This was another eventful year for the Manitoba Basketball Hall of Fame and Museum (MBHOFM). The continued development of our site in the Duckworth Centre at the University of Winnipeg has been a huge success. Manitoba is still the only province in Canada that has a permanent site for a basketball hall of fame. The following were the highlights :
- from April 1, 2016 to April 29, 2017, we recorded 18,402 visitors ; this number continues to increase each year
- the continued inventory of our holdings labeling and recording more photographs
- the development and display of 32 posters and programs representing basketball in our province from 1946 to 2010
- the organization of all printed materials and photographs in our collection with the use of labeled hanging folders and vertical magazine racks
- we continued to get great support in our on-going fundraising campaign with donations from our honoured members and friends through the National Sports Trust Fund (NSTF)
- we continued as a Level 1 Museum by the Community Museum Grants Program which results in financial support of $1350.00
Our MBHOFM is open every day during the year with the exception of statutory holidays. It is open from 7:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. daily. The members of our organizing committee are : Ross Wedlake (Chair), Janet McMahon (Treasurer), Vic Pruden (Past Chair), Jerry Ilchyna, Wes Crymble, Gerry Ilchyna, Morris Glimcher, Jerry Hemmings, Irv Hanec, Carol Ploen-Hosegood, Ken Opalko and Adam Wedlake (Recording Secretary - Ex-Officio).
For 2017 the following are planned :
- our 16th Induction Dinner on September 30, 2017 where our newest inductees will be honoured John Cook and Deb Steele-Kretschmer (players), Dennis Alvestad, Mike Hill, Larry Marquardson and Wayne Ruff (builders) and the 1991 Team Manitoba 19U Women's Provincial Team and the 1983, 1987 and 1988 Vincent Massey Trojans Varsity Girls (teams)
- the development of a financial plan to replace the five display cabinets which are original dating back to 2001
- to continue the video interviews of all honoured members
In conclusion, we need to mention the tremendous continuing support we get from the University of Winnipeg. Our Hall of Fame and Museum would not exist without this support and the support of our extended basketball community through Basketball Manitoba.
Respectfully submitted by
Ross Wedlake, Chair, MBHOFM