Family Halloween party and dance
Don’t forget to bring the whole family to this fun event, taking place at the Cache Creek Community Hall on Friday, October 27 from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. There will be crafts, games, and a fun dance party, as well as prizes for the best costumes, and a concession provided by the Cache Creek Elementary School Parent Advisory Council.
Harvest Bazaar
This year’s Harvest Bazaar will take place from 1 to 3 p.m. on October 28 at the Ashcroft-Cache Creek Seniors’ Centre at 601 Bancroft Street (doors open at 12:30 p.m.).
There will be a cash raffle prize (tickets available at the Bazaar). Other prizes include $200, $100, and $50 food hampers, and there will also be a door prize.
The event is open to everyone, and people can get an early start on their Christmas shopping at the craft store. Lunch is available, and includes sandwiches, baked goodies, and coffee and tea.
Trick-or-Treat at the HUB
There will be indoor trick-or-treating at the Ashcroft HUB on October 31 from 2:30 to 4:30 pm.
Children are welcome to dress up in their Halloween costumes and get warmed up for the main event later in the evening with some sweet treats (and maybe a few tricks as well).
Cache Creek Halloween event
The annual Halloween celebration in Cache Creek will be taking place at the Community Hall on October 31 after the kids have finished trick-or-treating.
There will be costume judging for youth, as well as hot dogs and drinks for participants, and a fireworks display hosted by the Cache Creek Volunteer Fire Department to follow. The event is also sponsored by the Cache Creek Recreation Society.
1st Step Program
The 1st Step Mobile Treatment Program, which is for youth aged 13 to 24 years old who are experiencing difficulties surrounding substance misuse, will be at the Ashcroft HUB from November 6 to 10.
The program is based on a harm reduction approach that meets youth wherever they are at in their readiness for change. The program is both community- and youth-driven.
The 1st Step Program includes alcohol and drug education; feeling and emotions group work; relapse prevention; anger management and critical thinking; family issues; nutrition, exercise, and recreation; sexual health; individual counseling; 12 Step meetings; and spirituality and cultural teachings.
The 1st Step Program is presented by Axis Family Services, and Interior Health is a funding partner. For more information contact Holly-Rose Vesper at 1-877-774-2947, ext. 231.
Occupational First Aid
Thompson Rivers University is offering an Occupational First Aid Level 1 course at the Ashcroft HUB on Sunday, October 29 from 8:30 am to 4:30 pm. The course equips participants with the emergency skills necessary to stabilize an injured person until trained help arrives. Areas covered include bleeding control, CPR, AED, and conscious and unconscious choking.
The fee for the seven-hour course is $160. For more information, or to register, call Margaret Hohner at (250) 256-4296, email her at mhohner@tru.ca, or go to https://www.tru.ca/forms/regionalcentres/register/.
Flu shot clinics
Interior Health is offering free flu shot clinics around the region. All residents who are eligible to get the free vaccine are urged to do so.
Free Interior Health flu shot clinics will be taking place at the Ashcroft Community Hall on November 1 (9 a.m. to 3 p.m.); the Savona Community Centre on November 2 (10 a.m. to 1 p.m.); the St. Bartholomew Health Centre in Lytton on November 7 (10 to 11:30 a.m.); the Clinton Memorial Hall on November 7 (10:30 a.m. to 3 p.m.); and the Cache Creek Community Hall on November 8 (9 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.).
To find the locations of other Interior Health flu shot clinics, go to the Flu Clinic Locator at www.immunizebc.ca. Those not eligible for a free flu shot can obtain them at most pharmacies.
READ MORE: Time to get the flu vaccine
Volunteers wanted at the HUB
The Ashcroft HUB cannot provide all the programs it does without volunteers. Currently the HUB office is open weekdays (9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday to Thursday, and 9 a.m. to noon on Fridays). They would like to extend their hours so they can be open evenings and weekends, and are looking for volunteers who can help make that happen.
The HUB is also in need of janitorial and maintenance volunteers. Anyone who can spare a few hours a week or month is asked to drop by the office, call (250) 453-9177, or email ashcrofthub@gmail.com.
Red Cross Small Business Support
The Red Cross Small Business Support program has been extended to more eligible communities affected by road closures during this summer’s wildfire season.
Small businesses, not-for-profit organizations, and First Nations businesses and cultural livelihoods on reserve that were affected by wildfire and/or road closures can apply for an emergency grant of $1,500.
Newly eligible communities in the region include Boston Bar, Canyon Alpine, Dogwood Valley, Hells Gate, Hope, Kanaka Bar, Lillooet, Lytton, North Bend, Spatsum, Spences Bridge, Spuzzum, and Yale.
For more information, and to apply for the grant, call the Small Busines Helpline at 1-855-999-3345, or go to www.redcross.ca.
READ MORE: Red Cross offers support for small businesses
Sears Canada extended warranties null and void
Now that Sears Canada has been given the go-ahead to close 74 stores across the country—leaving some 12,000 people out of work—many customers will be wondering about warranties they purchased on products they bought before the chain’s demise.
Sears has long been selling Kenmore products, for example, and while new products carry a manufacturer’s warranty, many consumers will have purchased extended warranties. The company has issued a press release stating that as of October 18, 2017 the chain is no longer in a position to honour these extended warranties, known as Sears Protection Agreements. Only those people who purchased extended warranties in the last 30 days will be given a refund. Beyond that, all extended warranties are now null and void.
Sears has also announced that they will continue to honour Sears gift cards until the chain’s liquidation sale ends.
CP Holiday Train
Mark your calendar now: the CP Holiday Train will be in Ashcroft on Friday, December 15, 2017. The estimated time of arrival is 8:50 p.m., with the performance scheduled for a 9 pm start. This year’s performers will be Alan Doyle and the Beautiful Band.
There is no charge, but those attending are asked to bring cash or food donations for the South Cariboo Elizabeth Fry Society food bank.
Cyber Security Awareness month
October is Cyber Security Awareness month; and although the month is almost over, staying cyber secure is a year-round concern. Stay alert for the latest cyber security threats, and take steps to avoid them. Think it can’t happen to you? Think again: approximately 70 per cent of Canadians have experienced cyber-crime.
Most cyber security threats can be avoided by taking a few simple steps. These include password-protecting your wireless network; using up-to-date anti-virus software; installing the latest operating system updates for your electronic devices; and backing up your files.
Atlas Obscura: Buntzen Powerhouses
Atlas Obscura (www.atlasobscura.com) is a website that bills itself as showcasing “Curious and Wondrous Travel Destinations” from around the world. Now and then one of the sites is within striking distance of our region, so travellers might want to check them out next time they visit.
There were creepy clown sightings around the Buntzen powerhouses—specifically Powerhouse 2—on Indian Arm north of Vancouver back in the 1990s. No, the building isn’t haunted (although it looks as if it should be); it was used as the lair of Pennywise the Clown in the 1990 TV miniseries IT, based on the novel by Stephen King, which starred Tim Curry as the terrifying clown.
Buntzen Powerhouse 1 was built in 1903 by the Vancouver City Light and Power Company to provide electricity for the Vancouver area’s streetcars. The north end of the original four-unit powerhouse at Buntzen 1 was demolished in 1950 and a new building, a 55,000 kW unit 1 generator, and a larger turbine were added in 1951.
Buntzen Powerhouse 2 was built in 1912, a quarter-of-a-mile south of Buntzen 1, by the British Columbia Electric Railway Company. The stations are unmanned, and are operated by remote control from BC Hydro’s System Control facility atop Burnaby Mountain.
Both powerhouses are located within Indian Arm Provincial Park. Buntzen 1 is accessible on foot and via loose gravel road from Powerhouse Road, while the more picturesque Buntzen 2 is difficult to access by foot, and is best viewed from the water.
Go to http://www.belcarra.ca/Indian_Arm_Provincial_Park.pdf for a map of the area, and to https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/buntzen-lake-powerhouses for pictures and more information.
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