Merritt, British Columbia facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Merritt
City
City of Merritt
Merritt seen from Norgaard Lookout in 2019
Flag Coat of arms
Motto(s):  "Flourish Under The Sun"
Merritt Location in British Columbia Show map of British Columbia Merritt Location in Canada Show map of Canada
Country	Canada
Province	British Columbia
Regional district	Thompson-Nicola
Settled	1893 (townsite)
Incorporated
- city  - village  - town  - city	April 1, 1911 January 1, 1958 January 1, 1965 December 15, 1981
Area
• Total	26.04 km2 (10.05 sq mi)
Elevation	605 m (1,985 ft)
Population  (2021)
• Total	7,051
• Density	270.78/km2 (701.31/sq mi)
Demonym(s)	Merrittonian
Time zone	UTC−08:00 (PST)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−07:00 (PDT)
Forward sortation area	V1K
Area code(s)	250, 778, 236, 672
Highways	Hwy 5 Hwy 5A Hwy 8 Hwy 97C
NTS Map	092I02
GNBC Code	JCBSO

Merritt is a city in the Nicola Valley of south-central British Columbia, Canada. It is about 270 kilometers northeast of Vancouver. Merritt is located where the Nicola River and Coldwater River meet. It's the first big town you reach after driving on Phase One of the Coquihalla Highway. Merritt is also a gateway to other major highways in the B.C. Interior. The city started in 1893 when parts of ranches owned by William Voght, Jesus Garcia, and John Charters were set aside for a town.

Merritt was once called Forksdale. In 1906, it was renamed to honor William Hamilton Merritt III, a mining engineer. The city has many parks, historical sites, an aquatic center, and a public library. You can see bronzed handprints of country music stars around town. These are from the former annual Merritt Mountain Music Festival. Merritt also has a local radio station and a weekly newspaper. The Nicola Valley Institute of Technology campus is here too. Nearby, there are four provincial parks, many lakes, and fun trails. Merritt is a popular spot for festivals and outdoor activities.

Highway 5 and Highway 97C cross paths in Merritt. Highway 97C East goes to Kelowna and Penticton. Highway 97C Northwest leads to Logan Lake. Highway 8 connects to Spences Bridge and Lillooet. Highway 5A South goes to Princeton, and Highway 5A North to Kamloops. Highway 5 South leads to Hope, and Highway 5 North to Kamloops. Merritt's main jobs are in forestry, tourism, and services.

History of Merritt

For many years, the Merritt area was a meeting place for early European settlers and First Nations people. This was because important travel routes passed through the area. In the mid-1800s, settlers became interested in the grasslands for ranching. They started the first ranches here.

In the 1880s, three ranches became the center of a farming community called "The Forks." These ranches were owned by William Voght, Jesus Garcia, and the John Charters Estate. They were located where the Nicola River and Coldwater River meet. After the Canadian Pacific Railway was finished in 1885, people became more interested in the coal found south of The Forks.

In 1893, parts of the ranches were planned for a townsite called Forksdale. But the local people didn't like the name. So, in 1906, it was changed to Merritt. This honored William Hamilton Merritt III, who helped build railways and mines. By 1907, the coal mines were working. A railway from Spences Bridge was also completed. Government offices and other businesses began moving to Merritt. This made Merritt the main town in the Nicola Valley.

Armstrong's Store moved to Merritt in 1907. G.B. Armstrong became Merritt's first postmaster in 1908. In 1909, the Bank of Montreal also moved to Merritt. Other businesses like ranching, mining (for copper, nickel, gold, and silver), and forestry grew in the Nicola Valley. This led to new buildings being built.

Merritt officially became a city on April 1, 1911. The first City Hall was built in 1912. It had police offices, city offices, and a jail. It also had a fire hall with a whistle to call the volunteer firefighters. Merritt named its streets after early settlers, like Charters, Garcia, and Nicola.

As the town grew, it got a drug store, a general store, and a jewelry store. The city started providing electricity in February 1913.

Merritt faced tough times in the 1930s due to new trade laws in the United States. The city had supported a large sawmill, and when lumber sales dropped, Merritt had financial problems from 1933 to 1952.

In the 1950s, many Sikh immigrants from India came to Merritt. More arrived in the late 1960s and early 1970s to work in the growing forestry industry. These Indo-Canadians are still a big part of Merritt's economy. Many businesses, including Aspen Planers Ltd., are owned by members of this group.

In November 2021, the whole city had to evacuate. This happened after heavy rain and floods damaged the city's wastewater treatment plant. Residents found shelter with family or in nearby cities like Kamloops and Kelowna. Since then, Merritt has recovered well. Roads have been rebuilt, a bridge replaced, and dikes constructed. The city is still improving its buildings and attracting new projects.

City Layout

Merritt in winter

Merritt has four main living areas: Bench, Collettville, Central, and Diamondvale.

• Bench is a residential area on a mountain slope on the northwest side of the valley.
• Collettville is on the southwest edge of the community, south of the Coldwater River. It was the newest area added to Merritt.
• Central is located south of the city center.
• Diamond Vale is in the middle of the valley and has the most people.

Each area has an elementary school: Bench Elementary, Collettville Elementary and French Immersion, Central Elementary, and Diamond Vale Elementary. There is also a high school, Merritt Secondary School, for the whole area. The main office for School District 58 Nicola-Similkameen, which runs the schools, is in Merritt. The town also has the Nicola Valley Museum and Archives.

Businesses and Jobs

Today, the main jobs in Merritt are in ranching, farming, forestry, transportation, and tourism. Merritt is the closest large town to the Douglas Lake Cattle Company. This is Canada's largest working cattle ranch.

Merritt used to host the annual Merritt Mountain Music Festival. At its busiest in 2005, about 148,000 people attended. This festival, along with the Merritt Walk of Stars (bronzed handprints of music artists), helped Merritt become known as the Country Music Capital of Canada.

Merritt's good location means it can host many events. These include the Pacific Forest Rally, an off-road rally that is part of the Canadian Rally Championship. The annual winter Thunderbird Rally also often starts and ends in Merritt. The Bass Coast Festival happens every July. It features electronic music and creative arts, bringing people from all over North America. The yearly Labour Day Rodeo and Fall Fair are old traditions in this ranching valley. They attract people from Canada and the US.

Filming Location

Merritt has been a filming location for several movies and TV shows.

• The movie The Sweet Hereafter, which was nominated for an Academy Award, was filmed here.
• The first episode of Smallville was partly filmed in Merritt.
• Jack Nicholson's movie The Pledge and the 2006 remake of The Wicker Man also filmed scenes in the area.
• In 2013, Shana: The Wolf's Music was released. It's a drama about a First Nations girl growing up.
• Jurassic World Dominion filmed in Merritt in early 2020, including the downtown area.

Many commercials are also filmed in the Nicola Valley. Merritt is part of the Thompson-Nicola Film Commission. This group helps movies and TV shows film in the area.

Music Scene

The Merritt Mountain Music Festival was a big outdoor music festival. It hosted country stars like Kenny Chesney and Reba McEntire. The festival stopped in 2012.

In 2013, the Bass Coast Music Festival moved to Merritt. This festival features different kinds of music, from soul and reggae to electronic music. It happens every July.

In 2015, the Rockin' River Music Fest started in Merritt. It was a country music festival, bringing back the genre after the Mountain Music Festival ended. Lady Antebellum was a main performer in 2015. The Rockin' River Music Fest stopped its events in Merritt after the Covid-19 pandemic.

Sports and Recreation

Merritt is home to the Merritt Centennials, a Junior A Hockey team. They are the longest-running team in BC's Junior A Hockey. The team joined the Kootenay International Junior A Hockey League. The Centennials moved to Merritt in 1973. They play their home games at the Nicola Valley Memorial Arena. Their season runs from September to March.

Merritt also hosts the Nicola Valley Pro Rodeo every year on Labour Day weekend.

The city has the Nicola Valley Thunder minor lacrosse club.

The Pacific Forest Rally, a round of the Canadian Rally Championship, is held near Merritt each year. This international event is shown on TV.

Merritt and the Nicola Valley have two golf courses. The Merritt Golf and Country Club is in downtown Merritt. Sagebrush Golf Club is just north of town on Nicola Lake. It is currently rated as BC's #1 public course.

Merritt has a skateboard park, a bike park, and many walking trails. Monck Provincial Park is on the western shore of Nicola Lake, about 22 kilometers north of Merritt. It's a great place for camping, picnicking, swimming, fishing, boating, water-skiing, wind-surfing, and hiking.

The Merritt Panthers high school teams play boys' and girls' volleyball, basketball, and rugby.

There is also a local slo-pitch softball league and the Merritt Otters swim club. The swim club uses the Nicola Valley Aquatic Centre.

Media in Merritt

Merritt has its own local radio station, Q101 Merritt's Music Mix (101.1 FM, CKMQ-FM). It is owned locally and is independent. Q101 also shares news and broadcasts the BCHL's Merritt Centennials hockey games.

Merritt has a weekly newspaper called the Merritt Herald. It is published every Thursday. Shaw TV and TELUS PureFibre Internet and Optik TV also serve Merritt.

Climate

Merritt has a climate with warm summers and cold winters.

Nearby Communities

	Logan Lake	Kamloops	Quilchena
	Lower Nicola		Nicola Lake
		Merritt
	Hope	Brookmere	Aspen Grove