A local hockey coach is hoping to bring awareness to the positive impact local sports has on kids by trying to win Kraft Hockeyville 2025 for the Sackville Arena.

Chris Fraser is a board member of the Lake District Recreation Association with work experience in a correctional facility and his wife, a probation officer.

He tells our newsroom he sees the challenges facing young people today and now he is trying to change the culture creeping into our communities.

“When I started with hockey, I started to try and teach the kids …’look, you’re playing hockey here, this is supposed to be a positive outlet, you’re accountable for your actions’…and really try and teach them that way instead of just letting things transpire.”

Fraser says, one way to do that, is to help people understand the arena’s history.

Community effort

The Sackville Arena has been around since the early 1970’s.

It started with nine families who decided to build it from the ground up.

Fraser tells us people went out and found a location and got to work.

“They, literally themselves, dug holes, dug the foundation, started to build a pad on their own hoping that their initiative would spark a community kind of vibe.”

He adds, with the help of some businesses, residents were able to raise enough to shape the building it is now.

In fact, Fraser says, local businessman Bill Chase was instrumental in donating enough money to get the Sackville minor league started.

Entering the contest

The Sackville Arena is a non-profit that has grown significantly in popularity over decades.

Fraser says there have been small upgrades to the building, but really it needs some TLC and that’s where the $250,000 up for grabs would come in.

“It’s a fantastic arena; it just needs some upkeep. It needs general maintenance done [to be] brought into the 21st Century.”

In addition to that, Fraser says, they need another rink to cater to the demand, with the one rink they have being shared between hockey teams and recreational skating.

They have a business proposal submitted to build one attached to the current arena.

Big picture

What winning the contest would really do, Fraser says, is to continue to provide a recreation outlet greatly needed for young people.

“If the community can tie in together and understand the significance of the arena and understand the impact it has on our kids and the more [that] we put there for them, the easier it is on families. The easier it is that kids will have outlets.”

He says he’s not sure if it is really understood what minor hockey does for kids in the long run and he’d like to get the community on board.

How does the arena nab Kraft Hockeyville?

Kraft Hockeyville is a national contest, so competition is steep.

To help out, if you have a story on what the Sackville Arena means to you, you are asked to submit it to the Kraft Hockeyville website.

Fraser says to win, would be amazing.

“I think that [for] a lot of people it would be a huge impact…a massive impact in our community going forward.”

The winner would also hold an NHL preseason game.

A rally is scheduled January 18 and 19.