The Cranbrook for Hockeyville campaign was in full swing on Saturday February 27th. CBC was in town filming the City’s hockey spirit and things were hopping at the Rec Plex. CBC started out their visit to Cranbrook with a helicopter ride donated by Bighorn Helicopters. CBC wanted to film Fisher Peak where the Stanley Cup has been hoisted.

On Saturday, they spent many hours at the Memorial and Kinsmen arenas, as well as the Rec Plex, discussing the history of Cranbrook hockey with our local hockey expert, Colin Patterson. With road hockey, the RCMP running the hardest shot contest, and the tailgate party, they also had lots of enthusiastic hockey people to capture on film. The radio station was on hand with their boom box keeping people’s toes tapping with hockey songs.

People and businesses in Cranbrook jumped in to help the nomination by decorating their windows, and donating goods and services for the weekend. It started with the Kootenay ICE season ticket holders donating their unused tickets, which in turn were sponsored by local businesses and given to Minor Hockey teams for the Feb. 27th game. The radio station, Cranbrook Daily Townsman, Kootenay Advertiser, and Shaw Cable all helped to publicize the event. Mega Silk Screening designed and printed the jerseys, Kootenay Kwik Print discounted the posters, Culligan donated water to cook the Kraft Dinner, Save-On Foods donated Kraft Dinner and flags, Safeway donated hotdogs and buns, Sandor’s donated cooking pots to use, Shadow Mountain donated their big grill, A&W donated the bowls/utensils/napkins, Bridge Interiors donated tents, and the Dairy Queen donated three slab cakes decorated with Cranbrook hockey pictures and names.

The tailgate Kraft Dinner cookout was by donation and $902.96 was raised and is being donated to Rick Klassen and Bob Cutler for their Haiti relief effort.

The Kootenay ICE game on Saturday night provided more entertainment with over 4,100 fans in jerseys, cheering on their team. Cranbrook Mayor, Scott Manjak, and MLA, Bill Bennett, escorted the oldest and youngest ICE season ticket holders, Ruby Sinclair (92) and Kiera Hennig (3) for the puck drop to start the game.

The weekend was capped perfectly on Sunday by Cranbrook’s own Scott Niedermayer winning the gold medal with Team Canada on Sunday.

The next steps in the Hockeyville nomination are:

Mon. March 15th – CBC airs Hockeyville program presenting the Top Twelve communities

- Voting for the Top Five begins, right after the program airs

- Seven days of voting through March 21st

Sat. March 27th – CBC announces the Top Five communities during Hockey Night in Canada

- Re-voting begins for the winner

- Four days of voting through March 31st

April 3rd – CBC announces the winner of Kraft Hockeyville 2010 during Hockey Night in Canada