WOLSELEY - Wolseley is excited to be one of four finalists in the nationwide Kraft Hockeyville competition.
Kraft Hockeyville began in 2006, and over the years has put $4.8 million into 97 communities across Canada. Many Saskatchewan towns have been selected to be finalists but have never won and Wolseley is hoping to be the first.
Eight years ago, the Wolseley Complex was only used for the skating club, and they had no minor hockey system in place. In the spring of 2016, a group of Wolseley hockey enthusiasts changed this.
They investigated how the community could support a junior C hockey team competing in the Qu’Appelle Valley Junior Hockey League.
This group not only established a successful franchise, but it encouraged a resurrection of the Wolseley Minor Hockey Association, which is still going strong.
The small town is at another crossroads with an aging ice plant, which is 44 years old.
A new ice plant system will run between $660,000 and $800,000, and the community has already raised $100,000 through fundraising in the last year.
Kraft Hockeyville’s grand prize is $250,000 and this could help the town in the cost of the new ice plant. They will also continue to fundraise.
Another aspect of winning would bring a preseason NHL game to the town.
Vance Weber is the spokesperson for the Wolseley Kraft Hockeyville Committee and has lived in the area for many years. Weber said that 11 communities in the area use the arena during the winter months and is a vital part of the town.
Laurie Stringer, a longtime resident of Wolseley, said that everyone in the town has come together to get the word out about voting.
The Town of Wolseley is now asking for the people of Saskatchewan to stand behind their small town and vote on March 29 at 7 a.m. when voting opens and closes on March 30 at 3 p.m.
It is open to all Canadians over the age of 14 years and people must pre-register to vote.
Previous Saskatchewan finalists have been Wilcox in 2008, Humboldt (2009), Ituna (2017), Lafleche (2018), Wilkie (2019), Pense (2020) and Lumsden (2021).
They would like to thank all the volunteers and businesses in their community and across the province who helped the town reach this stage in the Kraft Hockeyville 2024 Canada competition.
