Have your say on volunteer memorial
The Thompson-Nicola Regional District is seeking feedback about Kamloops’ next piece of public art. The monument, which will recognize all volunteers and the incredible work they do within the region year round, will be erected outside the Sandman Centre in Kamloops. The location was selected because the arena hosts many volunteer activities and major community events, including housing many of the evacuees during the wildfires of 2017.
After the Board of Directors voted in November 2017 to erect a permanent, artistic monument or statue, a call was put out for submissions, and a public art jury narrowed down the field to three finalists. Now maquettes, or small-scale models, of the finalists’ designs are being displayed at different TNRD library locations in June, when the public can vote on their favourites.
Voters should consider which model best reflects “volunteer spirit,” as well as being representative of the TNRD, and which model will work best in the space at the Sandman Centre. The “people’s choice” vote will make up one seat on the deciding jury, which will be made up of representatives from the City of Kamloops and the TNRD.
The maquettes have already been on view at the Clinton and Cache Creek Libraries. They can be viewed, and voted on, at the Ashcroft Library from June 21–23.
Movie night at the HUB
A reminder that on Friday, June 22 there will be a screening of the animated film Sherlock Gnomes at the Ashcroft HUB (doors open at 6:30 p.m., with the movie starting at 7 p.m.). Admission is $3 per person (kids three and under are free), and there is a concession available.
Concert at UniTea
Acclaimed contemporary folk singer-songwriter Chris Ronald will be performing at UniTea Tea House in Ashcroft on Friday, June 22. Ronald’s “keenly luxuriant voice and immaculate songcraft” have won him many accolades, including a nomination for Songwriter of the Year at the Canadian Folk Music Awards.
The concert starts at 7:30 p.m., and tickets are $15 per person. They can be purchased at UniTea, or by calling (250) 457-1145.
Community Futures AGM
All are welcome at the Community Futures Sun Country AGM at 7 p.m. on Thursday, June 28 at the Community Futures office (203 Railway Avenue, Ashcroft). For more information, contact the office at (250) 453-9165.
WRAPS fall play auditions
The Winding Rivers Arts & Performance Society will be presenting Noel Coward’s comedy classic Blithe Spirit for six performances between November 16 and 25.
Charles Condomine, a successful writer researching his next work, invites a medium, the delightfully batty Madame Arcati, to hold a séance at his house. To Charles’s horror, the medium conjures up the ghost of Charles’s first wife, Elvira, who can only be seen and heard by her increasingly frustrated husband.
As Elvira wreaks havoc between Charles and his very much alive second wife, Ruth, the writer attempts to send Elvira back to the spirit world, but Elvira decides she will only go if she can take Charles with her, which causes even more complications.
The play has seven speaking parts, for five women and two men, and auditions will be held from 9:30 to 11 a.m. on Saturday, June 23 and from 10:30 to 12:30 on Saturday, June 30 at the Ashcroft HUB. Any adults who would like to audition are invited to attend one of the two sessions. It is not necessary to prepare an audition piece, and scripts will be provided.
The Equality Project is hiring
The Equality Project in Cache Creek is seeking to hire four students for summer employment. Applicants must be 15 to 29 years old, have gone to school last year, and plan on returning to school this fall.
Apply in person at 1260 Stage Road, Cache Creek, on Mondays or Tuesdays between 9 a.m. and 2 p.m.; by mail to P.O. Box 52, Cache Creek, B.C. V0K 1HO; or by email to info@theequalityproject.ca.
Kitty foster homes needed
A government registered rescue for feral cats is operating in Ashcroft, trapping wild cats and kittens. The adults are spayed and neutered and released back into the wild, but temporary foster homes are needed for the kittens.
If foster homes can be found, the group will be able to trap and help more kittens. The kittens are wild, and need a patient home where they can learn to be house cats. As soon as they are tame and can be handled, they will be put up for adoption.
All food, litter, and vet care for the kittens will be provided at no charge. Anyone who is interested in fostering a kitten can contact Amie at (250) 457-3400.
TNRD approves Spences Bridge and Lytton funding
The board of directors of the Thompson-Nicola Regional District has approved funding for facilities in Spences Bridge and Lytton.
The Board has approved expenditure to a maximum of $40,000 from the Federal Gas Tax Revenues–Community Works Fund to fund energy efficiency upgrades at Archie Clemes Community Hall in Spences Bridge. A maximum of $24,000 from the same fund has been allocated to fund the installation of solar hot water panels at the Village of Lytton pool, which is expected to reduce the pool’s annual operating cost.
HVC mine tours
Are you curious about Highland Valley Copper, or hosting visitors this summer who might want to check out one of the largest mining operations in the world? HVC is once more offering free public tours of the mine every Wednesday through September. The tour lasts approximately three hours, with pre-registration necessary. Casual dress is recommended (no shorts), and due to safety regulations children under 12 are not permitted.
Call ahead to 1-855-523-3429 to reserve your seat(s).
Kamloops Urgent Primary Care Centre now open
The new Urgent Primary Care Centre (UPCC) in Kamloops welcomed its first patient through the doors at 5 p.m. on Tuesday, June 13, and he appeared thrilled to be the test case at the new site.
Suneil Randhawa was greeted by the medical office assistants, saw a nurse, had an appointment with physician Dr. Peter Loland, and was referred for diagnostic testing. He later returned to the centre for immediate follow-up.
Emergency department volumes were low throughout June 13, which provided UPCC staff an opportunity to strengthen processes with ED staff. UPCC patients are initially being referred from Emergency if the care they require is not emergent but requires treatment within 12 to 24 hours.
A number of local family physicians, who may eventually work at the site, also toured the facility during the evening and offered positive feedback.
The UPCC, located on the ground floor of the clinical services building at Royal Inland Hospital, is now open from 5 to 10 p.m. seven days a week. Later this year the hours will expand to 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. every day.
Off-road vehicle trails funding applications
Applications are now being accepted from organizations that propose to build or upgrade off-road vehicle (ORV) trails and promote rider safety.
The ORV Trail Fund, currently valued at almost $590,000, is awarding up to $100,000 this summer to support the construction and maintenance of trails for off-road vehicles, and to promote the safe and responsible use of ORVs. Created in 2017, the fund was established as a part of the Off Road Vehicle Act and regulations.
The act requires registration of all off-road vehicles within B.C. A portion of the registration fees collected by ICBC are redirected to the ORV Trail Fund. The Recreation Sites and Trails Branch administers the fund, and this is the first application intake.
The application deadline is July 16, 2018, and requests for funding from $1,000 to $25,000 will be considered. Any legal entity in the province, except for individuals, can apply. This includes First Nations; local governments (such as municipalities and regional districts); ORV organizations (including those representing quads, dirt bikes, snowmobiles, motorbikes, and side-by-sides); non-profit societies; and businesses
Submissions will be adjudicated by provincial recreation staff, with input from provincial-level ORV representatives. Successful applicants will be notified after August 24, 2018.
A five-year plan has been developed to fund future trail recreation opportunities. The planned yearly disbursements will be between $100,000 and $200,000 per year, depending on the growth of the fund.
Apply for, and learn more about, the fund and the judging criteria at http://bit.ly/2t3rJW4. You can find a recreation site or trail near you at http://www.sitesandtrailsbc.ca/.
Drug overdose information for parents and guardians
Provincial Health Officer Bonnie Henry has issued an open letter to all parents and guardians in the province, about the dangers and challenges that the opioid crisis presents to our youth.
While Henry acknowledges that youth aged 10 to 18 are not considered a high risk population for overdose deaths, 37 youth in this age group have died from drug overdoses since January 2016, and that school-aged youth are not untouched by tragedy, either directly or through family, friends, and media attention to this emergency.
The letter explains what parents and guardians need to know to keep youth safe from drugs and drug overdoses, and how to make the right decision in settings where drugs are present. It also tells how you can save a life in a suspected overdose situation, and gives information about how to seek treatment and support options for someone who is using drugs.
Any parents or guardians who have not received a copy of the letter should contact their child’s school in order to obtain one.