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Ashcroft council briefs: making Ranch Road safer

After hearing a delegation from the Ashcroft PAC, the village has taken steps to make Ranch Road safer for everyone using it.
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New crosswalks and lines have been painted on Ranch Road to increase car and pedestrian safety.

Heritage designation

Council has directed staff to look into having the Ashcroft Community Hall designated  as a municipal heritage building, following a request from Ashcroft resident Esther Darlington, who noted the building’s long history (part of it dates back to 1899, when it was used as a school). The building has also served as Ashcroft’s library and  as the village council chamber over the decades.

There are currently two other municipally-designated heritage buildings in Ashcroft: the museum (built in 1917) and the former BX Express headquarters building (1912). A village bylaw would formally recognize the building’s heritage status.

The Ashcroft Community Hall shortly after it was built in 1899, when it was a school. Photo courtesy Ashcroft Museum and Archives

Liquor license request

At the open meeting of Ashcroft council on August 25, Nadine Davenport—owner of the UniTea tea room on Railway Avenue—spoke about her intention to apply to the Liquor Control and Licensing Branch for a liquor license that will also allow patron participation entertainment, such as live music or karaoke nights. She also plans to open for dinner on Thursday and Saturday evenings, and says that obtaining a permanent liquor license is “a necessary step to enhance services and sustainability”. She noted that while the license would allow her to serve alcohol between 10 a.m. and 11 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday, on most nights the tea room would close by 8 p.m.

Special occasion permits have been issued to the tea room in the past, and the village has not received any complaints about the events. Cllr. Alf Trill applauded Davenport’s initiative, noting that it was good to see steps being taken to provide more activity in the downtown core, particularly after hours.

The village is now inviting comments about the application, which must be submitted to the village office by noon on Tuesday, September 6. These comments will be brought before council at the September 12 meeting, so that council can consider them and, if they are favourable, pass a resolution advising that the liquor license application has been brought before them, which is a necessary step for this form of license.

Ranch Road painting

At its meeting on June 27, Ashcroft council heard from a delegation from the Desert Sands Community School Parent Advisory Council (PAC) regarding concerns about student safety on Ranch Road. Since becoming a K–12 school in September 2015, the student population has more than doubled, making it the largest school in the district. Council agreed to look into having more road markings and signage put into place, ideally before the start of school.

During the week of August 22, crosswalks were added across Ranch Road at road intersections, and a line was painted along the eastern side of Ranch to delineate the border between the pedestrian and traffic sections of the road. The necessary signage has been ordered, and will be installed as soon as it arrives. An e-mail was sent to the PAC informing them of the actions taken, and noted that the village considers the safety of all its residents to be its number one concern.