Clinton Community Forest AGM
All are invited to the annual meeting of the Clinton and District Community Forest, taking place on Thursday, July 3 at the Clinton Memorial Hall starting at 6 p.m. Refreshments will be provided, and attendees can learn more about the community forest and congratulate the 2025 grant recipients. For more information contact Steve Law at adventuresports@shaw.ca or Terri Allison at clintoncommunityforest@outlook.com.
Dinner and silent auction
The Highland 4-H Club is holding a fundraiser dinner and silent auction at Eddy’s Bar and Grill in 70 Mile on Friday, July 4. All are welcome at this family-friendly event, with the doors opening at 5 p.m. and the auction closing at 8 p.m.
In addition to the dinner and auction, there will be face painting, tattoos, and lawn games, plus a 50/50 draw and a raffle. Tickets are $30 per person and can be purchased in advance at Eddy’s, Donex, and the Country Pedlar; you can also call or text (604) 868-1284 or email highland4hclub@gmail.com. A limited number of tickets might be available at the door, but pre-purchase is recommended.
Children’s music camps
The Shine On Singers children’s choir is holding two children’s summer music camps for children aged 7 to 12 at the Ashcroft HUB. The camps run from July 7–11 and from Aug. 11–15 (9 a.m. to 3 p.m. each day), and the cost is $100 per child per camp. Participants will be singing, playing the ukulele and recorder, playing games and playing with music sticks, dancing, and swimming. There will be a special performance and barbecue at the end of each camp, from 5 to 6:30 p.m. on July 11 and Aug.15.
Children should come with their own snack, lunch, water bottle, bathing suit, and towel each day. For more information, or to register, contact Theresa Takacs at (250) 682-3232 or email theresatakacs@hotmail.com; you can also register online at https://forms.gle/uLkP6oo1oJYa8ALw8.
Women’s meet-up
Looking to broaden your social circle, or find other women to attend functions or travel with? Then come on down to the Ashcroft Legion on Tuesdays (12:30 p.m. to ?) to meet with other mature women who are looking for like-minded people to do things with. The next meeting will be on Tuesday, July 8.
Invasive plant field day
Join the Thompson-Nicola Invasive Plant Management Committee for a free informative and interactive session on invasive plants in the Spences Bridge and Lytton areas on Wednesday, July 9. The event runs from 9:30 a.m. to noon at the old schoolhouse building in Spences Bridge, where participants will be able to talk to experts and learn about invasive plants (including some new ones) in the region. Do you have a mystery plant in or near your property that you’d like identified? Bring it along!
Light refreshments will be provided at the session, for which pre-registration is required. To sign up, email invasiveplants@tnrd.ca or call 1-877-377-8673.
Suddenly One
The Suddenly One: Building Connections program takes place every other Thursday from 1:30 to 3 p.m. at the Ashcroft Library (private meeting room at the back). The next meeting will be on Thursday, July 10.
Suddenly One is for men and women of all ages who suddenly find themselves alone. The event will feature coffee, tea, and conversation, with people able to share their thoughts, stories, and experiences surrounding loss and living alone. There is no agenda; topics and activities are up to the participants, all in an accessible, respectful, and confidential space.
There is no cost to take part, and participants can attend as many or as few sessions as they would like. For more information, email ashcroft.hospice@gmail.com.
Lone Butte rocks
Come one, come all to Lone Butte Rocks, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Sunday, July 13. This good old country-style family event features live music, a demonstration from Equine Liberty, line- and barn-dancing, hula-hooping, hay wagon tractor rides, a dunk tank, a craft market with more than 35 vendors, firefighting competitions courtesy of the Lone Butte Fire Department, axe-throwing, bouncy castles, face painting, kids’ games, and much more. There will also be a concession featuring burgers and hot dogs, popcorn, homemade doughnuts, snow cones, cookies, ice cream, and other delicious treats.
The event takes place at 5994 Highway 24 in Lone Butte, and attendees should bring cash for the concession, vendors, and more. For information, or to volunteer, call (778) 444-3022.
Desert Daze deals
From now through July 31, you can get $10 off a full-weekend pass for this year’s Desert Daze festival in Spences Bridge, which promises two full days of music, vendors, food and drink, and more on Sept. 5 and 6. An even better deal is in store for volunteers, who can get in for free in exchange for a bit of their time. For more information, go to www.desertdaze.ca.
Organizers are now taking reservations from market vendors and food truck operators who would like to take part, at a cost of $100 for market/vendor space. And there’s a special offer that makes the deal even sweeter: if you have a talent that you can share with, or teach to, others during the festival, your booth is 50 per cent off! For more information, or to book space, call Sanatra at (604) 819-6555 or go to the website above.
Clinton art show
The Clinton Art and Cultural Society will be holding its annual art show on Saturday, Aug. 2, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Clinton Memorial Hall, and is inviting local artists and artisans to take part.
All artists are welcome, whether you specialize in original artwork, handmade crafts, or the performing arts. There will be a cash prize for the People’s Choice of Art, and the entry fee is only $20 (free for Clinton Art and Cultural Society members). The deadline for registration is July 25; for more information, or to register, contact Nancy at (250) 459-2976 or email snirt6@gmail.com.
Loon Lake photo contest
Summer is here, and that means the Loon Lake Community Recreational and Agricultural Society is back with its annual photo contest, which runs through Sept. 30.
Anyone can enter, including youth, but photos must be taken at Loon Lake or in the surrounding area. Individuals can submit up to five entries per person in total, in one (or more) of five categories: Active Outdoors, Lake Life, Wildlife, Landscape, and Loon Lake Pets. There will be prizes awarded in each category, and winning photos will be featured in the 2026 Loon Lake calendar, sales of which raise funds for LLCRAS.
Photos can be emailed (as large/actual size jpegs) to llcrasphotocontest@gmail.com. For more information, go to https://bit.ly/3TMfTLJ.
Report illegal dump sites
The Thompson-Nicola Regional District’s back country clean-up program is available to help clean up sites where waste has been deliberately abandoned, and to support public clean-up events. In 2024 the program led to 24 illegal dumping sites being cleaned up, with well over 100 tonnes of waste removed, and supported six community clean-up events.
Reports from members of the public who spot these sites are critical to help address illegal dumping. If you see one of these sites while out in the back country, you can report it to the TNRD by going to tnrd.ca/illegal-dump-sites. Please also report all illegal dumping to the RAPP line at 1-877-952-7277, or *7277 on your cellphone.
Calling all gardeners
Looking to get information about invasive plant management in our region, including identification tips to help you spot invasives, alerts about emerging invasive plant threats, strategies to protect native ecosystems, expert insights, and news about local events and training opportunities, and more?
Then sign up for the Thompson-Nicola Invasive Plant Management Committee’s free e-newsletter “Taking Root,” and join a growing community of local conservationists. To receive “Taking Root,” go to https://bit.ly/3FBBGSI, where you can also find more information about invasive plants in the Thompson-Nicola region, or visit the Thompson-Nicola Invasive Plant Management Committee Facebook page.
Grief support library
Did you know that the Ashcroft and District Hospice Society has a free library of grief support resources for people of all ages? In addition to pamphlets and books, the society also has contact information for organizations that can provide even more resources and support.
The society’s office, at 509 Railway Avenue in Ashcroft, is open on Mondays and Tuesdays from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. For assistance outside office hours, call (778) 207-7575.
