Christmas fairs, bazaars, and markets
There are a raft of opportunities for shoppers to pick up some unique Christmas gift items at the four (count them, four!) Christmas fairs, bazaars, and markets taking place in our area, all on December 2. And of course there will be lots of tasty treats available, for you and for those on your Christmas list.
The Ashcroft HUB Christmas Craft Fair takes place from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the HUB. Also check out the Cache Creek Indoor Market, taking place from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Cache Creek Community Hall.
The Clinton Christmas Artisans Bazaar takes place from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Clinton Legion. And the Spences Bridge Indoor Market is being held from 3 to 6 p.m. at Clemes Hall.
Cache Creek Elementary Christmas craft fair
The Cache Creek Elementary School Parent Advisory Council is holding its first Christmas craft fair from 3 to 8 p.m. on Friday, December 8 at the school. Close to 20 vendors and home-based businesses have already signed up, and there is room for more at $5 per table, with or without a raffle gift to donate (vendors will need to bring their own table).
Anyone with questions, or who would like to sign up as a vendor, should call (250) 457-7656.
Joey Only and Adam Farnsworth in concert at UniTea
Joey Only from Wells, B.C. has been dubbed by some as a northern country music crooning comical mountain man, who is sometimes compared to Stompin’ Tom Connors. He’s got a Canadiana country shtick that is hard to surpass, and he’s on tour and armed with a secret weapon named Adam Farnsworth.
Adam is a blues piano man who plays with authenticity, soul, and passion. He’s a true talent and entertainer who refreshingly shows no signs of grandiosity or an over-inflated ego, and is known for his role in the popular Vancouver band High Society.
Joey Only has played some 2,000 shows across Canada with some of Canada’s best known performers, and “Farnsy” has often been along for the show. They are really good together, and very funny.
The duo will be at UniTea in Ashcroft on Saturday, December 2 at 7:30 p.m. (doors open at 6:30). Tickets are just $10 each; phone (250) 457-1145, or drop by UniTea, to reserve.
Christmas Hamper applications
A reminder that the Christmas Hamper committee is still accepting applications for hampers at the South Cariboo Elizabeth Fry Society office on Bancroft Street in Ashcroft until December 6. Residents living in or around Ashcroft, Cache Creek, Clinton, and Spences Bridge can apply at the E. Fry office every weekday until December 6 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. (the exception is December 6, when applications will be taken between 12 and 2:30 p.m). Please bring photo ID and proof of residency.
Elvis tribute concert
Royal Canadian Legion Branch #113 (Ashcroft) is presenting a concert featuring Elvis tribute artist Jeff Bodner on Saturday, December 9. The concert is in support of the B.C. Wounded Warriors First Responders Foundation.
Doors open at 6:30 p.m. and the concert starts at 7 p.m. Tickets are $25 each in advance and $30 each at the door. Tickets can be purchased at the Ashcroft Legion or at Anie’s Pizza and Bakery in Cache Creek during business hours.
Kinsmen Family “Turkey” Bingo
The annual Kinsmen Family “Turkey” Bingo is coming up at the Cache Creek Community Hall on Sunday, December 10. Doors open at 10 a.m., and the bingo goes from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. There is no admission charge for the popular, fun event.
Turkeys and hams will be there as prizes, along with boxes of chocolates and boxes of oranges. There will also be lots of door prizes, and the Ashcroft Curling Club will be running a concession.
This year’s partner group is the Desert Sands Community School Travel Club. Money raised will go to provide a bursary for a graduating student at Desert Sands School, as well as to help support the Cache Creek and Ashcroft Volunteer Fire Departments.
The Equality Project
The Equality Project will be holding a Christmas luncheon for its members, and would like to provide Christmas stockings for those who attend. Among the items being looked for are boxed chocolates, Christmas oranges, pocket-size Kleenex packs, toiletries, pens, notebooks, socks, gloves, winter scarves, toques and winter hats, and lip balm.
Items can be dropped off at the clubhouse on Stage Road, Anie’s Pizza and Bakery, and the Royal Bank in Cache Creek, and at the WorkBC office and Revelations in Ashcroft.
For its clubhouse, The Equality Project is looking for Christmas bags, wrapping paper, ribbons, and bows, as well as fixings for the Christmas luncheon. To see what other items are needed—for the clubhouse or for members—visit the Facebook page (The Equality Project).
Positions available on Cache Creek Landfill Extension Monitoring Committee
Applications are being sought from community members interested in serving on the Cache Creek landfill Monitoring Committee for a two-year term.
The Monitoring committee meetings will be held quarterly. Compensation will be made to community members for their participation, and will be limited to $50 per meeting.
Anyone interested must submit a Statement of Interest describing their interest in landfill operations to the following address by the close of business day on November 30, 2017: Village of Cache Creek, 1389 Quartz Road, Cache Creek, B.C., V0K 1H0 attention Keir Gervais, or email kgervais@cachecreek.info.
O Christmas Tree
British Columbians who are interested in cutting their own Christmas tree can obtain a permit online, or by contacting their local district or FrontCounter BC office. Local district offices can provide details about specific cutting requirements and approved harvest areas.
Free-use permits are provided for personal use only. Selling a tree cut under a Christmas tree permit, or cutting a tree in an unauthorized area, is illegal. Members of the public are reminded to check online maps provided by districts to ensure they are cutting within a designated area. When cutting a Christmas tree, keep the following tips in mind:
* Leave home prepared. Bring ropes, gloves, tools, tire chains, a first aid kit, a mobile phone, and warm clothing.
* Drive carefully, and be prepared for logging trucks (http://bit.ly/2n1QIZ2)
* Make sure you have found the tree you will use before cutting.
* Choose a tree that can be cut near the base and is easy to transport. Wasted tree remains left in the forest can form a summer fire hazard.
* Clean up and remove all debris.
For more information about Christmas tree permits, go to www.gov.bc.ca/christmastreepermits.
Share-a-Bear campaign
You can help comfort a child or the elderly this holiday season through BC Liquor Stores’ annual Share-a-Bear campaign.
At all 197 locations throughout the province, customers can buy two teddy bears for $12.50. The customer takes one teddy bear home, while the other is donated to a local charity. BC Liquor Store employees choose the charities to support in their respective communities. T
“The annual Share-a-Bear campaign has been bringing joy to children and the elderly for more than two decades,” says Blain Lawson, general manager and CEO of the BC Liquor Distribution Branch (LDB). “Our employees look forward to this program every year for an opportunity to give back to the community, and I am confident this year’s bear design will be very popular.”
The 2017 bears come in brown and white and are wearing scarves adorned with the Canada 150 maple leaf. Customers can purchase the bears at the checkout and enter a draw to win larger versions of this year’s Share-a-Bear.
Help shape referendum on electoral reform
British Columbians can now provide input to help shape next year’s provincial referendum on electoral reform, as part of the How We Vote public engagement.
From now through February 28, 2018, British Columbians can visit engage.gov.bc.ca/HowWeVote to learn about the characteristics of voting systems used here and elsewhere in the world, and provide input on key elements of the referendum, including ballot design, choice of voting systems, and public funding distribution during the referendum campaign period.
“British Columbians deserve a say in the question of how we elect our members of the legislative assembly, and how our society is governed,” said Attorney General David Eby. “I encourage everyone to visit the engagement website to learn more and participate. We want to hear from all B.C. voters.”
British Columbians are encouraged to visit the website to complete an online questionnaire, provide comments, and review the submissions.
In the new year, more information and resources will be added to the site, including educational videos and graphics, while libraries will be provided with information kits to help engage British Columbians in advance of the fall 2018 referendum.
Better Business Bureau launches new app
With the busiest shopping time of the year now upon us, the Better Business Bureau (BBB) serving Mainland BC is proud to launch a new mobile app that helps consumers connect with their amazing community of trustworthy BBB Accredited Businesses.
Say hello to BBB CONNECT, their new loyalty and referral app available in iTunes and Google Play, which will enable consumers to access the BBB’s database of Accredited Businesses from anywhere, at any time. With the app, users can search Accredited Businesses, save their favourite businesses, and even earn points for checking in and referring participating Accredited Businesses. Points can be redeemed for gift cards and rewards for some of your favourite local brands.
Key to BBB’s day-to-day operation is their free complaint and resolution system that is available to the public. BBB CONNECT will also allow users to access a business’s complaint and customer history to give that added assurance that you are dealing with a transparent, trustworthy, and responsive business.
People can check out www.bbb-connect.com to learn more and download the app today.
Counterfeit US money doing the rounds
Chilliwack RCMP are cautioning merchants to remain watchful during cash transactions. This warning follows a rash of calls received by police from merchants who reported cash payments made with counterfeit currency.
“In each instance the customer receives change in Canadian currency after paying for a small transaction with a counterfeit United States twenty dollar bill,” says Constable Dave Wheatley of the Chilliwack RCMP.
“Although the transactions have been made along the Yale Road–Vedder Road corridor, police remind all merchants to remain wary when receiving payment in US twenty dollar denominations,” says Corporal Mike Rail, spokesperson for the Upper Fraser Valley Regional Detachment.
Inform your local police detachment of a possible attempt to pass suspected counterfeit money.
Atlas Obscura
Atlas Obscura (www.atlasobscura.com) is a website that bills itself as showcasing “Curious and Wondrous Travel Destinations” from around the world. Now and then one of the sites is within striking distance of our region, so travellers might want to check them out next time they visit; or visit them online, in the case of remote locations such as this one.
Google Streetview is usually associated with urban areas; but it can now be used to view one of the most remote places in the world: Quttinirpaaq National Park in Nunavut, which has become the northernmost spot on Google Streetview.
How remote is it? The park is 500 miles south of the North Pole, and contains no communities or amenities; only about 50 people visit it each year, due in part to the gruelling demands of getting there.
However, thanks to Google Streetview, armchair travellers can visit the park—home to glaciers, rocks, lemmings, and not much else—from the comfort of their computer.
Parks Canada has been collaborating with Google since 2013 to bring Canadian spots such as the Fortress of Louisbourg to Streetview. Those who (virtually) travel to Quttinirpaaq National Park will get a good cross-section of what the 14,585 square mile park has to offer. And as a bonus, no travel is required.
To find out more, and to view the park, go to http://bit.ly/2zVc5QB.
editorial@accjournal.ca
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