COMOX VALLEY IS A FINALIST FOR KRAFT HOCKEYVILLE -Vote for our neighbouring association to win the $100k

The Comox Valley Sports and Aquatic Centre has been named one (1) of the 2017 Kraft Hockeyville finalists vying for a chance to win $100,000 in arena upgrades and to host a National Hockey League (NHL) game.

Voting runs from March 12 – 13, 2017 and the two (2) arenas with the most votes move on to the final round. Let’s help them win!

Read their application to see why Comox Valley deserves to be the 2017 Kraft Hockeyville winner! Vote as often as possible and forward this email to everyone you know.

VOTE – http://www.khv2017.ca/en/nominations/finalists/

How would you describe your community’s passion and spirit for hockey?

The Comox Valley is a typical Canadian town with a minor hockey program, a Junior hockey team, a skating club and several recreational teams from toddlers to octogenarians. Hockey is inherited, passed down, learned and lived here. The Comox Valley is a combination of four (4) communities; Courtenay, Comox, Cumberland and CFB Comox. Hockey binds the communities and brings everyone together.
There are three (3) very well used ice surfaces; one (1) 65-year old rink at CFB Comox, and two (2) well-loved but aging facilities in Courtenay. Ice time is always at a premium, stretched to the limit with kids practicing at 4:30am and adults on the ice at midnight, seven (7) days a week.

The hockey community gratefully acknowledges the generous support of the local businesses who sponsor everything from equipment and registration for kids to memorable tournaments and special events, as well as all of the wonderful volunteers who keep the sport we love alive.
What arena project would most benefit from the prize money?
The “cold rink,” as they refer to it, would be transformed into a much more comfortable space with overhead heaters. All teams, including visitors, would benefit from the installation of white boards on the walls of the dressing rooms for the coach’s “chalk talk.” The arena could use an elevator to allow better access for wheelchairs and persons with limited mobility.

The Junior team is one (1) of the only teams in the Vancouver Island Junior Hockey League (VIJHL) that does not have its own dressing room, equipment storage or office space. Players cannot leave their equipment at the arena between practices and games.

The skate sharpener has to be disassembled and removed everyday. The arena has an old, outdated sound system. The communication from ice level to the sound booth is unreliable and often have to resort to walkie-talkies or hand signals. Adding theatre-style seating, or back support, would make the arena a much more comfortable and safer place to sit.
Why should your community be the next KRAFT HOCKEYVILLE?
Comox Valley should be the next Kraft Hockeyville because they represent what being Canadian truly it. The Comox Valley is a very diverse, mulitcultural community which offers a truly Canadian experience to residents and newcomers alike. Hockey has stood the test of time in the valley, which has not been an easy feat when you consider that much of the hockey population is made up of Canadian Armed Forces participants who regularly transfer out. Almost every year is a rebuild year for one (1) team or another.

Newcomers to our community feel welcomed and at home at the arena or hockey rink. Hockey is a community asset which tops the “welcome wagon” list. The Comox Valley is invested in their community and their sports, never turning down the opportunity to host a hockey event. They offer up amazing hospitality and goodwill to all their guests. They have inherited a hereditary passion for something that is truly Canadian as maple syrup.

Hockey makes “good people better.”