I N S I D E : Gardening season is upon us. Page 3
Journal ASHCROFT t CACHE CREEK
Volume 121 No 1 PM # 400121123
The
Thursday, January 7, 2016
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Property assessments rise by Wendy Coomber The 2015 property assessments have been released, and Ashcroft and Cache Creek have done well this year - better than the other municipalities in the region. Property assessments in Ashcroft and Cache Creek increased in 2015 from zero to 15 per cent, meaning that it may stay the same as last year or it may increase. The market value of all of the homes in Ashcroft increased to an average house price of $215,000 from $197,000, while Cache Creek’s went to an average of $182,000 from $166,000. Lytton’s assessment decreased from -5 to +15 per cent, while Clinton’s assessment decreased -10 to +15 per cent. The market value of
Lytton’s properties jumped to an average house price of $140,000 from $130,000, while Clinton rose to an average price of $106,000 from $102,000. Lillooet’s 2015 property assessment is in the -10 to + 10 per cent range, their market value rising to an average price of $171,000 from $165,000. Logan Lake’s assessments are in the -10 to + 5 per cent range, with their market value dropping to an average house price of $211,000 from $218,000. In the next few days, owners of properties throughout the Thompson area can expect to receive their 2016 assessment notices which reflect market value as of July 1, 2015.
Interest in local business
Snow Days Jim Duncan and granddaughter Preslee, 5, clean up the latest deposit of snow on Tuesday morning at their Blue Sage bed and breakfast in Ashcroft.
by Wendy Coomber Business is looking up in the Ashcroft and Cache Creek area, with a record number of inquiries from potential business owners, according to Deb Arnott, manager of the Community Futures (CFDC) office in Ashcroft. “As of April, honest to goodness, I’ve never seen it so busy,” says Arnott. “We met our targets the first quarter - that has never happened.” CFDC is a federal program with 269 offices across Canada. Their mandate is to support small businesses in a variety of ways, including counselling and loans. Arnott says there were people walking into the office, phoning, people being referred. “I talked to people and asked them ‘How did you hear about us?’ It was word of mouth. Everybody said they heard of us through word of mouth. That took 25 years - and that’s why I believe business struggles to much - that’s how long it takes to get your name engrained
in the region so that when sombody wants something, they think of you. I was actually quite stunned.” A lot of it, she says, is people who come to town with their partner who has started a job here. They come with the skills to run a business but they don’t know where to start. She says that when she meets with couples, often one of them has been working out of town, and they want to be that family unit again. They may have come from a community of 25,000, she says. “I tell them to keep in mind this is a small community, keep in mind we’re right next to Kamloops.” “I’m seeing some younger clientele,” she says. “I’m seeing some clientele with families who are looking for a rural community so they can raise their kids in a safe place.” They just want to know where to start, so Arnott walks them through the steps. “I find that if I can keep encourSee CFDC on p. 10
GOLDEN COUNTRY YOUR HOMETOWN PROFESSIONAL REAL ESTATE AGENTS 250-453-2225 •1-800-557-7355 remaxashcroft@telus.net
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