Saint-Boniface, QC, is a quiet community just north of Trois Rivières. But a hotbed of hockey, from street shinny to Quebec Provincial Junior league play. Now, Saint-Boniface has ‘scored’ Kraft’s 2025 Hockeyville Canada grand prize!
St-Boniface, QC junior leagues players get the good news…
Kraft Heinz has been running this community building contest for the past 19 years to universal ac-claim. Every year, small Canadian towns go to extremes to win the coveted ‘Hockeyville’ title.
A special honour
It’s not only a PR and civic profile honour. “Saint-Boniface will receive $250,000 for arena upgrades, the opportunity to host an NHL Pre-Season game in the Fall of 2026 and $10,000 worth of brand-new youth hockey equipment courtesy of NHLPA Goals & Dreams,” the official news release explains. “The other three community finalists will be awarded $25,000 each for arena upgrades, along with $10,000 worth of brand-new youth hockey equipment courtesy of NHLPA Goals & Dreams.”
More than an arena upgrade…
“This program isn’t just about building better arenas; it’s about building strong Canadian communities,” says Simon Laroche, President, Kraft Heinz Canada. “For more than a hundred years, Kraft Heinz has been producing food in Canada and contributing to our commu-nities where we work, live and play, and it has been a true privilege to extend our reach by supporting community hockey – a sport that so beautifully mirrors our nation’s passionate, resilient, and unified spirit.”
My take
Hockeyville Canada is a partnership between Kraft Heinz, the NHL, and the NHL Player’s Association. You can’t hardly get any more Canadian than that, eh?
But for me, the angle that Hockeyville is especially for Canada makes it even more special.
Kraft was founded more than 100 years ago by James Lewis Kraft of Stevensville, Ontario, who began selling cheese from a horse-drawn wagon in 1903. Heinz Canada was established in 1909 in Leaming-ton, Ontario where its first products were pickles made from cucumbers sourced from local growers. Together or apart, they’ve been instrumental in establishing a unique ‘Canadian cultural flavour’, with a special emphasis on community and sports…
Bless ’em!
~ Maggie J.