Another community in southern Saskatchewan is attempting to be Kraft Hockeyville.
Lumsden has entered the contest, hoping to become Saskatchewan’s first community to win the grand prize of $250,000 in arena upgrades and the chance to host an NHL exhibition game.
Committee spokesperson Jamie Lees says they hope to build off of the momentum made by Pense after they qualified as a finalist last year.
“I had a great meeting this weekend with a representative from Pense, just picking their brain a little bit, and they think we are a great candidate and have a strong case to plea and to just try to get the support of everybody who’s ever been to our facility before,” Lees said. “They actually are really rallying behind us as well because they want to see someone from Saskatchewan take the victory.”
Lees says the rink board is hoping to keep the Lumsden Sports Centre in operation.
“This is a good opportunity to get the town — and anybody else really — to rally behind us,” Lees said. “Hopefully (we can) make some people more aware of fact that the rink is really important to us, and we need to keep it going.”
Lees says they were unable to hold their famous Lumsden Duck Derby in 2020, which is a major fundraiser for the rink.
“Lumsden was put on the map for Duck Derby, and the Duck Derby was in support of the actual rink itself,” Lees said. “They actually built a rink based off of the Duck Derby funds, so I think we’ve been put on the map because of that, and I think it’s a place that people recognize as a huge hub of our whole entire community.”
Lees adds any money they raise would go towards promoting Lumsden’s female hockey program, adding more change rooms, repairing the roof and fixing the ice plant.
According to Lees, the concrete under the ice plant is starting to collapse, and would be among the things repaired if Lumsden were to win Kraft Hockeyville.
(Photo Courtesy: Jamie Lees)
The Lumsden Sports Centre has hosted several key events since it was built in 1987, including a centennial celebration with Queen Elizabeth II and the Duke of Edinburgh in 2005, as well as the Western Women’s Hockey League championship between the Calgary Oval X-Treme and Minnesota Whitecaps in 2006.
Nominations close on Feb. 14. Lumsden’s Hockeyville page can be found here:
