I N S I D E : Calling all photographers. Page 12
Journal ASHCROFT W CACHE CREEK
Volume 119 No 31 PM # 400121123
The
Tuesday, July 31, 2012
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Cougar sighted on Barnes Lake Road A jogger’s recent encounter with a cougar on Barnes Lake Road has the Conservation Officer Service concerned. The encounter occurred at approximately 8:30 pm on July 23. Information received to date indicates that the jogger was stalked by the cougar as she ran, and that she eventually flagged down a passing car, which gave her a ride. Conservation Officer Paul Pike visited the area the next day and spoke with residents, as well as with people camping at the local recreation sites. Notices informing the public about the incident, and reminding people that the Barnes Lake area is cougar habitat, were placed in the area. As of July 26, no further calls had been received regarding cougar sightings in the vicinity of the lake. Pike advises that anyone using the area should be vigilant, and remain aware of their surroundings when they are out and about. Children and pets should be closely supervised. Any sightings should be reported to RAPP (Report All Poachers and Polluters) at 1-877-952-7277.
Ashcroft was occupied on July 28 by the friendly forces of the Western Command Military Vehicle Historical Society. The convoy is headed north to Alaska to celebrate the 70th anniversary of the construction of the Alaska Highway. See story and more pictures on p. 8.
Ashcroft “left behind” in race for new doctors Small rural communities throughout the province are resorting to desperate measures to attract doctors. This can result in other places - such as Ashcroft - being left behind, says Ashcroft Mayor Andy Anderson. “I think it seems like it’s getting a little carried away,” Anderson said. “But they’re going to do what they have to do to attract (doctors.)” He was speaking of communities such as Princeton, which has recently partnered with the Regional District of Okanagan-Similkameen and local industry to lease a $2,2000 per month townhouse, complete with hardwood floors, granite countertops, and a personal gym. Like Ashcroft, the town has had its Emergency Room hours cut, and is having difficulty attracting doctors to the area.
The Arrow Lakes Hospital Foundation in the village of Nakusp formed a corporation to purchase a $280,000 house to entice a doctor pressed with other job offers to stay in the town. Sechelt’s St. Mary’s Hospital Foundation leased a three-bedroom house in order to provide housing for temporary medical staff. In Princeton, it’s hoped that the townhouse will be an extra incentive to attract locums to the community. This measure is on top of extra cash incentives from the Rural Emergency Enhancement Fund, an initiative to improve public access to emergency services in rural BC. “It’s absolutely essential that you have ER here,” said Brad Hope, Area H director with the RDOS. “The number of jobs here that are high-risk — logging, mining, there’s a huge number of jobs.
We’ve got a major highway that can be quite challenging and no cellphone coverage on it.” However, Hope said the leasing of the townhouse to attract doctors is not something the town likes to do. “We don’t like bidding against other towns, and yet here we are, trying to pull doctors from other communities to our community.” “We’re willing to do whatever we have to do, but it’s not something we like doing — competing with other folks, and upping the ante when we think the province should be paying for it.” However, some communities feel they can’t compete with offers such as the one in Princeton. Andy Anderson said Ashcroft can’t pay for perks such as houses to draw in the limited supply of doctors. A spokesperson for the Ministry of
Health said that $10 million is available in support programs to encourage doctors to practice in rural communities. However, Anderson said the issue isn’t with the funding of doctors, but rather the supply. The current lack of residencies available to doctors is what is creating this shortage, he said, and creating more doctors is the solution, not giving current doctors more money. “There’d be more doctors available if the residency program was extended and the government would spend money on that. We wouldn’t need to go to these long lengths to get these physicians,” he said. “That money would have been better spent in the residency program.” Ashcroft is facing a shortage of doctors to staff its ER. This has caused the ER’s hours to decline steadily, meaning that it is closed even during high-attendance, high-risk events such as the annual rodeo. The community is in the process of recruiting two doctors from South Africa, but Anderson said Ashcroft would always be looking to recruit more.
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