This is it: the provincial finals! The top two vote-getters from each province face off in head-to-head competition to find out which SledTown is the best playground for sledders.
All eight remaining snowmobile destinations—across British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba—are immensely popular, but only one SledTown from each western province can ascend the mountain to claim provincial prestige in 2021. Who will emerge on top as the best of the best go at it in Round 4? Before you decide who should emerge as provincial champions, take a look back at a few of the highlights from Round 3:
B.C.:
Voting in B.C. during Round 3 was surprisingly tepid. All four SledTowns involved in the semi-finals could be considered favourites to win the whole competition, but the low vote count for two contenders was ultimately their undoing.
McBride (1,023 votes, 59%), SledTown ShowDown winner in 2018, took down the 2015 provincial champion, Valemount (700 votes, 41%), to claim its spot in the finals.
Revelstoke (962 votes, 58%) has yet to win SledTown ShowDown but is on track to get the job done after dispatching Sicamous (711 votes, 42%), the 2017 SledTown ShowDown champ.
Total votes from B.C. in Round 3: 3,396.
Alberta:
Once again, Wild Rose Country contained the most tightly contested matchups in Round 3. For the second round in a row, Fort McMurray stormed ahead of the opposition late and gathered the most votes of any Alberta SledTown. Because of that rally of support, Fort McMurray (1,142 votes, 55%) ousted Crowsnest Pass (933 votes, 45%), the provincial winner for Alberta back in 2018.
Even though Edson hasn’t received the overwhelming volume of votes that it has in years past, the reigning two-time provincial champion is still in prime position to repeat once again. It was a close contest, but Edson (884 votes, 52%) got the job done versus Fox Creek (800 votes, 48%) in Round 3.
Total votes from Alberta in Round 3: 3,759.
Saskatchewan:
A major upset occured in Saskatchewan during Round 3. Hudson Bay was the provincial champion the last two years and expected to be in that position again. Those lofty goals came crashing down as Nipawin (4,088 votes, 53%) pulled off a nail biter victory over the reigning provincial champ, Hudson Bay (3,614 votes, 47%).
Carrot River/Arborfield was the last provincial champion not named Hudson Bay. That was back in 2018. Carrot River/Arborfield (1,881 votes, 70%) is back in the provincial finals thanks to its dismantling of Kelvington (801 votes, 30%).
Total votes from Saskatchewan in Round 3: 10,384.
Manitoba:
Just when you think things are going as planned, an underdog SledTown shows up and does the unthinkable. Last year’s SledTown ShowDown champion, Flin Flon, has been upset by Lac du Bonnet, a snowmobiling destination that hasn’t even won a provincial title in the past.
Thanks to a strong showing of support, Lac du Bonnet (6,729 votes, 53%) advances to the finals on the strength of a massive victory over Flin Flon (5,928 votes, 47%).
Snow Lake (2,050 votes, 59%) is the other Manitoban SledTown to emerge out of the semi-finals thanks to a convincing win over The Pas (1,451 votes, 41%).
Total votes from Manitoba in Round 3: 16,158.
Total votes from all provinces in Round 3: 33,697!
Total votes from all provinces in Round 2: 12,326.
Total votes from all provinces in Round 1: 9,011.
Total votes throughout the competition: 55,034!
The polls are open and it’s time to cast your votes in the 7th annual SledTown ShowDown. You can head over to the main contest page or vote by provincial bracket once a day until the current round closes:
British Columbia
Alberta
Saskatchewan
Manitoba
Round 4 runs March 23 to April 4, 2021.
New to the contest? This is how it works: we start with 16 destinations from each Western province in Canada. Each round, our readers vote for their favourites and the destinations get whittled down. By Round 4, we’ll have our provincial winners, which will go head-to-head until only one town remains to be crowned the 2021 SledTown ShowDown Champion of Western Canada.
Here’s what the winner gets:
A shiny SledTown trophy, bragging rights and feature articles on SnoRidersWest.com. Plus, it is a chance to raise positive awareness of snowmobiling and to recognize local clubs for all their hard work.
Social media plays a big role in this contest so be sure to hit “share” after you vote to let your friends know about the contest. You can also follow SnoRiders on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter for quick updates during the contest. Feel free to tag us in photos and use the #SledTownShowDown to promote your favourite town.
If you’re on our e-Newsletter list, you’ll also get SledTown ShowDown news, plus our best snowmobiling stories, each month. Not on the list? Sign up here.
Vote every day for the best chance at seeing your favourite SledTown advance to the next round. Good luck to you and your SledTown.
