“Band in a Box” concert series
The Rotary Club of Ashcroft/Cache Creek is hosting a concert featuring Cayla Brooke on Friday, March 9 from 8 to 10 p.m. at St. Alban’s Church Hall in Ashcroft. This all-ages concert brings Brooke back to Ashcroft with original music from her debut CD, Plush Red Chair, which features her signature style: a hybrid mix of jazz, blues, roots, and rock, in an energetic yet soulful performance.
Tickets are $15 in advance and $20 at the door. For more information, or to book tickets, email redstar@rukbat.ca or call (250) 457-7040.
Art Exposed Regional Exhibition
Looking for original, affordable artwork? Be sure to visit the Kamloops Arts Council’s Art Exposed Regional Exhibition, which runs from March 9 to 17 at the Old Courthouse Cultural Centre (7 Seymour Street W., Kamloops).
The exhibit kicks off on Friday, March 9 with an Opening Reception (all welcome) from 5 to 8 p.m., featuring refreshments and local wine (cash bar). From March 10 to 17 the exhibition (admission by donation) is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. (10 a.m. to 8 p.m. on March 15).
This year, Art Exposed features works by more than 135 regional artists, from youth to seniors. All work will be displayed at the Kamloops Old Courthouse for the duration of the exhibit.
More than $1,100 in cash prizes will be awarded at the Opening Reception. New this year is a special $500 #BCStrong prize sponsored by the TNRD to commemorate the 2017 wildfires. People’s Choice and Artist’s Choice awards will be presented at the end of the exhibition.
For more information visit www.kamloopsarts.ca.
Heritage Event in Ashcroft
The Village of Ashcroft will be holding its annual Heritage Event at the Ashcroft Community Hall on Sunday, March 11 from 2 to 4 p.m. Join Ashcroft Museum curator Kathy Paulos and Cllr. Barbara Roden as they guide you through the history of some of Ashcroft’s heritage buildings with a verbal and PowerPoint presentation, and peruse the displays of local artefacts and memorabilia, some of it supplied by local families.
There is no charge for the event, and refreshments will be provided.
Hospice training
Anyone who has been a volunteer with the Ashcroft Hospice in the past, or who would like the opportunity to take part in this invaluable community service that brings comfort to many, is invited to attend a series of hospice training events in Kamloops on April 5, 12, and 19. The sessions are from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on each day, and participants will learn new skills (or re-learn old ones). They will learn how to help those near the end of their lives, and also learn how to help themselves and their loved ones.
The cost for the three days is $50 per person, and there is limited space. For more information, or to sign up, contact Joan Kealey at (250) 819-9646 or (250) 453-2235.
Province extends livestock fencing program
People will be safer from animal-related collisions on British Columbia highways, and ranchers and farmers will be able to better protect their herds, with a five-year extension of the Provincial Livestock Fencing Program.
“The success of the Provincial Livestock Fencing Program in reducing livestock-related collisions on our highways makes extending it for five more years an easy decision,” says Minister of Transportation and Infrastructure Claire Trevena. “There are two major benefits of the fencing program: keeping people safe while driving, and helping ranchers protect their investment.”
The Provincial Livestock Fencing Program extension is supported under the $46-million safety improvement section of Budget 2018. The program, which is a partnership between the provincial government and the BC Cattlemen’s Association (BCCA), will receive $1 million annually for the next five years.
Since it launched in 2010, $16 million has been invested in the program. As of this spring, more than 900 kilometres of livestock fencing will have been built along B.C. highways.
According to information provided by the BCCA, cattle fatalities by road and rail incidents have steadily decreased in the last seven years. Cattle fatalities have declined from 92 in 2011, to 21 last year.
“There is no doubt in my mind that the fencing program is responsible for the drastic reduction in the number of cattle lost to ranchers and farmers,” said Kevin Boon, general manager, BC Cattlemen’s Association. “This partnership with the Province for five more years will allow us to keep more of our livestock out of harm’s way, but more importantly, it helps keep the travelling public safe.”
The BCCA will continue to administer this popular program, by taking applications from livestock owners who are seeking assistance to build fences adjacent to the highway. Applications are reviewed by a committee, and projects are selected based on several factors, including current fence condition, livestock headcount, and highway designation.
The Provincial Livestock Fencing Program has played a pivotal role in the rapid replacement of fencing that was either damaged or destroyed during the wildfires last summer. Thanks to the BCCA working quickly with local contractors involved in the program, nearly 100 kilometres of fencing have been repaired or assessed in less than seven months.
The B.C. government has invested $6.2 million to support the necessary replacement of livestock fencing and Crown range infrastructure after the devastating fires that affected the province last year.
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.
The tranquil Mount Pleasant Cemetery on Seattle’s Queen Anne Hill is the final resting place of the victims of some of Washington State’s most infamous tragedies. Of interest to Canadians is the mass grave of victims of the 1906 sinking of the S.S. Valencia, which foundered in the Strait of Juan de Fuca and was unable to make it to land. Of the 173 people on board, only 37 survived, and only 33 victims were recovered.
There is also a grave marking the resting place of 18 victims of a 1910 disaster, when a train making its way to Seattle became stuck in a blizzard. While it was stopped, lightning triggered an avalanche above the train, sweeping away two train cars and the lives of 96 people.
For more about Mount Pleasant Cemetery, go to http://bit.ly/2DiyTvR.
editorial@accjournal.ca
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