Seedy Saturday
Does spring seem like a long ways away, especially in light of the recent snowfalls we’ve had? Never fear; it’s closer than you think, and as proof you can check out the fifth annual Seedy Saturday event in Cache Creek on Saturday, February 3 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Cache Creek Community Hall.
The event celebrates our connection with the Earth, and promotes wholesome food, natural products, handmade items, and an appreciation of all things that come from the Earth. Master gardeners will be there to answer your questions, along with seed vendors, plant vendors, a seed swap, fresh coffee, lectures, and other things to do and see. Admission is free.
B.C. Flood and Wildfire Review
The Government of B.C. has launched an independent review of flood and wildfire practices in the Province, with a focus on the 2017 flood and wildfire season. Residents from Ashcroft, Cache Creek, Clinton, and the surrounding area are invited to share their experiences from 2017, and provide feedback on how the Province can better plan for, and respond to, floods and wildfires in the future.
One of the first of a series of community events that will be held across the province will take place in Cache Creek on Monday, February 6 from 2 to 8 p.m. at the Cache Creek Community Hall. There will also be a community event in Kamloops on Monday, February 5 from 2 to 8 p.m. at Colombo Lodge (814 Lorne Street).
To sign up for B.C. Flood and Wildfire Review update emails, visit the website at bcfloodfirereview.ca.
Digital Mammography Coach
The BC Cancer Agency’s digital mammography coach will be providing free breast screening outside Ashcroft I-D-A Pharmacy on Tuesday, February 19. Mammograms are available for women aged 40 and older.
To book your appointment, call 1-800-663-9203.
The Equality Project
The Equality Project is seeking a number of items for their Essentials Room, for individual members, and for the clubhouse on Stage Road.
Items needed for the Essentials Room include gloves, mittens, and winter footwear for adults and children; men’s small and medium long-sleeved shirts, long underwear, and pants; pots and pans; and laundry soap. The clubhouse is looking for milk and cheese (needed weekly on an ongoing basis), sandwich meat, coffee, and medium Ziplock freezer bags.
Individual members are looking for items such as a small apartment-sized fridge, a 50’ HD extension cord, a computer monitor, a hammer, a microwave, a crock pot, a backpack, a small kitchen table, and a washing machine.
For a full list of what is needed, visit the Project’s Facebook page (The Equality Project).
Overdose alert
Interior Health (IH) is urging residents using or considering using drugs to reconsider or take steps to prevent an overdose, in the wake of a recent increase in suspected drug overdose deaths in the IH region.
According to preliminary data provided by the BC Coroners Service, there were nine suspected overdose deaths in IH from January 23 to 27. The exact causes of death will be confirmed by the BC Coroners Service once their investigations are complete.
Don’t mix different drugs (including pharmaceutical medications, street drugs, and alcohol), and don’t take drugs when you are alone. Leave the door door unlocked, and tell someone to check on you.
Use less and pace yourself. Do testers (a small sample) before taking your usual dosage, to check the drug’s strength.
Keep an eye out for your friends: stay together and look out for each other. Carry a Naloxone kit and know how to use it.
BC SPCA seeks public input
The BC SPCA is asking people to take five minutes to be a voice for the province’s most vulnerable animals, as it seeks input on its new five-year Strategic Plan to determine how the society can make the biggest difference for companion, farm, and wild animals at risk.
“The BC SPCA is the largest animal welfare organization of its kind in North America, with services ranging from cruelty investigations, sheltering, and wildlife rehabilitation to advocacy, humane education, and farm animal welfare programs,” says Craig Daniell, chief executive officer of the BC SPCA. While he notes that significant improvements in the lives of animals have been achieved, “There are still many issues to address in order for animals in our province to live free from fear and suffering.
“As we move forward we are seeking feedback from animal lovers across B.C. to help us design the next five-year plan that will guide our life-saving work.”
Visit the BC SPCA website at spca.bc.ca to take the five-minute online survey and let them know your priorities and concerns for animals. “We really hope people will contribute their ideas on how we can create the most humane communities possible for animals,” says Daniell.
Oscar oddities
Nominees for the 90th annual Academy Awards were announced on January 23, with the awards being handed out on March 4. In the run-up to the ceremony, here is an Oscar oddity.
It’s not uncommon, in Oscar history, for the same person to be nominated for multiple awards in a single year; often an actor or actress nominated for performances in two different films in the same year (something that has happened 11 times to date).
However, this year’s nominations saw Jordan Peele enter a select club: one of the few men (they are all men, to date) to be nominated for directing, writing, and producing a best picture nominee (Get Out) in the same year. Peele is also the first African-American to join the club.
On March 4, we will see if Peele can join the five men who have won Oscars for directing, writing, and producing that year’s Best Picture winner. The five who have accomplished this feat are Leo McCarey (Going My Way, 1944); Billy Wilder (The Apartment, 1960); Francis Ford Coppola (The Godfather: Part 2, 1974); James L. Brooks (Terms of Endearment, 1983); and Peter Jackson (The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, 2003).
editorial@accjournal.ca
Like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter