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Local News Briefs: Looking to give an adult cat a forever home? The BC SPCA is lending a helping paw.

Plus open house at the Ashcroft HUB, Camp Dine and Dash, Fun Days at the Ashcroft Museum, and more.
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The BC SPCA is hoping to find homes for many of its adult cats, and through August 2 the fee for all adult cats in their shelters is half the usual cost. BC SPCA

Open invitation to the HUB

The Ashcroft HUB is extending an open invitation to everyone in our communities.

During office hours (Monday to Thursday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Friday from 9 a.m. to noon) all are welcome to come hang out at the HUB, which has a gymnasium with sports equipment and a youth room with couches, games, and books. Adult supervision is required for children, as the HUB is not staffed to provide babysitting.

You do not have to be a HUB member to take advantage of the offer. The HUB has the space, and all are welcome to use it.

Camp Dine and Dash

On August 1 and 2 and August 7 and 8 from 1:30 to 4:30 p.m., the Ashcroft HUB is offering “Camp Dine and Dash” for children aged six to 12. Participants get a chance to take part in crafts, baking, and active games, and on August 8 have the opportunity to create, bake, and serve the community in a “Crazy Café” held at the HUB. All are welcome to this event.

The cost of the camp is $20 for all four days or $10 per individual day. To register, email ashcrofthub@gmail.com or phone (250) 453-9177.

Ashcroft Museum fun days

Children aged five to 12 are invited to a series of fun days being held at the Ashcroft Museum on 4th Street. The sessions run from 10 a.m. to approximately noon, and will take place on four days: Thursday, August 10 (First Peoples); Monday, August 14 (Transportation); Monday, August 21 (Chinese Community); and Monday, August 28 (Tomatoes and Potatoes).

Participants will learn about the history of Ashcroft through these different themes, and activities will include scavenger hunts, crafts, storytelling, and games.

Admission is by donation, and children must be accompanied by a parent or guardian. As space is limited, please call the museum (250-453-9232) or drop by during regular hours (Monday through Sunday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.) to sign up for the day(s) you want.

TNRD gives Ashcroft Fire Protection Service final approval

At its board of directors meeting on July 20, 2017, the Thompson-Nicola Regional District (TNRD) voted to adopt Rural Ashcroft Fire Protection Service Area Conversion and Establishment Bylaw No. 2596, 2017. Ashcroft council had, after reviewing the Thompson-Nicola Regional District Structural Fire Protection Service Agreement, voted to authorize the mayor and chief administrative officer to sign the agreement on behalf of the Village of Ashcroft at the open council meeting on May 23, 2017.

The bylaw covers fire protection service for properties in TNRD Electoral Area “I” surrounding the Village of Ashcroft, and the agreement covers such matters as the responsibilities of the Village of Ashcroft, payment, insurance, indemnification, general provisions, details of the structural Fire Protection service, and more.

Feline the love at half the price

From July 24 to August 2, 2017, the BC SPCA is offering an opportunity for animal lovers to adopt an adult cat at any of its locations around B.C. for half the usual cost. The cat adoption promotion is presented by Hill’s Science Diet.

“We’re hoping this promotion, which offers 50 per cent off the usual adoption fees for all adult cats, will encourage anyone who has been considering cat adoption to take the next step and make it a reality,” says Lorie Chortyk, the BC SPCA general manager, community relations. “With wildfires sweeping our province it is even more urgent to get homeless cats in our care into loving homes so that we can free up shelter space to offer temporary emergency shelter for animals affected by the fire.”

There are several benefits to adopting a more mature cat over a kitten, as they are calmer and more settled, litter trained, fully grown, and their personalities are already developed, so potential adopters are more fully aware of what they’re going to get.

“So many adult cats are waiting for loving, forever homes,” says Chortyk. “Why not come in and see if one of them is the purr-fect match for you?”

To adopt an adult cat, visit your local BC SPCA branch during office hours, or visit spca.bc.ca/adopt to search for adoptable adult felines.

Community Photo Contest

The BC Council of Forest Industries (COFI)—along with media partner Canadian Forest Industries (CFI) Magazine—has announced the launch of its second annual photo contest that celebrates the significance of the forest industry to the communities of B.C. and the people who live, work, and play there.

Until August 23, 2017, COFI and CFI Magazine will accept photo entries that capture the essence of the forest industry in B.C. Photos can be submitted in three categories:

LIVE: B.C. is home to 140 forest-dependent companies, and we would like to see yours. Take us on a tour through your town or neighbourhood, and show us the diverse faces of the people who make your community the best place to live.

WORK: Bring us images that capture the modern forest industry in action: technology and machinery, research and development, and the people who work hard to make this industry great.

PLAY: Give us a glimpse of your adventures hiking, biking, camping, or exploring in the world’s most beautiful playground: the sustainably-managed working forests of B.C.

The grand prize winner will be featured in CFI Magazine, and will receive their choice of a Canon Rebel T6 with 18-55mm DC III lens, or a $500 gift card for London Drugs. Photos from each thematic area will also be selected to be published in CFI Magazine. Winners in each category will receive a basket of summer essentials.

For contest rules and to enter, go to www.woodbusiness.ca/photo-contest

BC SPCA photo contest opens

The BC SPCA’s ninth annual “Wildlife-in-Focus” photography contest is now open for entries, and runs through September 15, 2017.

The goal of the contest is to capture the best of British Columbia’s wildlife through the lens, whether the subject is in your own backyard or out in the wilderness. All amateur photographers in the province who are aged 14 or older are invited to enter the competition by submitting their most impressive digital images of the province’s wildlife.

In addition to the judged photos, there is also the very popular People’s Choice Award. Voting for the award is by donation, so voters who cast a ballot for their favourite image will help animals in need with their donation.

The contest supports the BC SPCA’s Wild Animal Rehabilitation Centre on Vancouver Island, where more than 3,000 orphaned and injured wild animals from around the province are cared for each year.

Photos entered in previous contests have been featured in the BC SPCA’s Animal Sense and Bark! magazines, as well as in BC SPCA educational materials, local newspapers, websites, and social media. This year, for the first time, the top 52 photos with the most votes will be featured on a deck of playing cards.

Prizes are awarded for the top three photos, as determined by the judges, in each of two categories: “Wild Settings” and “Backyard Habitats”.

The donate-to-vote People’s Choice Award winner will also be awarded a prize. Learn more about this year’s contest, and view past winners’ images, at spca.bc.ca/wildlife-in-focus.