We Are Hockeyville

The following reflection and photos will appear in the 2019 Blackville School Yearbook. It was written by Yearbook Co-editor and Grade 12 student Maggie Jardine. 

Unity. We know what the definition of this word is, but do we know what it really means? We see it in a crowd erupting into chaos as their team wins on an overtime goal. It's in a class dressed in pink t-shirts with #neverdunn proudly written across their chests as they take their yearbook picture. It's how a community rallies together to try to take the title of "Kraft Hockeyville." But unity can also be seen in the strength of a grieving family at the center of a movement.

In the past year, our community has known what it means to go through hard times as we have dealt with the loss of many people we still saw as children. Instead of crumbling under the weight of it, we have banded together to show support for those struggling in any way we could.

One of those ways was to try to bring "Kraft Hockeyville" to our community and win $250 000 for the Tom Donovan Arena. Fourteen-year-old Thomas Dunn grew up playing hockey on this ice. After his passing, his family believed bringing the spirit of hockey to our rink would be the perfect way to honour his name.

Whether we actually bring Hockeyville to our rink or not, in a sense, our community has already won. We have shown what it means to be stronger together and make the best of our hardest times.