Rotary Citizens of the Year
The Ashcroft/Cache Creek Rotary Club is seeking nominations from the South Thompson River area (Savona to Spences Bridge) for three outstanding individuals who have contributed to improving the life of our communities. An award will be presented in Ashcroft and area and in Cache Creek and area, and there will also be a student/youth award for the entire area. Last year’s recipients were Carmen Ranta (Cache Creek) and Stefanie Walker (Ashcroft).
Anyone who would like to nominate someone as Citizen of the Year should submit a short summary of the nominee’s contributions to the community, as well as the submitter’s name and contact information, to Assu Nydam at assu@nydam.net or to P.O. Box 11, Ashcroft, V0K 1A0 by March 31, 2017.
Paint a pillow
The Hutch at the Ashcroft HUB invites anyone interested in creating their own custom throw pillow to an evening session on March 16. Using chalk paint, stencils, and their imaginations, participants will create their own unique pillow. The cost of the session is $45, which includes all supplies, as well as dessert. The session takes place from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m., and as space is limited pre-registration—as well as a $25 deposit—is necessary before March 9. For more information, or to register, email thehutchashcroft@yahoo.com.
Walhaschindig volunteers needed
As reported in The Journal last week, the second annual Walhaschindig will be taking place on Saturday, May 13 at the Soldiers Memorial Hall in Walhachin. In addition to musicians, artisans, and entertainers, the committee is looking for volunteers to help out with the event. More than 400 people attended last year’s celebration, and between 500 and 600 people are expected this year. To find out more, or add your name as a volunteer, contact Assu Nydam at assu@nydam.net.
Saturday morning drop-in coffee sessions at the Memorial Hall—which are open to everyone—will be starting up again at the end of March. Watch this space for details.
Alzheimer Society workshop
The Alzheimer Society of BC is offering another of its tele-workshop sessions on Tuesday, March 7 at 2 p.m. (the session is repeated at 7 p.m.). “Navigating the System” will explain how the health-care system works and how people can navigate their way through it while caring for someone with dementia. Finding your away around the system can often feel overwhelming, and caregivers will learn how to make sense of it and get the help they need, when they need it.
There are two ways to take part in the tele-workshop: by phone (call 1-866-994-7745 and use participant pass code 1122333) or by internet at http://bit.ly/2kD0heG (enter as a guest).
Feeling seedy in Lillooet
If you missed the Seedy Saturday event in Cache Creek last month, or if you want to get more gardening tips and ideas, head over to Lillooet on Saturday, March 11 for their Seedy Saturday, which takes place from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at St. Andrew’s United and St. Mary’s Anglican at 6th and Main.
Seed sales and swaps take place until 1 p.m., and there will be vendors, speakers, information booths, and a café. Between 2 and 5 p.m. there will be a number of “Tiny Talks”, with speakers giving brief presentations on topics including aquaponics, mushroom cultivation, food forests, and nature-scaping with native plants. The Lillooet Regional Invasive Species Society will also be there, to talk about garden species that are considered invasive, and how to keep them out of your garden. For more information go to www.lillooetfoodmatters.com, or call (250) 256-0470.
The annual 'Girls Fly Too' event aims to interest girls and women in careers in aviation and other related fields. Photo courtesy Girls Fly Too.
Girls Fly Too
Anyone interested in learning more about a career in aviation, aerospace, marine, or defence—particularly girls and women—will want to visit “The Sky’s No Limit: Girls Fly Too!” which takes place from 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. on March 11–12 at the Abbotsford International Airport. It’s the largest outreach event of its kind in the world, and more than 15,000 people are expected to attend. There are hands-on displays and activities, a variety of aircraft and vehicles to explore, workshops and demonstrations, and first-time female fliers can have a free flight.
There is no charge for the event, and families are welcome. However, anyone wanting to apply for the free flight must register in advance, as space is limited. For more information go to www.girlsfly2.ca.
Youth writing contest
Canadian students in grades five through eight are invited to submit an original story of 400 words or less to World Literacy Canada’s “Write for a Better World” 2017 contest. The contest aims to inspire a sense of community in Canada’s youth, and has received more than 6,000 entries since it began in 2008.
This year’s submissions should reflect the following prompt: “It can be hard when we lose someone important to us in our lives, or when we watch someone close to us lose someone who is important to them. I remember how I felt when I lost someone important to me. In my case, it was when my best friend in the world moved away with her family.”
Submissions must be received no later than April 1, 2017. The first place winner will receive $500, and nine runners-up will receive $50 each, with the 10 stories published in a collectable magazine. For more information, go to www.worldlit.ca.
Dubious honour
A Victoria infrastructure project has been given a Teddy Award by the Canadian Taxpayers Federation (CTF). Before anyone cheers, however, they should know that the Teddy Awards—now in their 19th year—are given to recognize the worst in government waste for the past year. One award each is given nationally, provincially, and municipally. Victoria won in the municipal category for its Blue Bridge project.
In 2009, when it was decided to replace the 93-year-old Johnson Street Bridge—which is 100 metres long—in downtown Victoria, the project was budgeted at $63 million, with a completion date of 2015. However, due to the quality of the steel used and numerous delays, the price tag has ballooned to $105 million, with completion not slated until 2018. “At $42 million over budget, Victoria taxpayers are sure to be a lot bluer than even the Blue Bridge,” notes CTF federal director Aaron Wudrick. This year’s federal Teddy winner was the Canada Revenue Agency, for paying an employee $538,000 in moving expenses to move 192km, while the provincial winner was the Ontario electric vehicle incentive program.
The award-winning Johnson Street Bridge in Victoria. Photo courtesy Wikimedia Commons.