Get in the game Red Deer.
Hasbro, the makers of the popular board game Monopoly, are putting out a Canadian edition and are inviting people to nominate their community or cast a vote. There are 22 coveted spots on the board up for grabs.
Those who want to put their hometown on the path to board game glory can vote at www.monopolyvote.ca. The site features a countdown clock that shows the voting will end in 32 days. A button on the www.reddeeradvocate.com home page will link you to the site.
A leaderboard shows where each community stands among the 65 communities nominated so far for 20 available spots. Red Deer is close to the back of the pack currently, ranking 59th on Thursday.
The 65 communities were chosen by population. But online visitors can also nominate wildcard communities. The top 20, led by Cornwall, Ont., are listed on the website. There are two spots reserved on the board for wildcard entries.
Voting on the main batch of communities closes on Feb. 7. Wildcard voting runs from Feb. 8 to 21.
Hasbro Canada spokeswoman Marisa Pedatella said the online vote has been a hit. More than 285,000 people have voted since the tallying began on Jan. 12.
There’s plenty of time for Red Deerians to boost their chances, she said from Toronto.
“It’s just rallying the people of Red Deer to go online,” said Pedatella. People can cast votes for three cities each day, so it pays off to return to the site every day to cast an electronic ballot.
A number of mayors have given local efforts a boost, including Calgary Mayor Dave Bronconnier ,who held a news conference recently to stir up enthusiasm and rally the voters in his city. That gave Cowtown’s pitch a boost and the city now sits second.
“I’ve seen that kind of pattern as soon as the mayors get involved,” Pedatella said.
The mayor of Belleville, Ont., among others, has also embraced the cause.
Red Deer Mayor Morris Flewwelling is all for drumming up local interest and has asked the city’s communications staff to look into putting information on the website and advertising it in other ways.
“I think if we could have a shot at having Red Deer on the board that would be really nice,” he said. “I’m all for entering the fray.”
Winning communities will be represented on the board with an image showing a recognizable landmark.
Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Quebec is the current leader with 5.4 per cent of votes cast, followed by Calgary’s 4.7 per cent. Medicine Hat is also in the top 10 at eighth place. Edmonton, Lethbridge, Grande Prairie and Wood Buffalo are also on the list for Alberta.
pcowley@www.reddeeradvocate.com