My childhood rink in Twillingate, Newfoundland is making a bid to become Kraft Hockeyville 2020.
https://www.krafthockeyville.ca/comm.../georgehawkins
The kicker for this bid is the Calgary connection. As a Flame, Gary Roberts came to Twillingate in 1993 to host a hockey school and honestly it would be an understatement to say it made a major impact. There was a line-up longer than the length of the hockey rink to get his autograph. His school was also well attended, and in the following years there were significant improvements made to the arena: new glass around the rink (to replace hard-wire mesh), a new spacious 2nd-level lounge and a new Zamboni (previously they were using a farm tractor hauling hot water tanks).
Last time I was at this arena was in January 2019. It has held up fairly well, but one thing that stood out - in a bad way - was the quality of the ice. It was hard to stop and do crosscuts (I'm not a bad skater). The temperature in the arena was also quite frigid, making it uncomfortable for spectators.
The people of Twillingate are very proud and the arena is absolutely a focal point in the community. They are borderline fanatical. No doubt they'd roll out the red carpet if they were to win. Newfoundland is renowned for its hospitality and this would definitely crank it up to 11.
So if you feel like dropping a note, writing a story or just want to see what all the fuss it about, check the link. Gary Roberts and his training centre in Toronto have also endorsed the bid.
[News] Kraft Hockeyville 2020 Twillingate, NL - Flames connection - rd 1 ends FEB 9TH
