The First Home of the Canadian Country Music Hall of Fame

Written by Randy Owen – Last Updated Wednesday, 02 November 2016 12:06

27 years ago today, the first home of the Canadian Country Music Hall of Fame opened in Kitchener, Ont.! Singer, songwriter and producer Gary Buck had owned the copyright to the name, resulting in the Canadian Country Music Association (CCMA) recognizing the legends with their own Canadian Country Music Hall of Honour awards. At first, Gary’s plans in the late 1980’s were to open the Hall in an old converted school in Hamilton, Ont. (he once showed me the architecture plans), but renovation costs soon made that idea unlikely. His next plan was to have a pre-built structure assembled on the grounds of Sportsworld (an entertainment complex) in Kitchener. On Nov. 2, 1989, it was opened with Buck doing the official opening and then-Mayor Dom Cardillo and…