FORT FRANCES—Now that CBC has put out a call for towns and cities across the country to submit proposals to be on the second season of the Kraft “Hockeyville” reality TV series, Fort Frances may end up tossing its name into the ring.
CAO Mark McCaig, a well-known avid hockey fan and coach, said Tuesday he’ll bring the matter before town council in the near future.
He noted one possible avenue to take would be to strike a subcommittee under the Community Services executive committee, then get input from local volunteers and hockey enthusiasts as to what to include in such a proposal.
McCaig had said before council last June, after Salmon River, N.S. was crowned as Hockeyville 2006, that the town should consider putting its name in to CBC.
He added Atikokan did very well in the show—making it to the final 10 before being eliminated—and that success was encouraging.
What’s more, McCaig felt Fort Frances has impressive hockey credentials, boasting both Allan Cup and OFSAA championship teams in its rich history.
The submission process includes putting together a video up to three minutes in length showcasing the community and the important role hockey plays in it.
Entries to the Hockeyville competition must be received prior to Jan. 22.
After that, an in-house panel will select 10 communities—one from each of the five regions—plus five others.
These communities then will move onto the next stage of competition, where their videos will be featured online at www.cbc.ca/hockeyville from Feb. 5-23.
The public will vote on the videos based on certain criteria.
The five communities that win merit prizes (for exemplifying fun, family, fitness, or other qualities in their video submissions) will be announced Feb. 28.
All 10 communities then will be showcased on a TV special March 4. Canadians will vote for their favourite community in the top 10 between March 4-9.
The top five communities from that round then will be profiled on a March 10 broadcast, after which time Canadians will vote for their favourite one between March 10-16.
The winner of the “Hockeyville” title will be named on Hockey Night in Canada on March 17.
As mentioned above, Salmon River, N.S. captured the inaugural “Hockeyville” crown last year.
In addition to the honourary title, that town hosted an NHL exhibition game this past fall as well as received money for rink repairs and hockey equipment.
(Fort Frances Times)
Fort Frances Times
Local News from Across the Rainy River District
