World’s First Fully Immersive Digital Indigenous Sport Gallery

April 21, 2024

BC Sports Hall Of Fame Opens The Door To World’s First Fully Immersive Digital Indigenous Sport Gallery

Help us open the door for the next generation of Indigenous athletes & coaches with a state of the art virtual reality experience

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.

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: 
  1. Winner of the 2019 Canadian Museums Association Award of Outstanding Achievement in the Exhibitions category
  2. The 2019 Best New Exhibit in the World by the International Sports Heritage Association

About the Digital Indigenous Sport Gallery:

The world’s first known virtual Indigenous sport gallery is funded by the Government of Canada, Department of Canadian Heritage, Province of BC, BC Arts Council, and the 100 Ravens. Developed by Bowerhouse, the digitization features a 360-degree virtual tour of the gallery, video profiles with featured athletes and honoured members, and 3D interactive artifacts that highlight the accomplishments and contributions of Indigenous athletes, coaches and builders.

For more information on the Indigenous Sport Gallery, visit: https://indigenoussportgallery.ca/

Media Contact: 
Adam Forsythe 
778-989-1469 
AForsythe@lbmg.ca