Ashcroft emergency department hours
Unless otherwise indicated by Interior Health, the Ashcroft emergency department will continue to be open on Fridays from 5 to 10 p.m. and on Saturdays/Sundays from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. until further notice.
In the event of an emergency outside those hours, call 9-1-1, or go to the emergency department at Royal Inland Hospital in Kamloops. You can also call 8-1-1 if you would like free advice/information from a health care professional about a medical issue or concern.
Sandbags available in Cache Creek
A sandbagging bee in Cache Creek on April 9 had to be curtailed due to the inclement weather, but not before volunteers from the village and the Cache Creek fire department had filled ten pallets’-worth of sandbags, which are now available — free — for any residents who need them. The bags are located near the concession building behind the Cache Creek park, and anyone who requires sandbags to safeguard their property during the upcoming freshet is welcome to drive over and take what they need.
No other sandbag bees are planned at the moment, but if the need arises, sand and bags will be placed at strategic locations around Cache Creek so that more can be filled.
Ashcroft-Cache Creek seniors
The Ashcroft-Cache Creek Seniors’ Association is holding an information meeting at 1 p.m. on Thursday, April 21 at the seniors’ centre, 601 Bancroft Street, Ashcroft (upstairs beside the village office).
Anyone aged 55 and older is welcome to attend, as the association is trying to gauge support and see if there is enough interest in keeping the seniors’ centre open and active.
In addition to gauging interest, the organizers are also interested in receiving ideas about reopening the centre, which has been closed since March 2020.
BE On Set
Do you want to learn more about working on a film set? BE On Set is a course designed to introduce background and novice performers to the information they need in order to work confidently, efficiently, and safely on film sets. Topics covered include terminology, routines, rules, paperwork, continuity, performance expectations, and health and safety.
The next course will be on Sunday, April 24 from noon to 4 p.m. The course will be delivered via Zoom, and the cost is $50 per person (must be paid in advance via e-transfer).
For more information, or to register, contact Debra Sawarin at debsawarin@gmail.com or (250) 899-5312.
Softball clinics
CAN-Pitch and CAN-Hit clinics are coming to Cache Creek from April 22 to 24, for players of any skill level. The CAN-Hit session (for players aged 6 and older) will be on April 22 (cost $25 per person), while the CAN-Pitch sessions for players 7 and older will be on April 23 and 24 (cost $50 per person; pitchers must have their own catcher). Pitchers will be broken up into two groups, with each group having a 1.5-to-2-hour session in the morning and afternoon. Each team in the Cache Creek Minor Softball league must have at least two pitchers, so this is a great opportunity to develop or hone your skills.
For more information, or to register, contact Ashlene Minnabarriet at cachecreeksoftball@gmail.com. Early registration is recommended.
Soup’s On
The Soup’s On program in Ashcroft — which operates every Friday from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at St. Alban’s Anglican Church hall — is in need of at least one team leader and several volunteers to assist with the weekly lunches. Volunteers can work as few or as many Fridays as they like, and are needed from approximately 9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m.
For more information, call Karen Bryson at (250) 457-0667.
Ashcroft community garden
Work is continuing on the new Ashcroft community garden, and anyone who would like to plant and maintain a bed can leave their name at the village office (call 250-453-9161 or email admin@ashcroftbc.ca).
The beds measure 4’ by 8’ (including frame). Each one is supplied with an automatic sprinkler and will be filled with topsoil ready for planting. The site will also have a gazebo, benches, and a small shed for tool storage. There is a $10 deposit per bed, and they are expected to be ready to plant by the beginning of June.
Wellness support group
Do you want to talk to someone in a supportive, low-key, and relaxed setting? The Ashcroft HUB hosts a free Wellness Support Group every Tuesday from 1 to 3 p.m. Come down and enjoy a cup of coffee and get peer-to-peer support with mental health and wellness concerns.
Cache Creek market
The weekly Cache Creek Market returns for the season — come rain or come shine — on Saturday, May 7, and will be running from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. every Saturday through October 1 at the regular spot (the highway junction beside Chum’s Restaurant). There will also be special Sunday markets on the Graffiti Days weekend (June 12); Canada Day weekend (July 3); and August long weekend (July 31).
Opening day is free for vendors; after that the cost is $5 per site. You can bring your own tables and tents, or rent them at the site. Anyone with questions can email organizer Wendy Coomber at wcoomber@telus.net or find her on Facebook (either Wendy Coomber or Cache Creek Market, where a full schedule is available). You can also text her at (250) 457-0245.
Clinton market
The Clinton outdoor will be back this year, with the first market of the season scheduled for Sunday, May 8 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. outside Hunnie’s Mercantile on Cariboo Highway. Vendors who would like to reserve a spot can call (250) 457-1020.
TNRD Eco-Cards
The TNRD is moving toward replacing its punchcard-style Eco-Cards — which can be used at all TNRD Eco-Depots and transfer stations — with more permanent cards that can be reloaded with funds using the new online customer portal website. Don’t have a computer? The TNRD can do it for you.
The new cards will eliminate waste from punched cards being sent to the landfill. The current cards will continue to be accepted at all sites as long as they still have unpunched amounts. For more information about the new reloadable cards, or to create an account, go to https://bit.ly/38y7ZRP; you can also call the TNRD at (250) 377-2596, or ask to register at your local Eco-Depot or participating transfer station, including Cache Creek, Clinton, Spences Bridge, Lytton, and Logan Lake. New accounts come with a one-time $10 welcome credit from the TNRD.
Free tool helps businesses prepare for disaster
Community Futures Sun Country has launched a new online tool that will help businesses prepare for, and mitigate, the impact of disasters that could affect them. The Business Continuity Planning Tool will help business owners identify hazards to their business, core assets, and functions, and learn how to mitigate those risks.
The tool is free for all businesses to use. Any businesses located in the Sun Country region that would like to learn more about the tool and preparing for disasters can contact Community Futures Sun Country at vision@cfsun.ca or (250) 453-9165.
Highway 8 repairs
The Ministry of Transportation provides regular updates on their repair/restoration work on Highway 8 between Spences Bridge and Merritt. There are 23 sites that need repairs, and as of April 5 temporary repairs had been completed at nine; construction had started on another nine; and work is planned for the near future on the other five sites. Crews are continuing to create temporary access along the corridor, and are partnering with BC Hydro to restore power along the highway.
The ministry anticipates that the current phase — emergency access and temporary construction — will be complete in spring 2022, and is working on forecasting a long-term repair schedule for the work to follow. For more information, and updates about the work being carried out, go to https://bit.ly/3rP7SbM.
Record-breaking net migration numbers
New data released by Statistics Canada shows that British Columbia broke a record for the number of people moving to the province in 2021. The year-end data shows that B.C.’s net migration reached 100,797 people in 2021, which is the highest annual total since 1961.
Net migration is the number of people who moved to B.C. from another province or territory, or from another country, minus the number of people who left.
Of the people who moved to B.C. last year, 33,656 people came from other Canadian provinces or territories, which is the highest number seen since 1994 and the highest in Canada. The remaining 67,141 people who made B.C. home in 2021 came from abroad, and last year marked the second-highest level of international immigration to B.C. on record.
editorial@accjournal.ca
Like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter