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I rise today to congratulate the
Town of
Port
aux Basques, the Port aux Basques Minor Hockey
Association and the organizing committee, on being
selected one of the five finalists in the 2008 Kraft
Hockeyville competition.
Kraft Hockeyville 2008 is sponsored by Kraft
Canada
together with the CBC, the National Hockey League and
the NHL Players’ Association.
CBC cameras first came to Port aux
Basques on January 31 to film the town, interview
various residents, players, coaches, and take in a
series of hockey games.
Port aux Basques was initially chosen from over
1,100 applicants as finalists throughout
Canada
by a panel of contest judges based on community spirit,
originality and passion for hockey.
Thanks to on-line and telephone
voter support from all over our Province and around the
country, indeed around the world, via Internet, Port aux
Basques has made it through Round One of Hockeyville
2008 and are now one of the top five finalists.
With this win comes a $20,000 prize
for improvements to the Bruce II Arena.
As part of the competition, Hockey Night in
Canada
broadcasters Scott Oake and Kelly Hrudey broadcast live
from the Bruce II Arena this past Saturday, and the
Bruce was a rockin’ until 4:00 a.m. Sunday morning.
Mr. Oake and Mr. Hrudey, along with their crew,
were wholeheartedly welcomed into our town and treated
to first-class
Newfoundland
and
Labrador
hospitality and entertainment.
The participation and spirit
throughout the entire weekend was phenomenal, and the
excitement was contagious.
Businesses, homes, vehicles and residents were
decorated with hockey jerseys, posters, hockey sticks
and anything to show their passion for the game of
hockey.
On a special note, former Port aux
Basques Mariner and Montreal Canadien player, Mario
Roberge, returned to Port aux Basques for the weekend
event and in a moving ceremony on Friday evening his
Port aux Basques Mariner jersey number 14 was retired
and lifted to the rafters at the Bruce II Arena.
Mario Roberge, of course, went on to become a
member of the Montreal Canadiens, when they won the
Stanley Cup in 1993.
Mr. Speaker, I ask all members of
this House to join with me in extending congratulations
to the Town of Channel-Port aux Basques, the Port aux
Basques Minor Hockey Association and the organizing
committee on being chosen one of the five finalists in
the 2008 Kraft Hockeyville competition.
I also ask for everyone’s support for Port aux
Basques when the next round of voting begins on March
29. We are
a small town with a population of approximately 4,500
people but with the help of the whole Province and our
friends and family throughout the country we can make
Port aux Basques number one.
Before I conclude, I note that the
new member for formerly Fogo-Twillingate was also a
former member of the Port aux Basques Mariners.
On that note, I say go Port aux Basques! |
