Cambridge Sports Hall of Fame temporarily closed following vandalism

The Cambridge Sports Hall of Fame has temporarily closed after someone smashed several display cases on Friday.

"Six or seven cases were damaged,” said David Menary, one of the founders of the Cambridge Sports Hall of Fame. “The cases are fairly expensive, they're all glass. So the glass has to be replaced."

The space was closed over safety concerns and the security of the memorabilia inside.

"Some of the artifacts were damaged, but most of our artifacts are not here, they're off-site in storage. We've got over 7,000 artifacts and this is just the tip of the iceberg,” Menary explained.

He also said some of the damaged memorabilia were replicas and photographs that can easily be replaced.

Cleanup is expected to take several days and it won't reopen until all repairs are completed. Staff are hoping repairs will be done soon so it can re-open to the public in the New Year.

"Luckily we have insurance, now there is a deductible, and it's a fairly hefty deductible," Menary said.

Waterloo regional police said the suspect was arrested around noon on Friday. The 33-year-old Cambridge man is charged with mischief under $5,000 and public nudity.

There were no physical injuries reported.

Glass shards on the floor of the Cambridge Sports Hall of Fame on Dec. 6, 2023. (Dave Pettitt/CTV Kitchener)

"We’re run on donations and by a dedicated group of volunteers,” Menary said. “So it's an impact not only financially, but also in terms of the hours that have been put into our displays.”

Since its opening in 1996, there have been over 200 inductions with ties to the City of Cambridge. The not-for-profit, community based organization said it remains committed to honouring local individuals, teams and builders, as well as shining a spotlight on Cambridge’s sports history.

"To just promote our unique sports history that's unique to Cambridge and its known nowhere else," Menary added.

Noah Brusso, better known as Tommy Burns the first Canadian boxer to win the world heavyweight title, will be inducted in May.