Love of the game could make Lumby the next hockeyville

LUMBY – Lumby is a small town with a big love of hockey.

The rural North Okanagan village is vying to be the next Kraft hockeyville — a contest that gives the winning community the chance to host an NHL pre-season game and receive $100,000 in arena upgrades.

With social media playing a large role in the outcome of the contest, Lumby is stepping up efforts to get the word out it deserves to win.

Lumby’s ice facility, the Pat Duke Memorial Arena, could greatly use the cash infusion, the community says. Inadequate change rooms, rotting walls, leaks, and a broken score clock are just some of the issues with the building, which they fear could be condemned if it doesn’t find a lifeline.

A Facebook page has been launched and numerous people have been using the hashtag #khv_lumby to show how much hockey means to them.

“It brings the entire community together to watch games and the history of hockey in a small town is rooted deep,” states a write-up on the hockeyville website.

To contact a reporter for this story, email Charlotte Helston at chelston@infonews.ca or call 250-309-5230. To contact the editor, email mjones@infonews.ca or call 250-718-2724.