What does Stonewall’s arena mean to you? Do you have a personal story about how the local rink helps to foster inclusion and a sense of community?
If so, the co-chairs of Stonewall’s Kraft Hockeyville committee want to hear from you.
This year, Stonewall will be entering the Kraft Hockeyville competition, which aims to rally people together and help protect the future of hockey in Canada — because communities build hockey and hockey builds communities.
The contest starts with a nomination and rally period from Jan. 1 to Feb. 18. After that, judging takes place from Feb. 19 to March 9, when the Top 4 communities are announced.
Then voting opens from March 29 to March 30, followed by the announcement of the winner.
The winning community will win the chance to host an NHL pre-season game plus $250,000 in arena upgrades. The three runners-up will each receive $25,000 for arena upgrades in their community.
Last year’s winner of the Kraft Hockeyville contest was Elliot Lake, Ont., followed by runners-up Enderby, B.C.; Wolseley, Sask.; and Cochrane, Alta.
Megan Humeniuk and Brett Meilleur are co-chairing the local efforts to get Stonewall in the Top 4 — and ideally win the contest.
“I grew up playing hockey here, so I understand the aspects of inclusion and how important it is in our community,” Humeniuk said.
“Winning would be amazing. That’s the goal. But the idea of getting our community back involved in the rink again after COVID makes me really happy. Before COVID, everyone was involved all the time, doing everything from events to tournaments. I feel like that’s died down, so I’m really excited to have the community focus back on the rink and how important it is for the kids and families. It’s exciting.”
Currently, Community Living Interlake operates the canteen at Veterans Memorial Sports Complex, which exemplifies the importance of inclusion.
“It’s really cool because it’s breaking down social barriers. It’s a nice connection for everyone who goes there,” Humeniuk said.
“If we were to win, it would be possible to upgrade the rink facility and make it more accessible and welcoming to people who have disabilities. It would create an even more inclusive environment.”
Beyond the themes of hockey and the local rink, Humeniuk said the contest serves as a way to strengthen community ties.
“Growing up in this community, I personally feel that hockey and sports were something that tied a lot of people together — and still ties me to my childhood friendships,” she said.
“It’s a beautiful big picture to make sure our arena is a place that we have pride in and we support — and to show the people who work there that we support them too. It’s like a beacon of hope because, at the end of the day, we always have hockey and we always our community. That makes me so happy.”
Meilleur added that they’re reaching out to community members to submit a written story that’s impactful and inclusive.
“We want to encourage everyone to share their experience with hockey, the Stonewall community and how the rink has brought us all together,” he said.
“We want to get as many submissions as possible.”
For Meilleur, he shared some of his own personal connections related to Stonewall’s hockey rink.
He had lived in Fisher Branch in his younger years, and he recalls one day when his parents were heading home from Winnipeg. They stopped along the way to watch a hockey game in Stonewall and his parents commented on how much they loved it.
Later on, Meilleur experienced the full-circle sensation of being one of the players on the Stonewall ice.
“I was lucky enough to captain the Jets to our first victory. My dad passed away when I was younger, and 22 years after his passing, I got to win the championship with the team. That story always reminds me how the town and the rink have been an inclusion point in my family’s life. And other people will have a completely different story but it’s important to share yours — it just might be the difference,” said Meilleur, who went to high school in Stonewall.
“We’re looking for stories around how the rink brought you together with others, based around inclusion, and how it kept your friend group tight. Maybe you made new friends over the years and your family got to experience it too. It feels like a wholesome and inclusive place to be.”
The co-chairs are hoping that community members will submit their stories for the Kraft Hockeyville contest before Jan. 1 — although before Christmas would be even better.
Anyone who would like to make a submission can send it to laine.wilson@rockwood.ca.
