Will Carleton Place take the Kraft Hockeyville title?

runner-up towns will receive $25K each). While the usual focus of Kraft Hockeyville grants are local arena upgrades, Carleton Place has a very different idea.

allow hockey to be played by anyone who wants to and the financial implications would not be the barrier that keeps someone from playing or not playing.

Carleton Place - Brian Turner editorial@pdgmedia.ca

For the last 16 years, Kraft Foods and its partners have been investing in community sports via their Kraft Hock- eyville program. To date they’ve donated over $4.5M to 93 communities across Canada. Carleton Place is applying to be this year’s winner of a $250K grant (three

The Neelin Street arena recently received a major expansion along with new change-rooms and a foyer upgrade for its two-ice surface facility, but town councilor Linda Seccaspina and recreation staff have come up with a program proposal to increase access to Canada’s favourite sport: hockey. Their application involves creating an equipment-lending program to outfit up to 300 players to hit the ice. As Carleton Place’s community programmer Jessica Hansen told CTV news, this would

The process for selection begins with getting community members to post pictures and comments on social media indicating what hockey and their local arenas mean to them. Applicants are judged on the strength of their proposal and the number and quality of community engagement posts. As Carleton Place Mayor Toby Randell stated in his entry, “Hockey has always been a staple in Carleton Place. Whether it be at the original rink where our current library stands and in a twist of fate directly across the road to where I live now, to the dozen or so outdoor rinks that dotted the town when I was a child, to our current rink which was expanded in 1997, and now houses out bustling minor Kings and a Cyclones program. We have a Rep B (MTK) program, U18 and Jr. B Canadians teams, 3 levels of men’s adult hockey, as well as an adult women’s group along with many programs from seniors, moms and tots as well as a very active figure skating program.

“Like many small towns, our arena is a meeting place, where lifetime friendships are forged, lessons are learned and sometimes hearts are broken. Hockey has been in the fabric of our community for generations and our arena is where our citizens keep returning throughout their lives to celebrate our friends and loved ones, playing the game we grew up loving.”

Councilor Seccaspina, herself a very active author and engager on social media, provided the strong launch for Carleton Place’s application. The nomination and rallying phase of the contest ends on February 19. Judging by Kraft Hockeyville’s panel takes place until March 11 to narrow the field down to 4 participating towns. Then on March 31 and April, online public voting will take place to decide the winner and the runners-up.

You can find out how to cast your ballot at hockeyville.kraftcanada.ca.