When news of the mass shooting in Tumbler Ridge, B.C., broke on Feb. 10, Theresa Nevills was watching from home more than a thousand kilometres away on Vancouver Island.
Like most Canadians, she was shocked as details emerged from the small northeast B.C community of around 2,400 people.
“It wasn’t the kind of thing you would ever expect from a small-town community,” she said.
“Any Canadian that watched the news would have the same sort of sharp pain and helplessness as they watched everything unfolding.”
Though Nevills has no ties to the community, the retired Royal Canadian Air Force aviation maintenance superintendent felt compelled to find a way to help.
After reading how the local community centre became a safe gathering place for residents in the aftermath, she nominated Tumbler Ridge for Kraft’s annual Hockeyville contest after noticing no one else had.
The community centre houses the town’s arena and several other amenities, including its pool, library and curling rink.
“That space is sacred to them,” Nevills said.
“That’s where everybody went to join hands, rally each other and be there for each other, hold each other and get them through the first couple of days of what had happened.”
The contest’s grand prize includes $250,000 for arena upgrades and the chance to host an NHL preseason game.
Nevills, who joined the RCAF in 1981 before retiring this past November, recalls rallying around the community of Stirling-Rawdon, Ont., which won Hockeyville in 2012 while she was posted nearby in Trenton.
“It just seemed to me like this was a really golden opportunity,” Nevills said.
“You hear so many Canadians that really felt for Tumbler Ridge, and I thought that maybe this could be a way that everyone could help. Everyone could feel a part of Tumbler Ridge healing.”
Hundreds of donated quilts on the way to Tumbler Ridge
The nomination has drawn support from some big names, including Olympic gold medalist and Hockey Hall of Famer Hayley Wickenheiser. She shared the Tumbler Ridge campaign to her 55,000 followers on social media this week.
Wickenheiser declined an interview with CBC, but the Canadian hockey star turned doctor has been vocal in supporting the community in the aftermath of the tragedy.
Wickenheiser says Maya Gebala, one of the survivors still recovering in hospital, took part in her hockey tournament WickFest in Calgary in 2024.
“I remember it was such a big undertaking to fundraise and get to Calgary for that Tumbler Ridge team,” Wickenheiser wrote in a LinkedIn post.
“A small town, just like where I came from. I always have a soft spot for those towns.”
Hockeyville nominations close March 1.
Provincial and territorial winners will be announced March 14, with each receiving $50,000. A grand prize winner will be announced April 4.
Nevills says hundreds of communities across Canada have entered, but believes Tumbler Ridge deserves to win as it recovers from tragedy.
Whether the community wins or not, Nevills says she’s seeing the strength of the people who live there.
“Rallying behind each other and really facing the dawn of a new day,” she said.
“They’re grieving, but they’re growing together, stronger.”
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