Krush Dance winter recital
It’s that time again: time for the Krush Dance Company’s winter recital, this year with three performances on Saturday, Dec. 14 at the Ashcroft HUB. The first will be a “Kids Show” at 10:30 a.m. (doors open at 10 a.m.); the second will be at 1 p.m. (doors open at 12:15 p.m.; no early birds, please), and the third will be at 6 p.m. (doors open at 5 p.m.).
Admission for each show is $2 per person, with those under two years free. Come on out and watch more than 100 local residents show off their dance moves in a variety of styles.
CP Holiday Train
The CP Holiday Train rolls into Ashcroft on Sunday, Dec. 15, arriving in town at around 8:30 p.m. (be there by 8:15 if you don’t want to miss the train’s arrival). Multi-platinum Juno Award-winner Dallas Smith—Canadian Country Music Association’s 2019 Entertainer of the Year—will be in Ashcroft for the free show.
The CP Holiday Train, which started in 1999, is North America’s longest rolling fundraiser. The train raises money for local food banks at more than 150 concerts in cities and towns along CP’s routes, and the shows are free, although attendees are encouraged to bring food or cash donations for their local food bank.
If you can’t make the Ashcroft show, the Holiday Train will be in Kamloops (north side of the Sandman Centre parking lot on Lorne Street) at 4:30 p.m. on Dec. 15, and in Savona (Savona access road and Park Lane) at 7 p.m. on Dec. 15. On Monday, Dec. 16 the Holiday Train will be stopping in Lytton (Station Road) at 11:15 a.m.
Live music in Kamloops
The Thompson-Nicola Regional District invites everyone to come and enjoy free live music during the first annual “Music in the Atrium” event. Every day through Sunday, Dec. 14, local groups and musicians will be playing live music in the atrium of the Civic Building on Victoria Street—which houses the Kamloops Library—starting at noon each day.
This is an opportunity to enjoy the Region of BC’s Best musicians, including choirs, guitarists, soloists, and a brass band in one of Kamloops’ loveliest spaces. Schedule:
• Wednesday, Dec. 11: Anita Jacobsen
• Thursday, Dec. 12: Lindsay May
• Friday, Dec. 13: Margit Sky Project
• Saturday, Dec. 14: Tuba Christmas
Merry and Bright
The third annual Merry and Bright display is now running at the Ashcroft Library during regular branch hours through Dec. 31. Come on by and take in the dozens of colouring contest entries, lights, decorations, and festive displays. It’s also the perfect setting for very special holiday photos, so bring your family and a camera and capture some wonderful holiday memories.
Calling all detectives
Santa needs your help! He’s trapped in his workshop, and needs you to assist him in locating his keys so he can escape!
Yes, the Escape Room is back at the Ashcroft HUB through Friday, Dec. 20, and teams of up to four people are invited to demonstrate their deductive skills to help the jolly old elf make a break for freedom.
Are you up to the challenge? If so, contact the HUB at (250) 453-9177 to book your time (the Escape Room is by reservation only). The cost is $10 per person or $30 per family (yes, the Escape Room is family friendly). Good luck, should you decide to accept this mission.
CounterAttack now in force
This year’s holiday CounterAttack program is now in effect, with roadchecks set up across the province. The B.C. government, police, and ICBC are urging drivers to plan ahead and make smart decisions to get home safely.
More than half of impaired-related crashes (56 per cent) occur on the weekend (Friday to Sunday). Police across the province will be setting up roadchecks to keep impaired drivers off our roads throughout December.
Impaired driving remains a leading cause of fatal car crashes, with an average of 68 lives lost every year in B.C. In the Southern Interior, on average, 23 people are killed each year in crashes involving impaired driving.
Parenting After Separation
Indigenous parents who are going through separation or divorce can now access a free online course that can help them make decisions in the best interests of their children.
Parenting After Separation (PAS) for Indigenous Families offers information about how Indigenous parents can honour their children while working through challenges like determining parenting time and child support. It also explains how intergenerational trauma from colonization can affect parents’ experiences of separation, and provides strategies they can use to manage stress during this difficult period.
The course responds to an identified need for an accessible online course that reflects Indigenous peoples’ history and cultural perspectives. It features messages and advice from Elders, activities, and quizzes, and can be completed at each learner’s convenience over three to four hours. PAS for Indigenous Families can be accessed as video, audio only, or text only. All content for PAS for Indigenous Families was selected, designed, and approved by an Indigenous advisory committee, comprised of Indigenous representatives from family, community, and legal support organizations throughout B.C.
Research indicates that parents who participate in PAS courses have better knowledge of the full range of dispute resolution options, are more likely to resolve their disputes out of court, and have a better understanding of how to support their children during and after separation or divorce.
To review the materials or take the course, visit www.gov.bc.ca/ParentingAfterSeparation.
Christmas fun fact
Christmas trees are now an integral part of the season for many people, but their popularity in the western world can be attributed to a picture that “went viral” in 1848, long before the advent of the internet.
The ancient Egyptians and Romans marked the season with evergreens, as a sign that winter would eventually end and spring would come. The tradition was maintained in continental Europe, but it wasn’t until Britain’s Queen Victoria married Prince Albert of Germany that the tradition moved in a big way to the British Isles, spurred by a picture in the Illustrated London News in 1848 that showed Victoria, Albert, and their family in front of a decorated Christmas tree. The picture was widely disseminated, and thus the tradition of the Christmas tree took hold in Britain, and from there in other English-speaking countries.
editorial@accjournal.ca
Like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter
