As part of the City’s ‘Welcome Home’ program, 100 of Penticton’s newest residents are going to have a chance to receive a locker room tour and free tickets to an upcoming Penticton Vees game.
“We’re excited to welcome our newest residents to our community, while showcasing some of the activities that Penticton is passionate about,” says Mayor Julius Bloomfield. “That includes the Penticton Vees. We have a long tradition of hockey in our community and this is a fantastic opportunity to introduce them to the Vees family.”
The Welcome Home campaign is an Economic Development initiative geared to provide a warm welcome to new community members, while pointing them in the right direction to get settled, set up a business or access local resources.
The City has partnered with the Vees to offer 100 free adult tickets to the Saturday, Jan. 11 game, as well as a meet-and-greet earlier in the day. As always, youth aged 18 and under receive free admission courtesy of Peter Brothers Construction.
“One of our main objectives is making junior hockey accessible to everyone in our community, and the city’s Welcome Home program is a great way to introduce our program to newcomers,” says Fraser Rodgers, the Vees vice-president of business operations. “A Vees’ game at the SOEC is a great, family-friendly, and affordable entertainment option. We look forward to welcoming new fans to the SOEC.”
And there’s a twist. While many of the newcomers will be seeing the Vees for the first time, a lot of old friends will make a return for Retro Night as the Vees honour the history of the Penticton Panthers.
"We're thrilled to welcome new faces to our beautiful city and the SOEC as we continue to build an exciting future, all while celebrating the incredible history and legacy of our Panther era,” says Amanda Lysohirka, director of ticketing & merchandise for the Vees. “It's an amazing opportunity to honour where we've been and look ahead to where we're going, together.”
The City’s Economic Development team will reach out to the most recent newcomers later this week who have filled out a Welcome Home form. The tickets will be distributed on a first-come, first-serve basis. If you are new to Penticton haven’t already signed up, visit penticton.ca/welcome-home.
The City of Penticton won a BC Economic Development Award last year for its ‘Welcome Home’ campaign and its overarching 'Start Here Penticton' brand. The Marketing Innovation award recognized the city’s efforts in showcasing the community as a welcoming place for working professionals.
Penticton has just been named the third most livable city in Canada for newcomers in The Globe and Mail’s latest rankings, as well as the ninth most livable city in Canada overall.