Fans have until Oct. 28 to cast their votes
By Diego Flammini
Staff Writer
Farms.com
Three rural Manitoba communities are hoping to receive a visit from the province’s National Hockey League team next year.
The towns of Beausejour, Morden and Oakville are the finalists for the Town Takeover contest.
The Winnipeg Jets started the contest in 2019 to help make hockey accessible to communities outside of Winnipeg.
The town of Morris won the inaugural event and Stonewall hosted the Jets in 2022.
Residents of Beausejour, Morden and Oakville created short videos explaining why the Jets should come to their community on April 11, 2023.
The winning community receives a full day of activities including Project 11 mental wellness programming for local students. And a local hockey team gets the opportunity to practice with members of the Winnipeg Jets alumni.
In addition, the community receives a free all-ages social style viewing party of a Winnipeg Jets game at the local rink.
The winning town will watch their Jets take on the Minnesota Wild.
The people of Beausejour want to bring the Jets to the community as a way to thank its volunteers.
“Like any small town we thrive on the efforts of volunteers, and it would be absolutely amazing to bring a Jets party to them, it would be a day the kids (young and old!) never forget!” the description on the Beausejour video says.
The people of Oakville think the Jets should visit them because the team and the community are similar in how they approach life.
“The Jets optimize the values that our community hold dear – teamwork, effort and kindness,” the town’s video description says.
And the residents from Morden think the Jets should come to that community in part because the community is used to hosing big events.
Morden played host to the 2017 Esso Cup, Canada’s National Female Midget Championship and the National Women’s Under 18 Championship.
Fans can vote once per day until Oct. 28 at 11:59 PM CST.