC Sports Hall of Fame reaches over 6,500 young learners each year across the province, advancing a mission of building outstanding community legacies by honouring the past and inspiring the future.

For more information, please visit bcsportshall.com or follow us on Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram @bcsportshall.