Celebrating Over 25 Years of Service to Our Communities! Dawson Trail Dispatch Ste. Anne Vies for Kraft Hockeyville Title

By Dan Guetre

Winning the Kraft Hockeyville title would be like winning the lottery for the iconic but aging community arena in Ste. Anne. The facility has echoed with the sounds of countless kids throughout the years dreaming of being the fastest and the most skilled.

The Town of Ste. Anne is registered in the Kraft Hockeyville competition seeking to win the grand prize of $250,000 and to host an NHL hockey game. The challenge requires a community to join together and outlast those that don’t call the Aces their home team.

“Ste Anne and the RM of Ste Anne and LUD of Richer have an approximate population of 8,000, and this community eats, sleeps and breathes hockey,” said Krystyn Eirika, a community member that is rallying residents. “From the little guys just starting out to the senior hockey players who have played their entire lives, this town loves hockey.”

According to Krystyn, hockey and the arena are central to the community and area.

“On any day you can find families gathered at the Arena for practices, some staying for hours as they have multiple kids who play on multiple teams,” she said. She looks at hockey in the community as more than just the ice time.

“The community also uses Hockey for good,” she explained. “This year we have seen team’s band together and shovel snow for other community members. They have done food drives, and last year when they lost a long-time member of Ste. Anne Minor Hockey family they pulled together and started the charity, the “Kiddo 35 Foundation” to assist families in our region and keep kids in sports.”

She also points out another amazing fact that could be very unique to Ste. Anne.

“…the last three Olympics, we have had not one, but two ladies represent Ste. Anne on the Canadian Women’s Olympic Hockey team!

With Gold medals in 2014 and 2022 and a Silver in 2018,” she noted.

Krystyn believes, as many others, the arena is the heart of the Town and the RM.

“This place brings people in from all over the area,” she explained. “Kids from many different schools in different languages all gather here to play a special game where the language is simply hockey.”

“Our Arena not only hosts teams from Ste Anne Minor Hockey but also offers a recreational hockey program,” she added, “[and it] is used by both adult men’s and women’s teams.”

She credits hockey as a sport that has taught kids things they may not learn anywhere else, how to win how to lose and most of all how to be a great community member.

$250,000 to put towards a new ice plant for the facility,” Krystyn pointed out. “At this moment the ice plant has been repaired and repaired and we are out of repair options.”

The money could help with a solution.

“We need to replace the unit, which is costly, and we are currently looking at ways to fundraise,” she explained. “We are working as a community to help think of ways to contribute ideas, etc. to try and get the funds to keep us running.”

She points out that this year the arena opening was delayed until mid-October and some of the organizations dependent on the facility had to buy ice times from other communities in order to form the teams and prepare for regular season play.

“I know these funds would mean so much to this town and would ignite our fire to do more for our community,” she noted. “With the funds to fix the ice plant we could start looking at other ways to improve the facility instead of simply trying to keep it from shutting its doors.”

She sees this as an opportunity but needs the community and surrounding area to embrace it, she needs a team.

Kraft Hockeyville has two stages in its competition. The first is to stand out with the judges who will choose the top 4 to compete.

February 19 is the final day to register at krafthockeyville.ca (Search for “Town of Ste. Anne”). In the second step, residents need to upload 5 hockey or rink related photos to the Ste. Anne Arena’s rally page and “Like” or react to 15 of the photos uploaded. Lastly share to twitter if you are a member.

The more you can interact when you register, the more “Rally Points” the Town of Ste. Anne receives.

February 19 is the final day to register at krafthockeyville.ca (Search for “Town of Ste. Anne”). In the second step, residents need to upload 5 hockey or rink related photos to the Ste. Anne Arena’s rally page and “Like” or react to 15 of the photos uploaded. Lastly share to twitter if you are a member. The more you can interact when you register, the more “Rally Points” the Town of Ste. Anne receives.