The local Hometown Hockey committee is very pleased with the way this past weekend played out. Spokesperson Troy Warkentin says their expectations were exceeded in terms of the attendance and participation in the various events. He notes the nice weather was a big factor. Warkentin says they also learned that the plaza along Elmdale Street is capable of handling larger events than they originally thought it could.

"The way the site was configured, we realized that we have much more room than what we needed for this weekend, which was great. And, if the city does choose to run any more festivals in the downtown area, we certainly have plenty of room to stage something like this in the future."

Furthermore, he says despite concerns about parking with all of the activity downtown, it turned out to be a non-issue.

"I think with the Steinbach Credit Union's blessing, that vacant parcel of land along Reimer Avenue (next to the outdoor rink), was cleared late last week. That certainly did take the pressure off. However, with the milder temperatures that we had this weekend, if people had to walk a block or two from their car to the site, we didn't hear any concerns. I think overall, access to the site was excellent."

Meanwhile, Mayor Earl Funk says he was very happy about the way the hometown hockey telecast portrayed Steinbach and all of Southeastern Manitoba. He adds the city also got positive feedback from visitors who attended the event.

"I did actually hear a story about a couple who came out from Winnipeg. They came out because they heard Hometown Hockey was here and wanted to see what it was like. They brought their children and after coming to the event and driving through the city, they told this individual that they were coming back to do business because they really like the way Steinbach looked and the way they felt in Steinbach."

Funk adds it reminds him a lot of the way Summer In The City generates awareness about our community.