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Plenty of holiday spirit to go around as Christmas gets closer

Markets, lights, Christmas cheer at The Equality Project, a visit from Santa, and more
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Santa getting ready for a test drive through Clinton during the parade on Nov. 26. He’ll be making another visit to the village on Dec. 18. (Photo credit: Crystal Ann Smith)

Memory Tree

The Ashcroft and District Hospice Society invites everyone to remember a loved one and celebrate a life through their “Memory Tree”. Every donation will see another light lit on the tree, and you will receive a bell to put on your own tree. All donations will go to assist the Hospice Society with their work in the community.

Volunteers will be accepting donations on Dec. 9 and Dec. 16 at the Ashcroft post office.

Clinton Christmas market

Find some unique gifts, wonderful Christmas decorations, homemade baked goods and other treats, and more at the Outdoor Market at Hunnies Mercantile in Clinton, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Sunday, Dec. 12. There will also be live music, a fire pit to warm up at, and a concession.

Legion Christmas dinner

The Ashcroft Legion will be having a turkey and ham dinner with all the trimmings (stuffing, potatoes, gravy, veggies, dessert, and more) on Friday, Dec. 17. Dinner is served at 6 p.m., and there is limited takeout available for those who want to take dinner home.

Reservations are recommended; call (250) 453-2423.

Special Santa appearance

This just in from the North Pole: Santa Claus himself will be making a special appearance in Clinton on Saturday, Dec. 18! Yes, the Jolly Old Elf is taking time out of his busy schedule to take a tour through Clinton, starting at Reg Conn Park at 1 p.m. He’ll head along Soues Street to Lebourdais Avenue, then along Tingley and McDonald, cross the highway to Carson Street, and head back along Dewdney Avenue to the park. Come out and give him a warm Clinton welcome!

Clinton Christmas light-up

What better way to welcome Santa than by lighting up your Clinton house or business and showing him what a Clinton Cowboy Christmas looks like? Judges from Clinton Communities in Bloom will be out between 6 and 8 p.m. on Dec. 19 to check out the light-up efforts, and there will be prizes for the best residential and commercial displays.

Last Call Cabaret

Ring in the New Year at Clinton’s first annual Last Call Cabaret on Dec. 31 at the Memorial Hall. Join The Blue Wranglers and some special guests starting with a happy hour at 6 p.m., followed by a banquet supper at 7 p.m., an auction (all proceeds to Clinton minor sports), and great music from Clinton’s own Blue Wranglers starting at 8:45 p.m. There will also be prizes, and a midnight supper at 12:30 a.m. on Jan. 1.

For more information, or to purchase tickets, go to https://bit.ly/3ow7BJj.

Equality Project Christmas bags

The Equality Project in Cache Creek is hoping to make Christmas more special for the less fortunate, by distributing Christmas bags at their lunch on Dec. 25. They are looking for donations of small items such as gloves, warm socks, chocolates, small hand-crafted gifts, local gift certificates, and more; a full list of items can be found on The Equality Project Facebook page.

Donation boxes are located at the Project clubhouse on Stage Road, Anie’s Pizza, and the Husky gas station in Cache Creek. In Ashcroft, donations can be dropped at IDA Pharmacy, Fields, Revelations Hair Salon, Interior Savings, Slim Jim’s Restaurant, and Safety Mart. Cash donations are also accepted; cheques payable to The Equality Project Society can be mailed to P.O. Box 52, Cache Creek, B.C. V0K 1H0. You can also send an etransfer to info@theequalityproject.ca. Income tax receipts will be issued on request for donations of $25 or more.

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.

Nicola Valley Hospital ED open

Interior Health continues to gradually resume regular operations at the Nicola Valley Hospital in Merritt following last month’s flooding. As of Dec. 3, 24/7 emergency care has resumed at the hospital, located on Voght Street.

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.

Online research study survey

The University of British Columbia is seeking participants for an online research study to help understand the social networks of adults aged 50 and older in rural B.C.

The social connections that make up our social network are very important for our well-being. Researchers from UBC Okanagan are interested in learning more about the social networks of adults 50 years and older in rural B.C. with mental health concerns. They hope to gain insight into the social connections that make up the social networks in order to help them better understand how to improve the quality of these relationships and, hopefully, enhance well-being.

Are you 50+ years old? Do you have a mental health concern, such as depression or anxiety, or problems with drug or alcohol use? Do you live in a rural B.C. community? If you answered yes to these questions, you may be eligible to participate. Please note, a formal diagnosis from a health care or mental health professional is not required to participate.

Survey participants will have the opportunity to enter a draw for a chance to win one $150 or one of five $75 prizes.

For more information, go to https://bit.ly/3lGF95p. If you have any questions, contact Kendra at kmcorman@mail.ubc.ca.

Transportation contractor of the year

The 2021 B.C. Transportation Contractor of the Year Awards of Excellence, which recognize the contractors behind some of the province’s most important transportation and infrastructure projects, took place on Dec. 3, 2021. Since no awards were given out last year due to the COVID-19 pandemic, awards were given out for both 2020 and 2021 in the following categories: workplace health and safety; bridges and structures; grading; paving; community service; and road and bridge maintenance.

The 2020 Road and Bridge Maintenance award was given to Dawson Road Maintenance for its work in the South Cariboo region (including Clinton, Cache Creek, Ashcroft, Spences Bridge, and Logan lake). Dawson Road Maintenance provides maintenance for 5,873 kilometres of roads, four rest areas, approximately 180 bridges, avalanche and rockfall areas, and an inland ferry. Its work also involves preparing for extreme weather events, including restoring roads after multiple floods in the district damaged transportation networks in the past year.



editorial@accjournal.ca

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