Flu immunization
Interior Health (IH) has confirmed that influenza immunizations will continue to be available through IH and its community partners this fall, and say that it is even more important for people to get immunized this year given the current COVID-19 pandemic.
The only change will be that the usual drop-in clinics held in area communities will not be happening, since bringing groups of people into these locations creates a risk of COVID-19 exposure, particularly to those most vulnerable to COVID-19 and the flu. Community providers such as pharmacies and primary care offices provided 70 per cent of the immunizations in Interior Health last year.
People will still be able to make appointments through public health, and IH is supporting community providers to continue making flu shots available in pharmacies, travel clinics, and primary care settings. The priority is to ensure that everyone who wants a flu shot this season will get it.
Desert Daze virtual festival
The premiere of the 2020 Desert Daze CoVideo Festival is coming up this weekend, when “The best little fest in the west” would normally be taking place in Spences Bridge. This year, 10 diverse performances by a talented group of local musicians have been filmed against a backdrop of several iconic locations in and around the Bridge, and the results can be viewed from the comfort of your own home.
Both parts of the show will air on the HUB Online Network’s YouTube channel: part one on Friday, Aug. 7 and part two on Saturday, Aug. 8. Be sure to tune in for some great homegrown talent, foot-stomping music, beautiful locations, and maybe a dash of history. If you can’t make the initial showing(s), the concert will be available to view on the HON YouTube channel after the event.
Hunter training course
Ken Brown will be holding a hunter training course (CORE) in Ashcroft on Aug. 22 and 23. Anyone who needs their hunter number in order to hunt this fall, and who would like to take the course, can call Brown at (250) 453-9415.
Rifle range closed
The South Cariboo Sportsmen Association (SCSA) has announced that their rifle range south of Cache Creek will be closed from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday until further notice, while construction on the new rifle range is ongoing and contractors are on site. For the time being, the rifle range hours are 5 p.m. to sunset (Monday through Saturday) and all day Sunday.
The existing concrete shooting tables have been demolished and the pad has been cleaned up. A new metal building has been moved on-site and placed on the concrete pad, and construction (cut out shooting stations, frame-in shooting positions, build shooting tables, etc.) has now started.
Anyone using the site is asked to please respect the construction team, so that the building process can happen as quickly as possible. Once the work has been completed, the public will be notified that the range has returned to normal hours of operation.
The SCSA is operating a raffle to raise funds for the rifle range restoration. To purchase tickets, email southcariboosportsmen@gmail.com or visit the South Cariboo Sportsmen Association Facebook page.
Film-making for youth
The Cinematheque, in partnership with Kamloops Art Gallery and Kamloops Film Society, presents a free five-day film-making program for youth Aug. 17 to 21, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. daily.
“Camp-in-a-box: Cameras in Kamloops” engages youth aged 14–17 through a series of activities that encourage experimentation and exploration of both contemporary and historical optical technologies. Using their smartphones, as well as materials provided, participants will explore exhibitions at the Kamloops Art Gallery and respond creatively through photography and filmmaking.
Though camp activities will be conducted remotely, this is not your typical Zoom workshop. Participants will explore Kamloops with activities like photo scavenger hunts and a pinhole camera workshop. There will be instructions for daily video-conferencing sessions, links to instructional videos and examples, and materials for thaumatrope and zoetrope animation projects. Facilitators and guest speakers will guide participants through the process of making a short experimental video project, from pre-production to shooting to editing.
Cameras in Kamloops will provide participants with the skills and materials required to execute projects using both digital and analog technologies. Participants must supply their own smartphone.
For more information, or to register, go to https://bit.ly/3fjOjz0.
Some passport services resume
The Government of Canada has started the gradual resumption of some passport services, with Canadians now able to apply for a passport by mail. If Canadians have an immediate need for a passport, or are travelling in less than 30 days with proof of travel, they can request in-person appointments. Applicants can visit www.Canada.ca/passport to learn more.
Canadians who do not have travel plans are asked to wait before applying for a passport. Processing times are expected to be longer than normal due to high demand.
Applicants who are concerned about renewing their passport can now use the simplified renewal process within two years (rather than one) after the expiry date, if their passport expired on or after Feb. 1, 2019. This means they have more time to renew if they are not travelling soon. The simplified renewal process allows Canadians to submit a shorter form without resubmitting their citizenship documents and a guarantor declaration.
As Service Canada Centres begin to gradually and safely reopen, passport services will be limited to appointment only. Canadians can continue to visit www.canada.ca/service-canada-home for the latest updates.
Wellness check goes well
On July 23, 2020, a Coquitlam RCMP Traffic Enforcement Officer was in the middle of writing a ticket on the Mary Hill Bypass, Port Coquitlam, when she saw a man walking by with no shoes. The veteran constable finished her traffic stop and tracked the man down.
The man with no shoes hadn’t done anything wrong, but the police officer wanted to make sure he was well. The man told her he was trying to get home to Mount Currie, but since he’d lost his real shoes, he was now in a fair bit of pain from using an old sweatshirt on his feet. The police officer offered to buy him a pair of shoes from a local second-hand store. The man accepted, and after getting a ride to the store and a pair of shoes and socks, agreed to go to the hospital to get checked out for a variety of medical issues.
The police officer does not want to be identified. She did not tell anyone about the shoes, but her supervisor found out and wanted more people to hear the story. “Even though we can’t always solve problems this way, this is one example of a police officer just trying to do the right thing,” says the Coquitlam RCMP. “Stay safe and be kind.”
editorial@accjournal.ca
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