The highlights of the province's sporting triumphs, personalities and historical paraphernalia will again be on display at B.C. Place after the immense and valuable archival collection was either packed away or sent on the road while the stadium was renovated.
The B.C. Sports Hall of Fame closed in the spring of 2010 following the Winter Games and reopened today Jan. 6 at 10 a.m. During those 22 months, the vast majority-nearly 98 per cent-of the 50,000 items owned by the hall, were stored at three locations around the province. The remaining artifacts travelled around B.C. and were seen by more than a quarter of a million people in more than 20 towns and cities.
"It's been interesting as a project because we didn't plan it," said Sue Griffin, the president and CEO of the B.C. Sports Hall of Fame. "We took advantage of an opportunity and we've been going full hog with our board of trustees."
The redesign and renovation came in on budget, she said, and cost just under $1 million. "It was absolutely imperative, given that we are located in really the most spectacular facility where three-quarters of a million people walk by on an annual basis, that we were able to take full advantage of being able to welcome our guests back in and really showcase sport in the most extraordinary way," said Griffin.
The hall's redesigned space returns to the same 20,000 square feet inside B.C. Place near the Terry Fox Plaza at Gate A. The bright, inviting and engaging exhibit now includes the largest international collection of 2010 Vancouver Winter Games memorabilia. The redesigned Hall of Champions, which houses the athletic marvels and miracles of the past century, counts an interactive electronic archives that will be well-used by weekend researchers and classroom field-trippers. And what amounts to a shrine to Terry Fox remains intact and will continue to draw sentimental, grateful and proud responses from the 300,000 visitors who enter the hall each year.
The exhibit also pays homage to the two sports teams that call B.C. Place home, the B.C. Lions and Vancouver Whitecaps.
On Tuesday, three days before the doors opened to the public, the final details were coming together. The Olympic mascots, on loan from the Museum of Vancouver, were rolled and carried to the handcrafted podium where Olympian medalists were cheered within B.C. Place.
Allison Mailer, the hall's executive director, said the Winter Olympic Games exhibit could have been organized a number of different ways but they made a more inventive, innovative decision.
"How do you tell this story? Do you go chronologically, do you go by sport, do you go by medal achievement? What do you do? We had many ways of telling the story but decided in the end to go by venue," she said.
Five display cases are modelled after one of the iconic coloured rings and each houses the athletic and cultural moments of a different venue, such as B.C. Place, Pacific Coliseum or Whistler. A memorial exhibit dedicated to Jack Poole will remain a constant near the entrance. So will a display of seven Olympic torches, as well as a deconstructed Vancouver Games torch that offers a fascinating inside view. (It is in fact mechanical, and isn't made of rolling papers.)
The displays will change roughly twice a year, said Mailer. "People need a reason to come back. We want to change things and tell different stories on a regular basis," she said.
Five year before the Opening Ceremony in February 2010, the board members and staff at the B.C. Hall of Fame began imagining the items they hoped to acquire in order to commemorate and remember this chapter in B.C. sports history.
"We made a wish list and we really focused on it," said Griffin. "Every item we were hoping for, you're going to see on display. We're so thankful to the athletes who chose to donate to us, it's spectacular. It really makes the complete picture of the Games. It's really exciting."
Jon Montgomery more than delivered, said Mailer. He was elevated to Canadian sport legend for his unforgettable walk of triumph through the Whistler Village following his goldmedal skeleton run. His sliding suit is on display. It came in the post stuffed inside a plastic beer pitcher, which you can also see on exhibit.
Visit bcsportshalloffame.com for more information.
Twitter: @MHStewart
