JANUARY
The newest addition to the Ashcroft RCMP’s fleet of vehicles received a name, thanks to a local youth and a first-of-its-kind contest in Canada. In October 2023 the detachment took delivery of its first pickup truck, a Ford F-150. It came with the rather prosaic name “AS5101”, but Cst. Richard Wright of Ashcroft RCMP thought that they could do better than that, and pitched the idea of a “Name the Cruiser” contest, with local youth asked to submit suggestions for the new vehicle. The winning name was “Aurora”, submitted by 12-year-old Ashcroft resident Michaela Aie.
Drylands Arena in Ashcroft got a new Zamboni, with a twist: it's the first electric vehicle in the village's fleet. In a small-town arena, where the ice resurfacer isn’t in multi-rink use almost around the clock, one charge will last about a week, just by plugging the machine into the wall-mounted charging unit. The machine cost $171,136 (taxes included); propane models have a cheaper sticker price, but more expensive fuel and repair bills over time, and less benefit to the climate.
Longtime Ashcroft resident Vivian Edwards was awarded the province’s Medal of Good Citizenship, one of just 21 British Columbians to be recognized this year for their generosity, service, and acts of selflessness in their local areas. Edwards was described as “a dedicated and selfless volunteer” who is “a shining example of community service and good will” who has volunteered with many local groups and organizations. She was honoured at a ceremony in Ashcroft in March.
The BC Rodeo Associations’s 2023 rankings showed that Savona and area residents did well, with two locals taking the top spots in their categories. Tosha Seitz (with her horse Strawberry) and Wyatt Reid both had fantastic rodeo seasons, with Tosha and Strawberry ranked in first place for Barrel Racing and Wyatt ranked first in Steer Wrestling. Sarah Gerard of Savona placed second overall in Barrel Racing, while Ryan-Spur Reid placed second overall in Saddle Bronc.
More than 100 wildfires were still listed as burning in British Columbia thanks to a combination of a busy wildfire season, extreme drought and generally warmer and drier conditions through December. Forrest Tower of the BC Wildfire Service said that while it’s not uncommon for some fires to burn through the winter, that number usually hovers around a couple dozen, not the 106 that were listed as active on New Year’s Day 2024.
It was a close-fought game that went into sudden death overtime, but the Hoses team came out on top during the fourth annual Guns and Hoses charity hockey match in Ashcroft on Jan. 27. Around 450 people packed Drylands arena to watch the two squads battle it out for bragging rights, but the real winner was the Ashcroft and District Hospice Society. The volunteer-run group, which was been providing hospice and palliative care and services in the region for 35 years, was the beneficiary of this year’s game, which raised more than $11,000.
FEBRUARY
Ashcroft's bean supper, a tradition from 1946 until 2016, made a welcome return on Feb. 13, when it was held at St. Alban's Anglican Church thanks to volunteers who wanted to bring something back to the community.
Cache Creek looks to reopen pool
At its meeting on Feb. 5, Cache Creek council voted by a margin of 3–2 to direct staff to take action to open the Cache Creek pool to the public for 2024. The pool, which is typically open from the Victoria Day long weekend to the Labour Day long weekend, was last open during the 2019 season. Since then it has remained closed to the public for a variety of reasons, including challenges surrounding its chlorine gas disinfection system and aging infrastructure. The plan was paused at the Feb. 20 meeting.
The Board of Education of School District No. 74 (Gold Trail) announced that Vessy Mochikas had accepted the position of Superintendent of Schools effective May 8, 2024. Mochikas would step into the vacancy left by the departure of longtime SD74 superintendent Theresa Downs. In November 2023 the district announced that after 13 years with SD74, Downs would be leaving to accept the position of Superintendent of Schools at Maple Ridge and Pitt Meadows School District. Her last day with the district was Feb. 14.
A ceremony and celebration took place in Cache Creek, hosted by Bonaparte First Nation at the community hall to mark the naming of the new bridge being built on Highway 97 north of the junction with Highway 1. The construction contract for the project was awarded to Acres Enterprises Ltd., which has partnered with Bonaparte First Nation, and the new bridge was named cetéqmén, which means “where the waters meet” in the Secwepemctsín language.
A second big-budget TV series that was partially filmed in the Southern Interior of B.C. made its small screen debut, providing yet another showcase for the Thompson-Nicola area. Tracker, starring Justin Hartley, premiered on CBS and aired immediately after the broadcast of Super Bowl LVIII. More than 123 million people watched this year’s Super Bowl, making it the most-watched program in US TV history, and many of those viewers watched at least the opening minutes of Tracker, which were filmed west of Kamloops between Cache Creek and Walhachin.
Kamloops' newest (and smallest) library had its grand opening. Located near the food court at Aberdeen Mall, the 352-square-foot Aberdeen Tiny Library opened in late November 2023, and by February was seeing between 70 and 120 people come through the doors each day. Special features of the branch include a holds locker and a book "vending machine", which can be accessed during all hours the mall is open by patrons who have reserved titles.
On Feb. 28 the Government of Canada announced the recipients of Canada’s Volunteer Awards for 2023, and the Ashcroft HUB Society was a recipient in the Social Innovator category. The awards announcement noted that the HUB “enriches the rural community of Ashcroft, British Columbia, with art, culture, fitness, sports, and community services. Founded in 2015, the HUB addresses the shortage of community spaces and resources. They transformed a former elementary school into a community centre accessible to all.”
MARCH
The Ashcroft Farmers’ Market won the BC Association of Farmers’ Markets (BCAFM) award for “Most Outstanding Community Impact” in the small market category. It’s a remarkable achievement for the market, which began in May 2023 after a year of planning and preparation. Operating at the Heritage Park on Railway Avenue every Sunday, it attracted a range of vendors and became a popular spot for people to gather.
New management for Hat Creek Ranch
The Ministry of Tourism, Arts, Culture and Sport — which has responsibility for Historic Hat Creek Ranch north of Cache Creek — announced that the St’uxwtews Pesuten Heritage Society, a non-profit organization led by Bonaparte First Nation, had been awarded the contract for the management and operations of Historic Hat Creek Ranch. The contract also included responsibility for managing and operating the McAbee Fossil Beds site east of Cache Creek, and runs through March 31, 2030.
Nearly two-and-a-half years after large sections of Highway 8 between Spences Bridge and Merritt were damaged or destroyed by flooding, the province said that work on permanent repairs was underway. In November 2021, heavy rainfall and the flooding of the Nicola River severely damaged — and in some areas obliterated — 25 sections of the highway and associated infrastructure; 45 kilometres of the highway were impacted, and seven kilometres were completely lost.
More seniors' units for Ashcroft
The province announced that Ashcroft would be getting 29 new units of seniors’ housing. The new units will be built in a standalone building immediately adjacent to the Ashcroft RCMP detachment on Elm Street, on the other side of the parking lot at the west end of Thompson View Manor. Unlike the Manor — which consists of one-bedroom units only — the new two-storey building will contain a mix of one- and two-bedroom units.
The Rotary Club of Ashcroft-Cache Creek announced its 2023 Citizens of the Year, who included a couple from Spences Bridge, two area youth, and well-known figures in Cache Creek and Ashcroft. The recipients for 2023 were Deb Tedford (Ashcroft and Area; Wendy Coomber (Cache Creek and Area); Marg and Arnie Oram (TNRD Area “I” Blue Sky Country); and Monique Kopanyas and Evelyn White (Student/Youth from any area).
APRIL
Tremont Creek fire documentary
Filmmaker Vesta Giles' documentary film The Test had its world premiere at the Paramount Theatre in Kamloops. The film looks at the events leading up to, and what happened during, the Tremont Creek wildfire of 2021, which began east of Ashcroft on July 13. The fire forced the evacuation of Logan Lake a month later, and for a time it appeared that the town might be destroyed by fire only six weeks after most of the Village of Lytton burned to the ground.
Wildfire training centre at TRU
Premier David Eby announced that Kamloops will host a first-of-its-kind North American school for wildfire training and education. The facility, a partnership between TRU and the BC Wildfire Service, will offer a wide range of subjects, from basic wildfire training to post-doctoral research in fire behaviour to create a full range of expertise, with students being able to earn credits that count toward an undergraduate degree. New students wwere expected to start training at existing facilities in 2025.
Films featured at Ashcroft Museum
Visitors to the Ashcroft Museum could experience the magic of filmmaking at a new display that focuses on the many movies, TV shows, and commercials that have been filmed in and around Ashcroft over the years. A new exhibit, centred around the model of 4th Street that was created for the Twilight Zone episode “A Small Town” in 2020, will be a permanent fixture at the museum.
The first Rotary Club Spring Parade took place in Ashcroft, and organizer Joris Ekering was pleased with the response. The parade was open to businesses and individuals as well, with participants encouraged to eschew vehicles and walk the route along Railway Avenue. The parade was followed by music in the Heritage Park, which many onlookers and parade participants stayed around to enjoy.
Donations for Loon Lake and Lytton fire departments
When it comes to fire departments helping each other out, there is no rural/urban divide. This was demonstrated when City of Port Moody Acting Mayor Amy Lubik and Fire Chief Darcey O’Riordan presented a surplus 1999 American LaFrance fire engine to the Loon Lake Volunteer Fire Department, and a surplus 1997 Freightliner rescue truck to Lytton Fire & Rescue. “The City of Port Moody is pleased to be able to donate fire trucks to these two volunteer-driven fire departments so they can better protect their communities,” said Lubik.
Nearly 34 months after the fire that destroyed nearly 90 per cent of the community, residents of Lytton joined dignitaries to celebrate the official opening of the community’s interim RCMP detachment: the first public building to be rebuilt in the town. The RCMP detachment on Main Street was one of the many buildings lost during the Lytton Creek wildfire on June 30, 2021.The new temporary building arrived in October 2022, and was assembled between then and January 2023 on a new site on Highway 12.
MAY
Ashcroft student's art on display in Kamloops
It’s not often that people get to see works by someone they know at an art gallery, but from May 8 to 16 students from Desert Sands Community School (DSCS) in Ashcroft had that opportunity. Five groups of students attended workshops at the Kamloops Art Gallery, where they were able to see a display showcasing the work of one of their fellow students, Grade 8 student Lillian Sandy.
The 157th Clinton Annual Ball took place on May 18, maintaining a tradition that stretches back to 1868. The ball has been held every year since the first one, including during the COVID-19 pandemic, and the Clinton Ball is now the longest-running continuously-held event of its kind in Canada. The tradition continued in 2024, with a large and enthusiastic crowd — many attired in period costume — enjoying appetizers and dinner, dancing to the music of Vic’s Dance Band, a performance by world champion hoop dancer Alex Wells, and a late-night buffet.
Hazardous waste facility opens
Thanks to a partnership between the Thompson-Nicola Regional District and the City of Kamloops, residents throughout the TNRD can now safely dispose of hazardous household waste at a year-round facility in Kamloops. The site in the Mount Paul Industrial Park accepts a broad range of household hazardous waste, which is the term used to describe a broad range of items, including solvents and flammable liquids, gasoline, pesticides, toxics, corrosives, and other physically hazardous products that are generated by or from residential activities.
When seven-year-old Cache Creek resident Austyn Harkness saw a need for a pedestrian warning sign near his home on Highway 1 east, he decided to take action. With the help of his mom, Austyn looked up different types of highway pedestrian signs, then approached the Ministry of Highways with his research. The result was the installation of a pedestrian sign on Highway 1 entering Cache Creek from the east.
JUNE
More than 120 people gathered in Loon Lake to celebrate an event that has been a long time coming: the grand opening of the community's new fire hall. Located on part of the former BC Provincial Park site at the centre of the lake (2501 Loon Lake Road), the new hall replaces the former structure at 1701 Loon Lake Road, which was destroyed in the 2017 Elephant Hill wildfire.
Ashcroft and the surrounding area played host to nearly 40 artists when the ninth annual Plein Air paint-out event took place. Artists and their easels could be seen in and around Ashcroft and throughout the region, as they sought to capture the quirky buildings and desert landscapes of the area. Nearly 100 works were on display at the "wet art" show and sale on the final day, which was attended by several dozen people who had an opportunity to meet the artists.
Staff avert disaster at travel centre
Ashcroft's fire chief says that an early morning semi-truck fire at the Esso Travel Centre on Highway 1 near Ashcroft could have been much worse, had it not been for the quick actions of three employees. Becky Appleby, Tammy Whatman, and Nancy Rainville arrived for work and saw the truck driver battling the fire. One of them called 9-1-1; then the three women started knocking on the doors of the other trucks parked in the lot, to wake the drivers and warn them to get away from the burning vehicle.
New Hospice Society office opens
The Ashcroft and District Hospice Society held the grand opening of its new office at 509 Railway Avenue, inviting members of the public to learn more about the society and what it has to offer. society president Deb Tedford creditedmany years of fiscal planning within the society for enabling them to make this move, but added that community support has been a huge factor. The society was the recipient of funds raised at the Guns and Hoses charity hockey match in January, which took them "over the edge", said Tedford.
A sudden, intense rainfall on the afternoon of June 30 caused heavy flooding in Savona, and closed Highway 1 for several hours. The beachside Canada Day celebration scheduled for July 1 was cancelled, as residents assessed the damage and continued with the clean-up. A storm system that swept through the region brought heavy rain, which caused overland flooding at Savona. Water, rocks, and debris flowed across Highway 1, the adjacent CPKC track, and Savona Access Road.
The Village of Clinton, along with 18 community groups, had a good reason to be grateful to the Clinton and District Community Forest (CCF); 201,974 reasons, to be precise. At its AGM on June 27, the CCF – which was established in 2012 – announced $201,974 in grants, which were awarded to the Village of Clinton and 18 organizations serving the people of Clinton and the surrounding area.
