There are a few people getting hung up on what-ifs, when now is still the time to celebrate Lumby’s win.
And what a win it was as the village earned the title Saturday of Kraft Hockeyville. Along with $100,000 for upgrades to Pat Duke Memorial Arena, the community will host a pre-season NHL game.
This achievement came as a result of a core group of volunteers pulling together the Lumby area and the entire North Okanagan. That resulted in rapid-fire voting during each stage of the process with residents and businesses spreading the word.
It demonstrated what we have known all along – that Lumby and the North Okanagan have tremendous civic pride and are great places to live.
Perhaps naturally, some people have tried to find the negative and particularly the possibility that the NHL game may be played in Vernon and not Lumby. That result has always been suggested but until the officials from the NHL and Sportsnet tour the local arenas and make a decision, it’s all speculation. In fact, we need to have confidence that the participating groups will make the right call not only for themselves but also for Lumby to ensure a successful event.
But until a decision is made, let’s take time to reflect on what has been achieved in a very short time period.
Lumby has risen to the ranks above all other communities and is Hockeyville.