The town of Taber has won $50,000 to help rebuild its hockey arena after an explosion damaged the facility last year.
The southern Alberta community was announced as one of the provincial winners in the Kraft Hockeyville contest on Saturday after a two-week judging process.
Taber, located east of Lethbridge, will use the prize money to repair the damaged arena at the Taber Community Centre. The town will also move on to the next stage of the national competition, where it could win additional funding.
Derrin Thibault said the news was exciting for the community, especially after the arena became unusable following an explosion on Dec. 17 that destroyed several interior walls.
Thibault noted that Taber had previously entered the competition in 2020 but did not win. This year, he said, the situation is different because the community now urgently needs help to restore the arena.
The explosion last December left the rink closed and forced the town to look for ways to rebuild and support local hockey activities. Community members have also organized events such as street hockey fundraisers to raise additional money for repairs.
With the $50,000 prize and continued support from residents, Taber hopes to restore the arena and bring local hockey back to the community.