The Town of Taber has been chosen to represent Alberta in the national Kraft Hockeyville competition.
Local officials say the honour reflects strong community support shown since an explosion forced the town’s arena to close.
Chief administrative officer Darren Thiebaud said the announcement secures funding for the facility and provides an opportunity to share Taber’s story on a larger stage.
“It secures $50,000 for us, which can definitely help towards a whole bunch of things in our particular situation,” Thiebaud said.
The competition, run by Kraft Heinz, recognizes community arenas across Canada and provides funding for rink improvements. Following the explosion, Thiebaud said the community quickly rallied behind the Hockeyville nomination effort.
“The event happened on December the 17th, and someone thought of Kraft Hockeyville, which I believe opened up Jan. 1 or Jan. 2, and our local folks here were right on the bit,” he said. “It wasn’t like it was this planned thing to go talk about Kraft Hockeyville, and it’s been really fantastic.”
He said the effort has drawn strong participation from residents sharing stories and photos about the arena, which has served the community for 55 years. Residents have shared stories spanning several generations about the rink’s role in the community.
Taber town council had already begun discussions about the aging facility before the explosion. Thiebaud said the talks focused on potential upgrades to the community centre, including a federal grant application seeking about $8 million for code and accessibility improvements.
He said those discussions have since broadened as officials consider future options for the facility.
“All options are on the table,” he said. “What do we keep? What do we revisit? What do we take down, if anything? Do we rebuild what part, all parts, some parts?”
The next phase of the Kraft Hockeyville competition will see judges announce the two national finalists March 21. Canadians will then vote to determine the winner, who will receive $250,000 in arena upgrades.
Thiebaud said the nomination reflects how important the arena remains to local residents.
