Ash-Creek News May 29th

Premier John Horgan has extended the province wide state of emergency for another 2 weeks. This extension makes this the longest state of emergency in BC history. MLAs will be back to work at the end of June. They have the option of being their in person or attending virtually.

Vancouver is in the running to host the Stanley Cup this year. Because of the pandemic, things will have to be done differently. The idea is to have one city host the whole series, and have the games played without an audience.

The water level in the Bonaparte River continues to rise and fall as it races through town, but the dry weather is helping. Rain will likely cause a noticeable rise in the river. The Evacuation Order or the property on Old Cariboo Rd. Has been rescinded, however there are still approximately 175 properties on Evacuation Alert.

The Village of Cache Creek has extended it’s state of Local Emergency due to the bank damage caused by the fast-moving water of the Bonaparte River. Because of the lengthy state of flooding, the banks are saturated and could give way without warning. What may look like a safe place to stand could be severely under-cut and crumble into the river before you know it. Cache Creek Village Office staff urges everyone to stay back and stay safe. The Village is looking into how it can have the Province declare this flood a “disaster” so that affected residents can apply for Disaster Financial Assistance. Village Public Works staff continue to monitor water levels, bank erosion and debris in the river.

Historic Hat Creek Ranch will not be reopening for the 2020 season. They will be booking 1 hour VIP shopping experiences in their gift shop, which is filled with lots of wonderful historic and local items. The Ashcroft and District Fall Fair has formally cancelled their 2020 event. They urge everyone to continue to make their COVID-19 crafts in anticipation for next years event.

The Village of Ashcroft is pleased to announce that Ms. Daniela Dyck has accepted the position of Chief Administrative Officer. Ms. Dyck has more than 11 years of local government experience, and joined the Village of Ashcroft management team in April 2019 as the Deputy Corporate Officer. She is a long-time resident of the area, and is excited to be leading the team in Ashcroft.

She stepped in as Acting CAO for the Village in March 2020, just as the full impact of the COVID-19 pandemic was beginning to be felt. Since then she has overseen not only the day-to-day running of Village operations, but has also ensured the safety of residents and staff via the implementation of COVID-19 safeguards and protocols.

Food banks in Ashcroft, Merritt, and Lillooet are benefiting from $5,000 in donations from Community Futures Thompson Country, which operates WorkBC locations in all three communities. Trish Schachtel, Executive Director of the South Cariboo Elizabeth Fry Society in Ashcroft,  says that they appreciate the generosity and ongoing support of the local WorkBC Centre. “When agencies like Community Futures think of us without us having to go out and fundraise it’s amazing,” she told HUB Online Journalist Network Gareth Smart. 

The E. Fry food bank -- which has continued operating throughout the COVID-19 pandemic -- has seen a big jump recently in the number of people accessing it, says Schachtel. She adds that they have also been supporting and supplementing food hampers being given out to students at Cache Creek Elementary and Desert Sands Community School.