I N S I D E : Soap Box Derby planned . Page 3
Journal ASHCROFT t CACHE CREEK
Volume 120 No 11 PM # 400121123
The
Thursday, March 12, 2015
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Rodeo cancelled, Parade still on track
Old bridge comes down Demolition and removal of Spences Bridge’s old bridge (1930) over the Thompson River began in January after protests, rallies and petitions by local residents failed to sway the decision by the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure who deemed the old bridge to be a safety hazard. The old bridge provided a short cut through town to houses, businesses and facilities on the other side of the river. The only way across the river now is the Hwy 1 bridge that was built in the 1960s. It connects to Hwy 8 at the south end of town. The photo below of the intact bridge was taken in 2009.
d r i b g n i Humedmers Fein stock
ASHCROFT IRLY TIM-BR-MART Building Supplies & Garden Centre www.ashcroftirly.com
The Ashcroft Rodeo and Dance has been cancelled for 2015, but organizers promise to be back next year; the Parade is still going ahead as usual on June 20. Organizers of the rodeo are looking for a new rodeo grounds after being notified earlier this year by the property’s owners that they could no longer use the current rodeo grounds because of insurance issues. “We are deeply appreciative of the Desert Hills Ranch and the McKay/ Porter family for their years of support and their generosity to the rodeo in the use of their land as well as their offer to help us move when we find a new place,” said a statement from the Ashcroft Rodeo Association and the Ashcroft Rodeo Parade committee. “We do not blame the Desert Hills owners regarding their decision to not hold the Ashcroft Rodeo on their land any longer. If we were in their position, each of us would probably have made the same decision. We must look positively toward the future. The Ashcroft Rodeo is not dead....It’s just on a break for a year to find a new place to locate.” Bob Sidwell, president of the Association, says they’ve received offers of land around the area, but they want to keep the rodeo in Ashcroft. This week the Association approached the Village of Ashcroft about the possibility of land on the mesa. Association and committee members will make their pitch for land at a committee of the whole meeting of Ashcroft Council on March 23 where they invite all of their supporters to attend. The meeting starts at 6 pm in the Village Office. Sidwell says the BC Rodeo Association has assured them that Ashcroft’s Rodeo weekend date will be reserved for Ashcroft in 2016. He says it’s time for everyone to move forward. “We’ll have a hell of a moving party,” once the new grounds are found, and next year’s rodeo will be bigger and better. “The 2015 Ashcroft Rodeo Parade will still be taking place,” continued the joing statement. “We have been assured that many of the usual parade entries will be returning for 2015, even if the rodeo cannot take place. The parade committee does not want Ashcroft to lose out completely on their largest special weekend of the year. Therefore, June 20, 2015 will be a spectacular day in Ashcroft!”
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