Monday, March 21, 2011 – Kraft Hockeyville Day in Antigonish

Antigonish, Nova Scotia is in the running to be the only Atlantic community to be in the top five for CBC’s Kraft Hockeyville 2011.

The top five communities will be announced this Saturday, March 19th during CBC’s Hockey Night in Canada. In preparation for good news, Antigonish is busy planning voting parties and getting the word out across Canada through friends, family, and alumni of St. Francis Xavier University.

“If we make the top five, we’re proclaiming Monday as Kraft Hockeyville day in Antigonish,” says Deputy Mayor Diane Roberts. “We’re encouraging everyone; businesses, residents, and even friends and family living away to spend as much time as possible voting.”

Voting begins at 11:59:59 ET following the announcement Saturday night. Public voting will be open for 49 hours, ending at 11:59:59 p.m. ET on Monday, March 21st.

Voting can be done two ways; online at http://www.krafthockyeville.ca or by phoning toll-free 1-866-533-8066. The winner is announced on Saturday, April 2nd, 2011.

“Voting is unlimited,” says Warden Herb DeLorey. “We’re asking people to vote and vote often.”

The Antigonish Arena was nominated for the popular contest in late December. People were encouraged to write and then submit stories and photos online to be chosen for the top 10. The Arena had 329 stories and 466 photos submitted. The top 10 communities were announced during a special CBC broadcast on Tuesday, March 8th.

“Following the top 10 show, the entire community started voting,” says Deputy Mayor Roberts. “For five days, you heard people talking about Kraft Hockeyville everywhere you went. It has been a wonderful community project.”

“The Antigonish Arena is one of the busiest arenas in the province,” says Warden DeLorey. “We are a very proud hockey community and we’re excited to see if our efforts have paid off. The community is arranging numerous voting centres around Antigonish town and county. There are even 24 hours voting parties being planned. We’re very excited.”

The winning community receives $100,000 from Kraft Canada dedicated to upgrading their home arena, an NHL pre-season hockey game, and a CBC Hockey Night in Canada broadcast relating to the event. The remaining four communities from the top five receive $25,000.

About the Antigonish Arena:

The Antigonish Arena is a non-profit organization owned by the Town of Antigonish and the Municipality of the County of Antigonish and has been serving the community since 1970. The Arena is one of the busiest arenas in the province of Nova Scotia. It is the home of the Junior “B” Bulldogs, four Gentlemen’s League teams, four Senior League teams, 420 participants enrolled in Minor Hockey, 200 enrolled in Can Skate and Figure Skate, Seniors, Adult and Tots Skating, spring, summer and fall Hockey Schools, and a four week Summer Figure Skating School along with a spring and fall season.

For more information on the Antigonish Arena, please visit: http://www.antigonisharena.com.