Honourable senators, museums are an essential part of our Canadian heritage. Museums of art, natural history, human rights and sport — they tell the story of who we all were and how we have come to be who we are. But museums are a difficult financial venture. Being geographically accessible and affordable to all Canadians all the time is next to impossible. For museums to survive, they need to evolve like the stories they are telling.

That’s exactly what Canada’s Sports Hall of Fame has done under the inspired leadership of curling legend, today’s guest Cheryl Bernard. You may fondly remember Cheryl leading Team Canada to a hard-fought silver medal at the 2010 Winter Olympics. She defined her sports career with grit, determination and a pure love for the game, but her legacy goes well beyond the curling rink.

As President and CEO of Canada’s Sports Hall of Fame, Cheryl still leads with grit and vision. She has been instrumental in transforming the hall into a dynamic modern institution that not only celebrates athletic achievement but brings to life a wide variety of powerful stories of Canadian sport. Through storytelling, the hall is more than a museum of sports; its mandate is to go “Beyond the Win” and share lessons that are a vibrant testament to our cultures. Sport shapes our national identity and reflects the diversity and spirit of our country.

With 68 years of history behind it, the hall has been reimagined three times. First established in Toronto, Canada’s Sports Hall of Fame thrived at the Canadian National Exhibition until declining attendance led to its closure in 2006 — The Globe and Mail then referring to the aging displays and dubbing it the “Hall of Shame.” In 2011, after almost re-establishing itself in this very building, it found a new home in a $30-million state-of-the-art facility in Calgary, where it wowed all who entered. But even with a sound business plan, maintenance costs could not be matched by gate revenues, and pandemic restrictions were a critical blow.

In response, in 2021, Cheryl Bernard and her team boldly shifted the hall to a primarily digital museum, significantly increasing its reach and engagement from 20,000 annual physical visitors to millions of engagements online.

The hall is now engaging with one in five Canadians — roughly 8 million people. This includes over 10,000 educators who work with 1.2 million youth from coast to coast to coast. Through sport, they teach values like resilience, teamwork and dedication. Sport is not just what we do; it reflects who we are and what we can dream to be.

As the only national museum of sport, the hall is recognized for acknowledging a diverse range of athletes, including Indigenous peoples, Special Olympics athletes, Paralympians, Olympians, 2SLGBTQIA+ and women in sport. It connects new Canadians with our sporting heritage, emphasizing the role of sport in building communities and promoting physical health and mental health.

Tomorrow, we’ll witness the pinnacle of these achievements with the induction of new legends into the hall: Vicky Sunohara, Patrick Chan, Daniel Nestor, Angela Chalmers, Kirby Cote, Fred Thomas, Guylaine Demers, Alex Nelson and Debbie Brill will take their rightful place among our nation’s greatest icons, such as our friend and Paralympic legend Senator Petitclerc.

Colleagues, let’s salute these outstanding Canadians who have given their blood, sweat and likely more than a few tears in representing our nation. Thanks to their achievements and the dedication and evolution of storytelling at Canada’s Sports Hall of Fame, the future of Canadians’ understanding and embracing the power of sports is brighter than ever. Thank you.