Kinburn Community Centre throws hat in Kraft Hockeyville contest
Special to WC Online
KINBURN – The Kinburn Community Association (KCA), in dire need for upgrades for its outdoor rink, is throwing its hat in the ring of the 20th anniversary of the Kraft Hockeyville competition, but it will need massive community support.
The winner of the Kraft Hockeyville competition wins $250,000 in arena upgrades and gets to host a National Hockey League (NHL) game in the league’s preseason.
The competition begins with the Nomination and Rally phase, during which communities across Canada submit stories explaining why their community should be the next Kraft Hockeyville.
“Our judges will review the nominations, calculate the total scores, and select a winner from every province and territory-each receiving $50,000 for arena upgrades, or more, if the community advances to the Top 2,” Kraft Hockeyville organizers released in a statement.
From there, the judges will announce the Top 2 finalists selected from the Provincial and Territorial winners, who will then compete head-to-head in a nationwide vote to determine the Kraft Hockeyville 2026 grand prize winner.
Key to being nominated is community support for a participating rink, and the KCA is looking for help.
“Our beloved rink has been entered in the Kraft Hockeyville contest, and we need our amazing community to rally together,” Kinburn native Shelly Carroll released in a statement yesterday (Feb. 12). “The goal? A brand-new ice surface for the Kinburn Community Centre. Helping is easy and fun. Share a favourite memory, a short story, or a photo from the rink. Every post earns points—and the more memories shared, the closer we get to winning.”
Carroll has fond memories of Kinburn’s outdoor rink.
“Many of us grew up there,” she said. “Friday night skating parties, winter carnivals, hockey games and even learning how to skate for the very first time. Take a minute to share one, two, or even more stories and let Hockeyville know just how special our rink is to our community. Let’s do this, Kinburn.”
You can find the Kinburn Kraft Hockeyville arena rally page here, and from there you can submit your support.
Thanks Jake for adding this to your online stories, we hope this will get some people involved to add stories. May we share your story on our FB page as well? Let me know with thanks – Jayne