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	April 1, 1911 (city)
	1967 (district)
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. It's about 270 kilometers northeast of Vancouver. Merritt is located where the Nicola and Coldwater rivers meet. It's the first big community you see after driving on the Coquihalla Highway. Merritt acts as a main hub for other major highways leading into British Columbia's Interior.

The city started in 1893 when parts of big ranches were set aside for a town. These ranches were owned by William Voght, Jesus Garcia, and John Charters. It was first called Forksdale, but in 1906, it was renamed Merritt. This was to honor William Hamilton Merritt III, who was a mining engineer and helped build railways.

The city covers about 26 square kilometers. It has parks, historical spots, a swimming center, an arena, a public library, and a community center. You can find dozens of bronze handprints of country music stars around town. These are from artists who visited for the yearly Merritt Mountain Music Festival. Merritt also has a local radio station, a weekly newspaper, and a college campus called Nicola Valley Institute of Technology. Nearby, there are four provincial parks, many lakes, and fun trails. Merritt is known as the "Country Music Capital of Canada" because of its many country music attractions and events.

Several important roads meet in Merritt. These include Highway 5, Highway 97C, Highway 8, and Highway 5A. These highways connect Merritt to other cities like Kelowna, Penticton, Logan Lake, Spences Bridge, Lillooet, Princeton, Kamloops, and Hope. Merritt's economy mainly relies on logging, tourism, and services.

A Look at Merritt's Past

For many years, the Merritt area was a popular meeting place. Both early European settlers and First Nations people gathered here. This was because important travel routes passed through the area. Over time, the grassy lands attracted settlers who wanted to start ranching. The first ranches were set up in the mid-1800s.

How Merritt Began

In the 1880s, three ranches became a central spot for 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 and Coldwater Rivers meet. After the Canadian Pacific Railway was finished in British Columbia in 1885, people became more interested in the coal found south of The Forks.

In 1893, parts of the Voght, Garcia, and Charters ranches were measured out for a town site called Forksdale. However, the local people didn't like that name. So, in 1906, the name was changed to Merritt. This new name honored William Hamilton Merritt III, who was a mining engineer and helped promote railways. By 1907, the coal mines were working. A railway from Spences Bridge was also completed. Because of this, government and other offices started moving from Lower and Upper Nicola to Merritt. This made Merritt the main settlement in the Nicola Valley.

Growth and Development

Armstrong's Store moved to Nicola Avenue in Merritt in the spring of 1907. G.B. Armstrong became Merritt's first postmaster there in 1908. In 1910, Armstrong's Department Store moved to 2025 Quilchena Avenue. The Bank of Montreal also moved to Merritt from the settlement of Nicola in 1909. Other businesses grew in the Valley, including ranching, mining for copper, nickel, gold, and silver, and forestry. This led to new business buildings being constructed.

The idea to make Merritt an official city began in 1910. On April 1, 1911, Merritt officially became a city. The first Merritt City Hall was built in 1912. The top floor was for police, the middle for offices, and the bottom for the jail. The building also had a fire hall and a tower with a whistle. This whistle would call the volunteer firefighters when needed.

Merritt named its streets and avenues after early settlers. Some of these names include Charters, Chapman, Cleasby, Garcia, Voght, Coutlee, Nicola, Granite, and Quilchena. As the town grew, it added a drug store, a general store, a brewery, and a jewelry store. The city started providing electrical power in February 1913.

Challenges and Changes

Merritt and the Nicola Valley did well until the United States passed new trade laws in 1930. These laws made it hard to sell lumber. Since the city had supported one of the big sawmills, the loss of lumber sales caused the city to have financial problems from 1933 to 1952.

In the 1950s, a new group of immigrants, mainly Sikh people from the Punjab region of India, came to Merritt. More arrived in the late 1960s and early 1970s. They came to work in the busy logging industry at that time. These Indo-Canadians have added to Merritt's diverse culture. They continue to be important to the economy. For example, Aspen Planers Ltd., a major employer, and many other businesses, restaurants, and hotels in Merritt are owned by members of this group.

In 2021, the entire city had to be evacuated. This happened after heavy rain and flooding caused the city's wastewater treatment plant to stop working. Residents had to find shelter outside the community or in emergency centers in Kamloops and Kelowna.

Merritt's Layout

Merritt in winter

Merritt has four main living areas: Bench, Collettville, Central, and Diamondvale. The Bench area is on a mountain bench on the northwest side of the valley. Collettville is on the southwest edge of the community, south of the Coldwater River. Central is located at the south of the city center. Diamond Vale is in the middle of the valley and has the most people living there.

Each area has its own 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 also in Merritt. The town also has the Nicola Valley Museum and Archives, where you can learn about local history.

Local Businesses and Fun Activities

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

Merritt used to host the yearly Merritt Mountain Music Festival. At its busiest in 2005, about 148,000 people came to this festival. The Mountain Music Festival, along with the Merritt Walk of Stars, helped the city become known as the "Country Music Capital of Canada." The Walk of Stars shows bronze handprints of artists who performed at the festival. There's also the Merritt Walk of Stars Mural Project, painted by artist Michelle Loughery, and the Canadian Country Music Hall of Fame.

Merritt's great location allows it to host many events. These include the West Coast Rally Association's Pacific Forest Rally, which is part of the Canadian Rally Championship series every October. The annual winter Thunderbird Rally also often starts and ends in Merritt. The Bass Coast Festival happens every year on the BC Day weekend. 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 all over Canada and the US.

Merritt in Movies

Merritt has been a filming location for several movies and TV shows. The Academy Award-nominated movie The Sweet Hereafter was filmed here. Parts of the first episode of Smallville were also shot in Merritt. Jack Nicholson's movie The Pledge and the 2006 remake of The Wicker Man were partly filmed in the area. In 2013, Shana: The Wolf's Music, a drama about a First Nations girl, was released. It was set in a First Nations location nearby. The movie Jurassic World Dominion also filmed in Merritt's downtown area in early 2020.

The Nicola Valley is also a popular spot for shooting commercials. Merritt is part of the Thompson-Nicola Film Commission. This group helps movies and TV shows find places to film in the area.

Music Scene

The Merritt Mountain Music Festival was a big outdoor music festival in Merritt. In 2005, it had a record number of about 148,000 visitors over six days. Over the years, it featured famous country stars like Kenny Chesney, Reba McEntire, and Wynonna Judd. The festival stopped running after the summer of 2012.

In 2013, the Bass Coast Music Festival moved to Merritt. It happens on the BC Day weekend (early August). Bass Coast offers many types of music, from soul and reggae to electronic music, house, and techno.

In 2015, the Rockin' River Music Fest started in Merritt. This was the first country music festival back in the city since the Merritt Mountain Music Festival ended. Lady Antebellum was one of the main performers in 2015.

Sports and Recreation

Merritt is home to the Merritt Centennials, a hockey team in the British Columbia Hockey League. They have been playing for a long time. The Centennials moved to the Nicola Valley in the middle of the 1973–74 season. They play their home games at the Nicola Valley Memorial Arena. Their season runs from early September to early March.

Merritt also hosts the Nicola Valley Pro Rodeo every year on the Saturday and Sunday of Labour Day weekend. Merritt is also home to the Nicola Valley Thunder minor lacrosse club.

A round of the Canadian Rally Championship, called the Pacific Forest Rally, takes place each year in and around Merritt. This international motorsport event is shown on TV in Canada and Europe.

Merritt and the Nicola Valley have two golf courses. There's the Merritt Golf and Country Club in downtown Merritt. The Quilchena on the Lake Golf Course is about 15 minutes east of the city at historic Quilchena.

Merritt also 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 compete in 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 and News

Merritt has its own local radio station, Q101 Merritt's Music Mix, at 101.1 FM. CKMQ-FM is owned locally and is an independent radio station. Q101 also shares news and broadcasts the BCHL's Merritt Centennials hockey games. The station first started in 1970 as AM 1230, called CJNL. In 2009, it moved to the FM band.

Merritt has a weekly newspaper called the Merritt Herald, which comes out on Thursdays. Merritt also receives TV service from Shaw TV and internet and TV services from TELUS PureFibre.

Population and People

In the 2021 Census, Merritt had a population of 7,051 people. They lived in 2,975 homes. This was a small change from its 2016 population of 7,139. The city covers about 26.04 square kilometers of land.

Different Backgrounds

Merritt is a place where people from many different backgrounds live.

Religious Beliefs

According to the 2021 census, many people in Merritt do not follow a specific religion. However, there are also many Christians and Sikhs.

Weather in Merritt

Merritt has a humid continental climate. This means it has warm summers and cold, snowy winters.

Nearby Communities

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

Images for kids

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  Merritt seen from Norgaard Lookout in 2019