COVID vaccine clinics in Ashcroft
Interior Health will be holding COVID-19 vaccine clinics at the Ashcroft Hospital and Health Site (not at the medical clinic) on Wednesdays and Thursdays throughout January for children aged 5 to 11. The vaccinations are by appointment only, and must be booked in advance. Clinics for those aged 5 to 11 are also being held in Lillooet, Merritt, and Kamloops. For a full list of clinics, as well as booking instructions, go to https://bit.ly/3zeS6Jv.
There are also clinics at the Ashcroft Hospital and Health Site for those aged 12 and older who need either their first or second vaccination (walk-ins accepted) or need their booster dose (booked appointments only). These clinics are on Wednesdays (9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.; closed from noon to 1 p.m.) and Thursdays (9:05 to 11:45 a.m.) throughout January. For a full list of clinics throughout the region, go to https://bit.ly/3zeS6Jv.
To register for the vaccine (or booster shot, if you are eligible), go to https://bit.ly/30MhJEd. You can also book by phone (7 a.m. to 7 p.m., seven days a week) by calling 1-833-838-2323.
Lost and found
A Good Samaritan has turned in two items that were found after the parade in Ashcroft on Dec. 3: a silver necklace with ruby-studded ornament (found outside the fire hall) and a pink-and-blue child’s bead bracelet with ornament (found near the post office). If you can identify them, they are at the Journal office.
Cooking class for teens
Have you got a teen (aged 13 to 18) who wants to learn how to fend for themselves in the kitchen? Starting Jan. 11, the Ashcroft HUB will be holding a free “Cooking class for teens” program that runs every Tuesday through Feb 15 from 3:30 to 6 p.m. Participants will learn kitchen basics and gain confidence in their ability to cook healthy, delicious food. Participants will have a say in what they learn each week.
There is limited space available, and registration is now open at https://bit.ly/3IlJGEl. For more information, call (250) 453-9177 or email ashcrofthub@gmail.com.
Around the world in eight countries
Kids can start the New Year with an eight-week program offered by the Ashcroft HUB which will take them on a journey around the world. Each week will see participants “visit” a different country and learn about them through crafts, food, and games.
There are two programs, both starting on Wednesday, Jan. 13 and continuing every Wednesday through March 2: one from 10 a.m. to noon designed for home school students, and one after school from 3:30 to 5 p.m. The cost is $80 per person per program, which covers all eight sessions; to book go to https://bit.ly/3EcMaBF.
Highway information updates
The Ministry of Transportation will be providing weekly information bulletins about Highway 1 and Highway 8 and the measures being taken along those highway corridors. The bulletins will contain information for residents, links to different organizations that are providing assistance, and updates on the work being undertaken on both highways.
Links to the bulletins will be posted on the TNRD website when they go up every Monday; go to https://bit.ly/3HvAmwq to read them.
Top B.C. baby names
Olivia is once again the front-runner for the most popular name for babies born in British Columbia in 2021.
Olivia is followed by Liam, Noah, Jack, Emma, Benjamin, Theodore, Oliver, and Charlotte, according to the Vital Statistics Agency’s preliminary figures from Jan. 1 to Dec. 15, 2021.
In 2020, Olivia was followed by Liam, Oliver, Noah, Lucas, Emma, Theodore, Benjamin, Ethan, and Charlotte, according to the agency’s figures. Only names that occur five or more times are listed.
From Jan. 1 to Dec. 15, 2021, 40,333 babies were born in B.C. In 2020, 42,413 babies were born in B.C.
For more about baby names in B.C. — including a tool allowing you to check the popularity of different names going back 100 years — go to https://bit.ly/3rKHT36. Picking a name completely at random, the Journal notes with a hint of sadness that the last year in which the name “Barbara” was given to five or more girls in a given year in B.C. was more than two decades ago, in 2000.
editorial@accjournal.ca
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