Harvest dinner at the HUB
All are welcome to attend the Harvest dinner at the Ashcroft HUB from 6 to 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, October 19. It will feature a full turkey dinner, as well as drinks and dessert, and tickets are $18 in advance or $20 at the door. For more information or to register visit the HUB office, email ashcrofthub@gmail.com, or check out their Facebook page or the website (ashcrofthub.ca).
Community birthday celebration
Everyone is invited to attend a birthday celebration for Lois Petty and Hilda Drinkwater from 2 to 4 p.m. on Sunday, October 22 at St. Alban’s Church Hall in Ashcroft. Bring your stories and memories of these two lovely ladies, who are celebrating 90 years of life and living. Refreshments and birthday cake will be served to honour this milestone.
Fall garbage pickup
The Village of Ashcroft will be holding a special fall garbage pickup on October 25 and 26. The crew is only able to collect branches (less than 8” in diameter and 8’ in length); leaves/grass/weeds/twigs (cannot be bagged); non-refrigeration appliances; and old tires (off rims). Items to be collected must be kept away from all buildings, fences, and other structures, and must be kept separate (no mixing) and stacked neatly.
Items will be left behind if they do not meet the above requirements, and the crew reserves the right to limit the amount collected from any single residence.
Call the Village Office at (250) 453-9161 if you have any items you would like picked up.
Family Halloween party and dance
Bring the whole family to this fun event, taking place at the Cache Creek Community Hall on Friday, October 27 from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. There will be crafts, games, and a fun dance party, as well as prizes for the best costumes and a concession provided by the Cache Creek Elementary School Parent Advisory Council.
Fall open house and luncheon
The Equality Project in Cache Creek is celebrating its third anniversary with an open house and luncheon at its clubhouse at 1260 Stage Road from 12 noon to 2 p.m. on Saturday, October 28. Everyone is welcome to come to the clubhouse for lunch and to see the many things going on there.
Equality Project needs
The Equality Project is looking for several items for both its members and for the clubhouse in Cache Creek. These include gloves and mittens for adults and children; men’s socks, underwear, long underwear, pants (size 34 or smaller), and small long-sleeved T-shirts; adults’ snowpants; winter footwear (mostly men’s); deodorants; kitchen dishcloths and towels; cat food and treats; cleaners (bleach, Ajax, laundry detergent, etc.); Band-Aids and first aid supplies; and Epsom salts.
The clubhouse is looking for milk, eggs, and cheese (on a weekly ongoing basis); meat and protein items (especially peanut butter); and coffee. If you can help, contact The Equality Project at (250) 457-6485 or stop by the clubhouse in Cache Creek on Mondays and Tuesdays between 11 a.m. and 2 p.m.
Halloween skate
Koppers is once again sponsoring a Halloween Skate at the Drylands Arena in Ashcroft on Saturday, October 28 from 2 to 3:45 p.m. There will be goodies and prizes for the participants, so come on down and have a spooktacular time.
Halloween fun in Kamloops
Several Halloween events are being held in Kamloops this month. Bring the family out to “Boo at the Zoo” at the BC Wildlife Park from 5 to 9 p.m. October 27 to 29 (http://www.bcwildlife.org/). Tours of the Tranquille tunnels take place from October 19 to 21, with participants seeing the Chimera Theatre production of The Witness, a true story about the provincial government trying to steal the ranch of a beloved Kamloops woman (https://www.chimeratheatre.com/).
The Kamloops Heritage Railway is running Ghost Trains at 7 p.m. on October 20 and 21 and October 27 and 28, with a “Creepy Clown Train” on October 26 (https://www.kamrail.com/). And there will be “Wines and Screams” at the Monte Creek Ranch Winery at 6 and 8 p.m. on October 28; come out for a haunted vineyard tour and a wine tasting (https://www.montecreekranchwinery.com/).
Indoor market
The next Cache Creek Indoor Market will take place on Saturday, November 4 at the Cache Creek Community Hall from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Tables and chairs are provided, and electricity is available. Tables are $10, and there is no admission charge for the public. Come down and see what the vendors have to offer, and get a head start on your Christmas shopping.
To reserve a table contact Wendy at (250) 457-9587 or at wcoomber@telus.net, or message her through Facebook at Cache Creek Market.
Garth Brooks tribute concert
Musician and entertainer Randy Hillis was due to perform his Garth Brooks tribute show at the Ashcroft Legion on July 7. The concert had to be cancelled because of the wildfire; but Hillis will be appearing at the Legion on Saturday, November 4.
Members and guests are welcome to attend, and there is no cover charge for the concert. There will also be audience requests and a dance party, and the Legion will be serving chilli and buns starting at 11 a.m. (cost $5).
Love Ashcroft
Love Ashcroft businesses are participating in a project to encourage residents to shop and eat locally. From now until November 20, any purchase of $15 or more at any Love Ashcroft business will get participants a ballot to enter into a draw for one of three prizes: $200, $100, and $50 in “Love Bucks” that can be spent just like cash at any Love Ashcroft business. Winding Rivers Arts & Performance Society will be offering ballots at the door for anyone purchasing tickets valued at $15 or more for Anne of Green Gables: The Musical.
To learn more about participating Love Ashcroft businesses, go to www.loveashcroft.com.
Lytton K–12 facility consultation process
The Board of Education for School District No. 74 has passed a motion that “The board proceed with a further consultation process to consider renovating Kumsheen Secondary School to a K–12 school and closing Lytton Elementary School effective the renovation of Kumsheen Secondary School or build a K–12 school at the Lytton Elementary School site”.
There will be a community consultation meeting in Lytton on October 19 at 7 p.m., and feedback can be submitted to the board until November 3 (by email, regular mail, or at the Board Office on Hollis Road in Ashcroft). There will be a special open board meeting in Lytton on November 14 to make a decision.
Let there be light
With the days getting shorter, the lights are staying on longer; and that’s why, for a limited time, BC Hydro is offering customers instant rebates on select energy-efficient LED bulbs and lighting fixtures. These products use at least 75 per cent less energy and can last up to 25 years.
Lighting can account for 15 per cent of a household’s electricity use. The average family home has over 35 light bulbs, with more than half of those bulbs inefficient incandescent or halogen bulbs. Making small changes, such as switching out the inefficient bulbs in the living room to ENERGY STAR LEDs, could save a household up to $20 each year.
Until October 27, BC Hydro is offering 15 per cent off select ENERGY STAR LED bulbs and $5 off select ENERGY STAR LED fixtures at participating retailers across the province, including Home Hardware, Canadian Tire, London Drugs, Lowes, The Home Depot, RONA, and Costco.
BC Hydro is also offering customers the chance to win one of three energy-saving prizes in the month of October. Prizes include a Samsung Family Hub smart fridge with a Wi-Fi touch screen, a Nest thermostat package, and a Philips Hue lighting package.
For more information on eligible products or to enter the contest, visit powersmart.ca.
Wildlife-in-Focus contest
The BC SPCA’s 2017 “Wildlife-in-Focus” photo contest has now ended, and the results have been announced. More than 580 photos taken around the province were submitted, with participants competing in two categories: Backyard Habitats and Wild Settings. There was also a People’s Choice award, voted for online.
“It was a challenge for the contest judges to highlight only a few of the many amazing photos celebrating B.C.’s diverse wildlife,” said BC SPCA chief scientific officer Dr. Sara Dubois. “We want to thank all the participants for sharing their amazing photos and helping to raise more than $16,300 for wild animals in need.”
First prize winners in both judged categories will be featured in the Spring 2018 AnimalSense magazine, and the top three in each category will receive prizes.
Check out the winners online at spca.bc.ca/wildlife-in-focus to view the incredible images captured by amateur photographers across British Columbia.
Open burning in Kamloops Fire Centre
As of October 13, Category 2 and Category 3 open fires are once again allowed throughout the Kamloops Fire Centre’s jurisdiction, due to a decreased wildfire risk in the region.
The use of campfires, sky lanterns, binary exploding targets, air curtain burners, fireworks and firecrackers, burning barrels, and burning cages (subject to local restricitions) have been allowed in the Kamloops Fire Centre since September 22.
BC Parks destinations open now
Visitors can now start planning their trips to two popular BC Parks destinations, as reservations for the world-renowned Berg Lake trail and Bowron Lake canoe circuit have now opened.
Those looking to hike the scenic Berg Lake trail in Mount Robson Provincial Park, or paddle the pristine Bowron Lake canoe circuit in Bowron Lake Provincial Park, can now reserve a spot for the 2018 season through Discover Camping. Advanced preparation is required for both the Berg Lake trail and Bowron Lake canoe circuit, because of the type of backcountry experience involved. The limited facilities offered on these adventures ensure a true wilderness experience, so visitors need to be prepared and self-sufficient.
To book a trip along the Berg Lake trail or the Bowron Lake canoe circuit, visit www.discovercamping.ca.
editorial@accjournal.ca
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