Canadian Country Music Hall of Fame finds ‘fantastic’ new home in Calgary

Whether it’s during the Stampede of throughout the rest of the year, country music is pretty big in Calgary.

And now there’s something new on the way that will really hit a high note with a lot of fans.

The Canadian Country Music Association announced Wednesday that the Canadian Country Music Hall of Fame is relocating to Calgary, finding its permanent home at the city’s National Music Centre (NMC).

Since being established in 1984, the Hall of Fame has been located in B.C. a

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nd Saskatchewan, with its approximately 1,200 items now ready to go on display in a special section of the NMC.

“It’s very exciting,” the NMC’s CEO Andrew Mosker said.

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“We really have a desire to build a music city, a music city region for the whole province, because of the roots of country music and the legacies of country music, that exist here in the province of Alberta.”

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With more people resuming the travelling they suspended during the COVID-19 pandemic, tourism officials say the Hall of Fame could help draw visitors to Calgary.

“It’s fantastic. Calgary is always looking for new things for people to do,” Tourism Calgary’s Jeff Hessel said.

“This is a great thing for people to come and see when they’re here.

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“As an emerging music city, with all the various different things that are happening — all the concerts, all the festivals, the Stampede, Country Thunder and other different music events that take place throughout the year — this really helps us establish that reputation.”

The NMC is now open only on weekends, hoping to expand its hours as more people resume visiting Calgary.

There’s no firm date yet on when the Country Music Hall of Fame might open, but when it does, it will be front and centre at the NMC.

“Once we have a better line of sight on timelines, as we all recover from COVID and the pandemic, you’ll be able to see regular exhibitions and collections and programming happening here,” Mosker said.