ACN33: The Cardboarddonians Fail In Recent Raid Attempt

Carboardonian Raid in Ashcroft last Saturday! For over a month, the Carboardonians threatened to take over the villages of Ashcroft and Cache Creek and promised a raid on Saturday, August 22nd. Thanks to a plea from Mayor Roden, support from our local RCMP and more than 40 kids the villages are now safe! If you missed all of the excitement, watch the HUB online network’s Facebook or YouTube page for video footage of the fun event. According to data collected since the start of the pandemic children and youth are reporting reduced levels of mental health and wellness. This information, combined with the fact that so many fun events had to be cancelled, caught the attention of staff at the Ashcroft HUB and they came up with ways to but some of the fun back into summer, even during a pandemic. The “Carboardonian Raid was one of the summer activities organized by the HUB this summer, others included weekly virtual science, crafts and culinary camps, drive-in movies, art therapy and a tie-dyeing competition. To ensure that these events are accessible for all, they are subsidized thanks to grants from Canada Summer Jobs, Aboriginal Skills and Employment Strategy, The Province of BC, BC Gaming and the United Way. Watch for more fun, wellness, learning and recreation at the HUB by visiting our Ashcroft HUB Facebook page.

In other news: 

Healthcare Workers Stigmatization, (HCWS) A study out of the University of BC in their Journal of Anxiety Disorders shows that 1 in 3 people are avoiding healthcare workers during the pandemic. The research indicated that HCWS is widespread and is an under-recognized problem. Adults were surveyed in both US and CA and over ¼ said that HCWs should have severe restrictions placed on their freedoms, such as being kept in isolation from their communities and their families. People who stigmatized HCWs also tended to avoid other people, avoid drug stores and supermarkets and avoid leaving their homes. THE UBC factor analysis suggested that HCWS is linked to the COVID Stress Syndrome. Statistics Canada is currently collecting data regarding the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic in Canada. The current topic for data collection is Experiences of Discrimination. If you would like to participate in this data collection, you can do so by visiting the stats Canada webpage https://www.statcan.gc.ca/eng/survey/household/5323-covid-series

Politicians and leaders have been recruiting the help of celebrities to get the word out about being safe during the pandemic. Messages about flattening the curve, staying home, keeping your distance, and even personal hygiene can be heard from the likes of Justin Beiber, Celine Dion, Michael Buble, Shawn Mendes and Ryan Reynolds. Play Ryan Reynolds Video Although it seems not everyone is heeding the message. Police and other provincial enforcement officers have recently been given the ability to issue $2,000 violation tickets for owners or organizers contravening the provincial health officer’s (PHO) order on gatherings and events. They will also be able to issue $200 violation tickets to individuals not following the direction of police or enforcement staff at events or who refuse to comply with requests to follow PHO orders or safe operating procedures, or respond with abusive behaviour.

There are 6 fire regions (or centres) in BC. We are located in the Kamloops Fire Centre region where there are currently 15 wildfires burning. The most notable of which is the Cristie Mtn. fire where there are still evacuations in place, however progress has been made on this fire that was first noted just over a week ago on August 18th. Show wildfire zones map There is a Category 2 and Category 3 open fire prohibition in effect for the Kamloops Fire Centre. This prohibition does not prohibit campfires that are a half-metre high by a half-metre wide (or smaller) and does not apply to cooking stoves that use gas, propane or briquettes. Specifically, prohibited activities include: * Category 2 open fires; * Category 3 open fires; * the use of fireworks; sky lanterns; binary exploding targets and the use of burn barrels or burn cages of any size or description except when used for a campfire as defined by the wildfire regulation. These prohibitions apply to all public and private land within the Kamloops Fire…Before lighting any fire, people should check with local government authorities to see if any other burning restrictions are in effect. Anyone found in contravention of an open burning prohibition may be issued a ticket for $1,150, required to pay an administrative penalty of up to $10,000 or, if convicted in court, fined up to $100,000 and/or sentenced to one year in jail. If the contravention causes or contributes to a wildfire, the person responsible may be ordered to pay all firefighting and associated costs.

The Conservatives have elected a new party leader. Erin O-Toole replaced Andres Sheer as the new Federal conservative leader. After an exceptionally long delay in tallying the ballots, (due to a machine malfunction), the ballot counts went to the 3rd round where it came down to O’Toole and McKay. With the exceptions of New Brunswick, Nova Scotia and PEI, O’Toole led every province in points for a total points win of 19,272 over McKay with 14,528.