By Robert McAlaster, contributor.

On Jan. 25th City Council voted unanimously to extend an agreement between the Nicola Valley Heritage Society (NVHS) and the Baillie House to provide visitor services. 

Planning and Development Manager Don McArthur addressed Council at the regular City Council meeting with the proposal. Under the new extension, the City of Merritt agreed to pay the NVHS the sum of $52,133.20 for its operating services.

During the council meeting, McArthur explained that the funding amount requested is the same amount paid to the Nicola Valley Heritage Society in 2020 and 2021. “Staff have not included an inflationary increase, at all, being mindful of the city budget, especially post-flood,” McArthur told Council prior to the vote. 

“Of note,” McArthur continued, “the city will receive $25,000 from Destination BC.”

To qualify for this grant, McArthur explained further, the city would have to agree to provide “a minimum of 660 hours of in-person Visitor information services during the course of [2022],” demonstrating the need to partner with the NVHS to operate the Baillie house and fill this requirement.

According to the records from the council meeting, city staff were to initially present the report for the proposal at the November council meeting. However, due to the floods and staffing shortages, “staff did not have the capacity to address this prior to the end of the year.” The previous agreement officially expired on Dec. 31st, 2021.

The new agreement will run retroactively from Jan. 1st, 2022, to Dec. 31st, 2022 and will likely be required to secure a further extension prior to the end of the year.

Since 2008, the Merritt Visitor Information Center has been operated by the NVHS. The new extension ensures that the NVHS will continue to provide face-to-face visitor services “alongside online interactions, advertising, video promotions and targeted tourist attraction campaigns.”

The visitor centre is located at 2250 Voght Street in Merritt and is open 10am- 4pm Tuesday-Saturday.