Wilkie wants to be Saskatchewan’s first ‘Hockeyville’

Voting has begun that could make the town of Wilkie the first Saskatchewan community to be called “Hockeyville.”

Balloting runs through 6:30 p.m. on Saturday night. People can vote an unlimited number of times on the Kraft Hockeyville website.

The contest is in its 13th year of awarding $250,000 to deserving towns across the country, but despite having many finalists, no Saskatchewan community has ever won.

Wilkie hopes to change that this year.

Welcome to Wilkie SK, home of the Outlaws. Like so many SK communities, hockey brings Wilkie together.

Listen to what @Krafthockeyville would mean to Wilkie. Saskatchewan, please vote at https://t.co/kfsWw2h59y from 10AM today to 6:30PM tomorrow. #KraftHockeyville #RallyTogether pic.twitter.com/uvWjFRXS9w

— Scott Moe (@PremierScottMoe) March 29, 2019

Its rink, according to campaign organizer Helen Urlacher, could use a major facelift. Dressing rooms haven’t been updated since the rink was built in 1972, the bathrooms are “embarrassing” and the rink seats are pretty uncomfortable for anyone coming to watch the Wilkie Outlaws play.

“If we won Kraft Hockeyville, we could redo the seats there and fit more people in our rink,” Urlacher said on The Green Zone, adding a win in the voting would allow the town to update the rink’s dressing rooms and the bathrooms too.

“It would secure the facility for future generations.”

Find out what @markscheifele55 has to say about the community of Wilkie, SK as they #RallyTogether⁠ ⁠to become #KraftHockeyville 2019! Check out their story at https://t.co/g4f9oDPFeu & get ready to vote for your favourite community on March 29th 12PM ET-March 30th 8:30PM ET https://t.co/0UFu9Y2dvQ

— Kraft Hockeyville (@hockeyville) March 26, 2019

Voting stations have been set up around the community to get everyone voting including at the Co-op Town Hall, the Ford dealership and the high school. There are also people around to help members of the community vote, even if they don’t have or know how to use a computer.

“Kraft Hockeyville has been doing the campaign for 13 years and we’re most famous in Saskatchewan for being the 13th man for our CFL football, so this year we’re going to show Canada that Wilkie, Saskatchewan is the 13th man for Kraft Hockeyville,” Urlacher said.

— with files from Jamie Nye