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Welcome to Williams Lake, indeed.

Leah Selk, Coordinator at the Central Cariboo Arts and Culture Society has had this postcard on her fridge for some time now, and thought this weekend might be a good time to share it.

“I bought it off eBay years ago while I was in Montreal feeling homesick and nostalgic,” Leah said. “This sign used to be (close to) where the current ‘Welcome to Williams Lake’ sign is, and on the side leaving town it said ‘Goodbye and Good Luck’.”

(Postcard of the 'original' Welcome to Williams Lake sign.)

The Tl'etinqox-t'in riders left their camp at Sheep Creek Bridge at about noon today on the last leg of their annual horse and bike ride to the Williams Lake Stampede.

Since 2002, each year the riders invite other communities to join them in the five-day ride. “We have some riders from Yunest’in along this year,” said Randy Billyboy, Councillor for the Tl-etinqox. The riders left the Tl’etinqox gas bar on Sunday, June 23 at about noon. They’ve hosted Lahal tournaments, drumming, had games for youth, took part in a couple small gymkhanas along the way in addition to enjoying story telling by Elders and visiting around the campfire.

Excitement was in the air on Friday evening as kids of all ages sped down 4th Avenue at the second annual Soap Box Derby sponsored by Cariboo GM and the Horsepower Hooligans.

There were tough-looking replica Jeeps, unibody hot rods decorated with flames and covered with sponsor stickers, while the main body of some of the racers consisted of a slightly modified wheel barrow. Some soaps were constructed of nothing but plywood -- including the steering wheel, and had a hockey stick for a brake handle. The thing they all had in common was that they brought smiles to their occupants, as well as the large crowd of spectators.

The 'Cataline Ringers' handchime choir performed for the Cariboo Child Development Centre pre-school graduation ceremonies on June 18 at Boitanio Park.

12 students ranging from grade 4 to grade 7 from Cataline Elementary, who have been playing since Christmas, played several pieces. One of the pieces performed, a new style for the group, was the story of the ‘Three Bears’. This musical method of story-telling through music was as huge of a hit with the younger children as it was with the adults. The chimes complimented the actions that were happening as the story was being told.

(Click HERE to watch a video of the performanace.)

This weekend the Williams Lake Indian Band is hosted the annual Chief Will-Yum Father’s Day Pow-Wow, which included a hand-drumming contest, a traditional feast, and a princess pageant during the three-day event.

This pow-wow is a modern variation of the traditional event where both First Nations and non-First Nations people meet to dance, sing, socialize, and honor the First Nations culture. Dancers dress up in traditional regalia with intricate quill and beadwork, feathers, breechclothes, buckskin leggings, moccasins and head dresses.  Everyone participates from the youngest tribe members to the elders. It is friendly and inviting, and the drumming is most enjoyable.

The Cariboo Driving and Draft Horse Club provided wagon rides to Williams Lake seniors earlier this week, an annual event that is widely anticipated by all involved.

The club members brought teams of horses and wagons, including the wheelchair accessible wagon, to the seniors residence on Western Avenue where interested the residents, their family members and care aides were invited to ride along.

The Canada Day celebration in Boitanio Park this year will be filled with family fun in the afternoon.

Boitanio Park will be filled with folks as the celebrations kick off at 2:00pm with a blessing by the T’exelc Williams Lake Indian Band and a welcome by City and CRD representatives.   Quintet Plus, Willow and the Williams Lake Community Band will provide music for the celebration.

Cariboo GM and local car club 'Horsepower Hooligans' are hosting the second annual Soap Box Derby in Williams Lake on Friday, June 21.

Their first event was well-attended last year, and caused a great deal of reminiscing amongst parents about their ‘derby days’. Horsepower Hooligans president, John Paul Albinati, remembers talking to one gentleman who described his first soap box derby car as being his mother’s ironing board with a 2x4 plank attached to the bottom, some wheels bolted on to that and a rope affixed near the front to help steer – if you can call it that. “Basically, all the car needs to be able to do is steer, stop and not fall apart,” chuckled John Paul.

The Ministry of Transportation and the City of Williams Lake are hosting an open house to preview preliminary plans for the four-laning of approximately 1.5 km of Highway 97, 100 metres south of Carson Drive to 500 metres south of Fox Mountain Road.

Thirty-eight competitors formed nine squads made up of members from Williams Lake RCMP, RCMP Emergency Response Team, Conservation Service, Sherriff Service, Army and local (civilian) members of the International Practical Shooting Confederation (IPSC) and took part in an inter-agency shooting competition at the Williams Lake Sportsmen's Association gun range on Sunday.

This is the second year in a row that this event has taken place and is unique to Williams Lake. This year’s event grew autonomously, attracting several of the Sherriff Department competitors up from the Lower Mainland to participate and visit with their Williams Lake counterparts. This was also the first time that the Department of National Defence has participated in the event. The competitors had team names like the ‘Outcasts’ and ‘Girls With Guns’.