The small community of Trout Creek is making a big push to be named Hockeyville in support of the aging Trout Creek Community Centre.
The community held a Hockeyville Rally on Thursday night and the challenges with the building which opened in 1972 became front and centre early Thursday morning.
"Everyone knows there was inclement weather on Thursday, so there was like a foot of snow on the roof and the township sent an email out and said they might actually have to cancel the event because it would be dangerous in here if they didn't clear some of the snow off," explained Trevor Madge, a hockey dad, hockey player and coach who is part of the Trout Creek Community Centre Hockeyville bid.
Fortunately for Madge and the Hockeyville supporters, the town was able to inform the organizers early in the afternoon that the snow was cleared and the event could go on as planned.
Trout Creek is located on the south end of the municipality of Powassan about 30 minutes south of North Bay.
The Powassan Voodoos joined skaters at the family skate.
"It is phenomenal that they are doing Kraft Hockeyville here to help this rink and we will see how it goes for them and we are here to support them and do what we can to help," said Peter Goulet, Voodoos' head coach.
Ben Long is a longtime resident of Trout Creek and a broadcaster with the Frontline Podcast which provides play-by-play for Voodoos games. Long also plays men's league at the Trout Creek Community Centre.
"I grew up skating on this rink, I grew up on this rink with my brothers," said Long. "It is an important part of the community for me personally this building is important."
The arena's roof is currently supported by temporary wooden posts which Long says even infringes on the rink's benches.
"The posts are up here and it is almost a little silly when you are on the bench trying to have a line change and you have the posts in the way and the risk of the place having to shut down on top of that and to know that the arena could be open for the next foreseeable future at least with that influx of cash to keep up the development as small-town money is not always there," said Long.
See related: Trout Creek hoping Hockeyville can save its aging rink
Madge says they are still in the nomination process. He encourages residents to share Trout Creek Community Centre stories on the Kraft Hockeyville social media pages.
"That's going to represent 80 per cent of our vote points," explains Madge.
"The other 20 per cent comes from the photos that are uploaded, the 'likes' that are contributed to on the Hockeyville page, and the stories themselves."
Madge says that Trout Creek is currently number one in rally points.
"If we do make the top four, it's gonna go to a that'll be announced, I believe March 15 and then it'll go to a nationwide vote."
Madge believes winning Kraft Hockeyville could potentially save their community rink.
"Without this community centre, it would leave a massive hole in the neighbourhood," said Madge about the facility located on Main Street in Trout Creek.
"Lots of people use this place, we need it. We need that money, we need that funding, so please go on at a story, add a vote if you can, and upload some photos. We have a Facebook page where people are sharing photos. If you don't have any photos to upload, go to the Facebook page, and somebody will donate photos to you for you to upload. We need all the support we can get."
It was back on March 17, 2007 when North Bay was named the winner of Kraft Hockeyville. Elliot Lake, the only other northern Ontario community to win the contest, was named the 2024 winner.