Legaci VR Verse Grand Opening: Immersing the Community in a New Form of Entertainment | Written By Lindsay W. (Dufferin Board of Trade)
Looking for a unique and immersive experience for the family? Legaci VR Verse in downtown Shelburne is the perfect destination. Owned and operated by the Pennant family, Ann Marie, Everton Sr., Everton Jr., or Carlos, Eveanna and Jordan, this business invites you to experience virtual reality games in an energetic and friendly environment. They offer experiences for walk-in visitors, birthday parties, and corporate events, with endless possibilities.
With its official grand opening on July 20th, 2024, community members and leaders gathered at Legaci VR Verse for a ribbon-cutting ceremony that welcomed this business into the community. The celebration featured food, music, games and prizes. The ribbon cutting began with remarks from their pastor, and family friend, followed by a steel drum rendition of the Canadian national anthem. Community leaders then shared kind words and presented Ann Marie and her family with certificates congratulating them on their contribution to the community.
“It’s entrepreneurs who take a chance and make an investment in our community,” says Sylvia Jones, Member of Provincial Parliament. “It’s great to have new and unique business in the community” congratulated Len Guchardi, the council representative on the Business Improvement Association.
“I was so excited because anytime we can have a place where our kids can have something to do together is always a benefit for the community,” says Damon Ealey, Principal of Centre Dufferin District Highschool.
After the ribbon was officially cut, the rest of the afternoon was spent eating food, playing games and socializing with friends and family.
All having varying jobs, the family was introduced to virtual reality after purchasing a headset for their son, which soon turned their house into a social hub. Noticing a of entertainment facilities in Shelburne, “We saw a need in Shelburne for community and entertainment, especially when it came to the youth” and seeing the joy from friends and family in their own home, “We wanted to share that with other people.” As the first VR facility of its kind in the area, Legaci VR Verse offers a unique recreational experience.
No prior VR experience is needed, the headsets are easy to use. All you need is a desire to have fun. “The sky’s the limit! Anyone is welcome to come here and have fun”, exclaims Carlos. Equipped with Oculus headsets and controllers, their space is split into multiple 7-foot zones to ensure safe distances between players. With spaces for both single player and multi-player games, they offer a variety of sports, shooting, puzzle and strategy games. “There’s something for everyone” says Ann Marie.
Open until 9 p.m. on weekdays and 10p.m. on weekends, they hope to bring positive change to the downtown area “We believe it will bring life to the downtown area…the feedback from the community has been incredibly positive. People are really excited” mentions Ann Marie. As a new business most funds for Legaci VR are coming out of the family’s pocket, but “the biggest reward is getting that positive feedback from the local community,” shares Ann Marie, and knowing people are in their corner and ready to support them.
As Legaci VR Verse continues to grow, they plan to partner with schools and nursing homes to expand their reach. Their goal is to bring new technology into Dufferin County and someday expand to more locations in Ontario like Shelburne. Over the next few months, they’re hoping to offer basic first aid training, fire training and warehouse safety training. “It’s important for those skills to be available to the community” says the Pennant’s.
Learn more about Legaci VR Verse