Ashcroft Boil Water Notice rescinded
As of August 16, the Boil Water Notice for the Village of Ashcroft has been rescinded. A Water Quality Advisory is now in effect, meaning that the turbidity rating is Fair (between 1 and 5 NTU).
The Fair rating means that children between the ages of 0 and 12, those aged 65 and older, and people with weakened immune systems should be careful when ingesting water. As a precaution, sensitive customers intending to use water for drinking, washing fruits or vegetables, making beverages of ice, and brushing their teeth should bring it to a boil and let it continue to boil for one minute before use.
Alternatively sensitive customers could use bottled or distilled water, or water that has been filtered through a well-maintained treatment device.
The public will be notified when conditions change. Anyone with questions can contact the Village of Ashcroft (250-453-9161) or the Interior Health Drinking Water Officer (250-851-7322). You can also check Interior Health’s online Drinking Water Advisory Map at https://drinkingwaterforeveryone.ca/ for the current status of all water systems in the province.
Let’s dance
All are invited to come dance with Krush Dance Company! The company welcomes all dancers, and those who want to learn to dance, aged two to adult, who can choose from a variety of dance styles (and new classes have been added for the fall session).
Registration is on Wednesday, August 29 at 6:30 p.m. at the Ashcroft HUB. For more information email krushdance@hotmail.com or call Miss Kelly at (403) 391-1148.
Music and Magic in the Park
The Winding Rivers Arts & Performance Society’s final Music and Magic in the Park event for 2018 is on Wednesday, August 29. Come down to the Heritage Park on Railway Avenue in Ashcroft for opening act Billananee at 5:30 p.m., followed by Sabrina Weeks and Mike Hilliard at 7 p.m.
The event is by donation, and everyone is welcome, so bring the family (as well as lawn chairs or blankets) for a fun evening of music, magic, and more.
Poverty Law Advocate
Erik, a Poverty Law Advocate, will be at the South Cariboo Elizabeth Fry Society office (601 Bancroft Street, Ashcroft) on Wednesday, September 5 from noon to 2 p.m.
The Poverty Law Advocacy Program provides individuals on low income with free legal information, advice, and representation, primarily in the areas of landlord/tenant issues, income assistance, CPP, and employment insurance law.
Call the office at (250) 453-9656 to make an appointment, or drop-in on the day.
Basic Bookkeeping workshop
Community Futures Sun Country and Thompson Rivers University are offering a free basic bookkeeping workshop at the Ashcroft Community Hall on September 17, 18, and 20 (6 to 9 p.m. each day).
Poor financial management is the number one cause of small business filure. Take the fear out of bookeeping with this three-session workshop, where participants will learn the difference between balance sheets and income statements; what owner’s equity is; the balance sheet equation; the five main types of accounts; debits, credits, and how they apply to each account; and practical, hands-on application.
To register, call Community Futres toll-free at 1-800-567-9911, or go to www.cfwildfire.ca.
Remarkable Experiences program
Eligible local businesses can take advantage of the Remarkable Experiences program, a four-day comprehensive program which features two days focused on Experience Design and two days focused on Digital and Social Media marketing. The modules are delivered over a two month period, with one-on-one coaching available in between.
This collaborative, hands-on workshop will provide tools for elevating your product, visitor experience, and online presence. Led by industry-leading mentors, the program also includes 1.5 hours of personalized coaching, workbooks and resources, and a digital assessment of your social media channels and website.
Funding for wildfire-affected businesses has been made available through the Community Futures Wildfire Business Transition program on a first-come-first-serve basis, and eligible businesses are encouraged to apply as soon as possible to take advantage of this opportunity. Only 30 spots are available, and you must commit to the entire program. The Experience Design sessions will be offered in Cache Creek/Ashcroft on September 27 and 28, and the Digital and Social Media sessions will be held on October 25 and 26.
Registration is now open at http://bit.ly/2K50rcj. To find out of your business is eligible, go to http://bit.ly/2MjUGnH. For more information, email industry@totabc.com, or call the Community Futures Sun Country office at (250) 453-9165 (toll-free 1-800-567-9911).
Kamloops Children’s Arts Festival
There is a hero inside every kid, and kids are invited to the 19th annual Kamloops Children’s Arts Festival on September 14–15. The theme of this year’s festival is “Superheroes”, with a goal of inspiring the little heroes in everyone’s lives. Kids are encouraged to wear a costume, because creativity and heroic adventures await!
The Festival gives all children in the Kamloops area, ages two and up, the chance to try out different art forms. Unlike the majority of kids’ festivals in the province, the Kamloops event is completely free, thanks to sponsors and supporters. Donations will be accepted on site, with partial proceeds going to the Royal Inland Hospital NICU.
On Friday, Septeptember 14 from 3:30 to 5 p.m., bring the family to Riverside Park for a dance party and special after school light and shadow experience by Miss White Spider. On Saturday, September 15 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., families can enjoy a full day of free arts activities and performances at Riverside Park.
No costume? Never fear! Workshop booths await, where children can create their own superhero gear. Led by local artists and organizations, these include activities such as superhero masks, an obstacle course, capes and bags, superhero badges and bead bracelets, plus face-painting, henna, dance, and more.
Western Canada Theatre’s VW Turtle River Race will be taking place concurrently at the park on Saturday.
More information about the Kamloops Children’s Arts Festival may be found at www.kamloopsarts.ca.
Feast On!
The Green Art Festival Association presents Feast On!, a food, film, and wellness festival taking place at the sun Peaks Grand Hotel and Conference Centre, September 21–23.
The event will showcase award-winning films, the best of B.C.’s authentic cuisine, and world-renowned shefs. The program includes an opening reception, a “Best of British Columbia” food and wine tasting, film screenings and an opportunity to minglew with the filmmakers, and art- and film-inspired menu, panel discussions, and mountain-top yoga.
Festival passes start at $360 per person. For more information go to www.sunpeaksgrand.com/feast.
Extending veteran licence plates
A reminder that the public is invited to share their input as to whether police officers should be eligible to apply for a veteran licence plate in British Columbia.
Since 2004, military veterans have been eligible to apply for a special veteran licence plate to recognize and honour their service. Since the program’s inception, the B.C. government has received requests to expand the eligibility criteria to allow other groups of drivers to be able to receive a veteran licence plate.
Recently there have been requests for the province to consider making the plates available to RCMP members. To better understand where British Columbians stand on this matter, the province is seeking feedback, wit members of the public able to answer a short survey at https://www.gov.bc.ca/veterans-licence-plate. The survey closes on September 4, 2018 at 4 p.m.
Gastro Obscura
Gastro Obscura is an offshoot of Atlas Obscura (www.atlasobscura.com), a website that bills itself as showcasing “Curious and Wondrous Travel Destinations” from around the world. Gastro Obscura details “Wondrous Foods to Explore and Enjoy”, and occasionally showcases Canadian foods that many Canucks might not know about.
“Unemployed person’s pudding” (colloquially known as “Poor man’s pudding”; thanks to Annie Bourret for the translation), or pouding chômeur, as it is known in its native Quebec, may not sound very appetizing, but the dessert has gained a place as a part of Québécois cuisine. It was originally made during the Great Depression from inexpensive ingredients, with stale bread soaked in brown sugar sauce and then baked until a caramelized crust formed over it.
The recipe has been refined and customized over the years; some versions call for a maple syrup sauce rather than brown sugar, and add ingredients such as fruit and nuts. To learn more about pouding chômeur, go to http://bit.ly/2w28CgD. For a traditional brown sugar recipe, go to http://bit.ly/2wi5SuS; for a maple syrup version, go to http://bit.ly/2vTBXK0.