Merritt, British Columbia
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| Motto: "A lake a day as long as your stay." "Country Music Capital of Canada" | |
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| Census Division | |
| Regional District | Thompson-Nicola |
| Area: | 24.9 km² |
| Founded | |
| Incorporated | 1911 |
| Population:
City |
7,088 (2001) |
| Population density: | 284.7/km² |
| Time zone: | Pacific: UTC -8 |
| Postal code span: | |
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Latitude: |
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| Elevation: | m MSL |
| Highways | Highway 5 Highway 97C |
| Waterways | |
| Mayor: | |
| Governing body: | Merritt City Council |
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1(sc) According to the Canada 2001 Census.Template:Canadian City/Extra references= Template help Edit Template  |
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Merritt, British Columbia (location ) is a town located in the Nicola Valley in the Thompson-Nicola Regional District. Its total land area is 3614.44 square kilometers. Its elevation is 595 meters (1,950 ft.).
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[edit] History
For years, the Merritt area was used as a gathering place by local First Nations groups and a transportation route by early pioneers. The grasslands eventually drew the attention of settlers interested in ranching, and the first ranches were staked in the mid-1800s. Eventually, a central settlement was formed. Originally named Forks, or Forksdale (so named for its position between the Nicola and Coldwater Rivers), it was originally settled by William Henry Voght in 1872, and later promoted as a townsite because of the proposed railway. In 1911, it received its first charter. The first industries in the area were coal and farming; forestry followed along shortly thereafter.
[edit] The Community
Merritt is composed of five distinct residential areas: Bench, Collettville, Central, Diamondvale, and Lower Nicola. The Bench is a residential mountain bench, hence the name, sited on the northwest side of the valley. Collettville, on the southwest edge of the community south of the Coldwater River, is the newest addition to Merritt, joining the municipality in 1995. Central is situated at the south of the city centre. Diamondvale is in the heart of the valley, and is the most populated. Lower Nicola is about ten kilometres outside of the city of Merritt, but most residents are serviced by and work in the city. Each area is served by an elementary school: Bench Elementary, Collettville Elementary (French Immersion), Central Elementary, Diamondvale Elementary, and finally Nicola-Canford Elementary. Also, a high school, Merritt Secondary, and a middle school, Coquihalla Middle School, service the area. The main office for School District 58 Nicola-Similkameen which operates the schools in the area is also located in Merritt.
[edit] Commerce and industry
Today, ranching, farming, forestry, transportation and tourism are the primary industries. Merritt is the nearest large community to the Douglas Lake Cattle Company, Canada's largest working cattle ranch. A number of lumber mills operate from Merritt, though recent efforts have been made to remove working mills from the downtown core due to air quality concerns. Merritt hosts a yearly Merritt Mountain Music Festival that draws more than 120,000 people every July. The Mountain Music Festival, combined with the development of the Merritt Walk of Stars - a display of bronzed handprints of Mountainfest artists placed around the community - and other tourism development activities have been used to solidify the city's branding as the Country Music Capital of Canada. It is the centre of three branches of the Coquihalla Highways. A newer feature in Merritt is the Pacific Forest Rally, an off-road rally conducted as part of the Canadian Rally Championship series every October. The annual Thunderbird Rally often begins and ends in Merritt.
[edit] Merritt on film
The debut episode of Smallville was partly filmed on location in Merritt. Sean Penn's The Pledge (2000) and the remake of The Wicker Man (2006) were also filmed partly in the area.
[edit] Environment
In 1995, Merritt's air quality was rated worst in British Columbia due to fine particulate matter in the air, thought to be caused by a combination of dry desert conditions, active lumber mills in populated areas especially using a beehive burner, and a long-burning coal seam underneath the town. In 1997 studies showed that on average, 35 out of 1,000 people are hospitalized for respiratory problems each year in Merritt.
[edit] Trivia
Merritt is the home of professional wrestler Johnny Devine, who wrestles for Total Nonstop Action Wrestling in Orlando, Florida.
[edit] External links
- City website
- Merritt Walk of Stars
- Community Futures Development Corp. of Nicola Valley
- Merritt & District Chamber of Commerce
- Douglas Lake Ranch
- Merritt Mountain Music Festival
- Rally BC, organizers of the Pacific Forest Rally
- Upper Nicola Indian Band
- Tour
- Country Star Murals
- Historic Baillie House/ Merritt Visitor Information Booth
