One Hall of a great place
If you can’t bring all the people to your building, it makes sense to bring the ‘building’ to the people, and that’s exactly what the Saskatchewan Sports Hall of Fame (SSHF) has done this week at the Tim Hortons Brier, presented by Mosaic.
The SSHF has parked its 53-foot converted semi-trailer in The Link, ideally situated between the Brandt Centre, where the curling takes place, and the International Trade Centre, home of the Brier Patch, and invited visitors passing by to come in and examine the exhibits honouring the best of the best of Saskatchewan sport.
The trailer is heavily adorned with curling memorabilia, as would be expected at the Brier, but it is also festooned with many other photos and artifacts, a sampling of what the SSHF houses at its main building at 2203 Victoria Ave. in downtown Regina.
It’s been a hit with curling fans so far, and the people have been cheek to jowl inside the trailer as they inspect the displays saluting the various inductees.
“It (traffic) has been really good,” said Heather Kelly, who works part-time for the Hall. “Yesterday we had about 450 people go through. We’re going to duplicate that again today, which is really nice. People are just in awe of what we can do with a trailer.”
It’s no surprise what fans are looking to see inside the trailer.
“Everyone who walks in asks ‘where’s the Schmirler stuff?’” says Kelly.
The trailer has two photos and a plaque inside a glass case honouring Sandra Schmirler’s Regina team that won the 1998 Olympic gold medal for Canada.
The SSHF took to the road with its trailer two summers ago to celebrate its 50th anniversary and bring the displays to people in Saskatchewan who otherwise would not be able to see them. They have traveled the length and breadth of the province during the summer, hitting community festivals where people gather in numbers.
The Brier, however, is the first time the trailer has been parked indoors.
“We got lucky. Curling Canada reached out to us,” said Kelly.
The trailer showcases about one-third of what the Hall normally houses in its main
Regina building.
The project is funded, in part, by the Saskatchewan Lotteries Trust Fund, its presenting sponsor.
The trailer is open one hour before and an hour after every draw, and offers free admission, although it does accept donations as it is a nonprofit organization.