Well, the CBC crew has come and gone from Cranbrook and reflecting on the weekend, Mayor Scott Manjak said it went very well.

“I thought it was outstanding,” he said. “The vibe down at the Rec Centre was a really good atmosphere and I think people were really happy to be down there.”

Manjak declared Saturday, Feb. 27th as Hockey Day in Cranbrook during the tailgate party at the Rec Plex before the Kootenay Ice game that day. A CBC cameraman and reporter were in town shooting a clip showcasing Cranbrook’s hockey spirit as it competes to be Hockeyville 2010.

The CBC crew was shown around town, toured the three arenas and even took a helicopter ride up to Fisher Peak.

Liz Schatschneider, City Councillor and one of the weekend’s organizers, said businesses came together to help make the weekend possible.

“The businesses were great, they were decorating their storefronts. I got so many calls from people asking what we needed and what they could do. The donations we received Saturday, it was just amazing,” she said. “Bighorn (Helicopters) donated the flight so CBC could go up and see Fisher Peak, Culligan donated water for the Kraft Dinner to be cooked, Sandor’s donated the pots, it just went on and on and on, the donations were just phenomenal. All the businesses and people got on board so quickly.”

Save On Foods donated 960 boxes of Kraft Dinner to the tailgate party and Safeway donated the hotdogs for the event. All of the leftover, uncooked Kraft Dinner was donated to the Cranbrook Food Bank. The tailgate party raised just over $900 for the relief effort in Haiti.

Schatschneider said the CBC crew seemed to really enjoy their time in Cranbrook.

“I think overall they were extremely impressed with our city, amazed at our hockey history, the number of players that have come from here, the minor hockey association and the friendship hockey tournament,” she said.

The first phase of the Hockeyville contest ended in mid-January. Up until that point, beginning in the fall, anyone could nominate a community for Hockeyville. People then submitted their stories about that town and reasons why it should be chosen for Hockeyville. The next phase will see 12 communities chosen. Those 12 communities will be announced on Monday, March 15 on CBC.

“We really want people to watch the Kraft Hockeyville show on March 15th because if we’re in the Top 12, which I think we will be, the voting starts the second the show ends and we only have a week and then they pick a top one from each region,” Schatschneider said.

Manjak said he believes Cranbrook’s chances of being chosen as one of the Top 12 communities are very good.

“Every community is probably deserving of the award, I think what Cranbrook has going for it is first, the community spirit, and I think CBC and the folks that make the determination will see that but the other thing is you can’t deny is the likes of Colin Paterson, of Ed Chynoweth, of the Niedermayer brothers, Tom Renny and many others,” he said. “It will be tough for them (the judges), let’s face it, every community for the most part does the same things we do but not every community has produced the level of professional talent we have and I think at the end of the day, if they do objective criteria, that will probably pull us through to the next round.”

Schatschneider said hockey parents are the unsung heroes and should be recognized for all they do in helping their children play hockey.

“What these parents do, they are up at the crack of dawn, they are washing smelly gear and they are taking these kids, especially when you’re in small places and you have to travel to tournaments, it’s not like Vancouver and you drive 10 miles to your tournament. These guys are driving all over southern B.C. and southern Alberta. They put in a lot of time and their commitment to the minor hockey program is above and beyond,” she said.

Manjak applauded the work of the minor hockey committee in Cranbrook as well.

“What we all need to remember is this is all volunteer driven. Minor hockey does not receive taxpayer dollars to subsidize their activities,” he said. “They charge a fee and they develop these kids, coaches volunteer their time, refs volunteer their time, one of the biggest community committees in this town is the minor hockey committee. A lot of people pour their time and love of the game and community into it and I think that’s what the Hockeyville people will see.”

The community that ultimately becomes Hockeyville will receive $100,000 for arena upgrades and will be host to an NHL exhibition game. Make sure you watch the