Good deeds food drive
The Thompson-Cariboo Minor Hockey Association peewee team is competing in the Chevrolet Good Deeds Cup by conducting a food drive in Ashcroft and Cache Creek between noon and 1:30 p.m. on Saturday, February 18. The players have already spent two mornings shovelling snow off the driveways of seniors, and all donations received during this event and the food drive will be going to the food bank at the South Cariboo Elizabeth Fry Society.
The players will be dressed in their team jerseys as they go door-to-door, and are attempting to win the Chevrolet Good Deeds Cup, awarded to the Canadian peewee team that has the best season off the ice by performing good deeds in their community. Help the team out by having a few items on hand to donate on February 18.
Radon detection kits
A few radon detection kits are still available to Ashcroft residents until the end of February. There is no charge for the kit, but anyone who would like one needs to go to the village office and fill out a form. The radon detectors, which are not harmful in any way, need to be left in place for at least three months, and winter/spring—when doors and windows are not being left open—is the best time to do this.
Radon is a colourless, odourless, tasteless gas which occurs naturally during radioactive decay, and is the second-leading cause of lung cancer (behind smoking). The specific result of each individual test will be sent to the residents taking part, while the village will receive a summary when all the results have been analyzed. Radon tests carried out at several Ashcroft locations last year indicated that the levels of the gas detected were minimal, but results can vary from building to building.
Pickleball at the HUB
Anyone wanting to try their hand at pickleball—a racquet sport that combines elements of badminton, tennis, and table tennis—can now drop in up to four times a week at pickleball sessions at the Ashcroft HUB. They take place on Monday and Friday from 7 to 9 p.m., and Tuesdays and Thursdays from 1 to 3 p.m. No experience is necessary, and the equipment is supplied. While there is no charge for the sessions, there is a suggested drop-in fee of $2.
Household items sought
The Equality Project in Cache Creek is looking for several items, including beds and mattresses, sofas, dressers, tables with chairs, kitchenware and small kitchen appliances, sheet sets, rugs, washers, dryers, a fridge, and freezers. Anyone who has any of these items that they can donate is invited to drop them off at the Project’s headquarters at 1260 Stage Road in Cache Creek between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. Mondays and Tuesdays.
Clinton Seedy Sunday
If you missed the Cache Creek Seedy Saturday on February 4 because of the inclement weather, mark your calendar now for April 23, when Clinton will be hosting their own seedy event. A variety of vendors and presenters, as well as a kids’ zone and a concession, are being organized. Watch this space for more news closer to the date.
Voter registration notices on the way
Starting February 14, more than 1.9 million voter registration notices are being sent out to eligible voters across the province. It is the beginning of Elections BC’s efforts to update the provincial voters list before the 2017 provincial election on May 9.
The notices ask eligible voters to register to vote, or update their voter information. Registration can be done online at https://eregister.electionsbc.gov.bc.ca/ovr/welcome.aspx, or by calling 1-800-661-8683. Online and phone registration is open until midnight on April 11, 2017.
The notices also indicate the new electoral district for each voter, which will come into effect when the election is called. There will be 87 electoral districts in this election, up from the current 85. Voters registered before the election is called will receive a “Where to Vote” card from Elections BC, making the voting process faster and easier.
Voter registration notices are now being sent to British Columbians in preparation for the upcoming provincial election. Photo courtesy Elections BC.
Canadian National Film Day
Quick: name a Canadian movie that won an Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film! Stumped? The answer is Les invasions barbares/The Barbarian Invasions, the 2003 film directed by Québecois filmmaker Denys Arcand. Les invasions barbares is just one of the 150 Canadian films available to community groups to screen, for free, as part of Canadian National Film Day on April 19. It’s an opportunity for groups to create a special event at their local community hall, school, church, club, theatre, or other venue, with a great Canadian film as the centrepiece.
Do you want to see something really scary? Choose Black Christmas (1974), Dead Ringers (1988), Fido (2006), Pontypool (2008), or Scanners (1981). Is history your thing? Go for Black Robe (1991) or Passchendaele (2008). Classic Canadiana? Anne of Green Gables (1985), Atanarjuat: The Fast Runner (2001), Mon Oncle Antoine (1971), or Thirty Two Short Films About Glenn Gould (1993). Comedy? Bon Cop Bad Cop (2006), Corner Gas: The Movie (2014), Meatballs (1979), or Strange Brew (1983). The good old hockey game? Breakaway (2011) or Maurice Richard: The Rocket (2005). Movies that were filmed in the Thompson-Nicola Regional District? Hyena Road (2015), Iron Road (2009), The Snow Walker (2003), or The Sweet Hereafter (1997). A film that’s unclassifiable? My Winnipeg (2007).
The deadline for applying is fast approaching, so any local group that wants to screen a film for Canadian National Film Day should contact Jenny Lee Craig, the B.C. regional coordinator for REEL CANADA, at (778) 995-3573 or jenny@reelcanada.ca.
The Canadian horror classic Black Christmas is available for free rental for Canadian National Film Day.
Off-road vehicle tickets issued
During the first quarter of 2016, thirty tickets were issued under the Off-Road Vehicle Act, marking the first time that enforcement actions under the new act have taken place. The new act, which replaced the 40-year-old Motor Vehicle (All Terrain) Act, provides specific rules governing British Columbia’s growing off-road sector, to ensure that these vehicles are driven in a safe and environmentally responsible manner.
A ticket for using an unregistered off-road vehicle on Crown land is $230.