Poppy campaign kicks off in Merritt with Legion
Poppy boxes are once again distributed around Merritt businesses for Remembrance Day.
Category: History
Nicola Valley Pro Rodeo returns for 63rd year
Some traditions never die in a town like Merritt. The countdown has begun for what is considered...
BRIDGE: fox farms formerly a big business in the Nicola Valley
While the Nicola Valley is well known for it’s farms, one of its lesser known farms were that of fox farms.
Citxw Nlaka’pamux Assembly acquires historic City of Merritt courthouse
Looking to connect the community and provide a culturally safe environment, the Citxw Nlaka’pamux Assembly (CNA) has acquired the historic City of Merritt courthouse and will renovate it to house some of their programming.
Merritt’s visitor information centre sees increase in travellers for first half of 2023
A report to Merritt City Council at its most recent regular meeting shows that the number of visitors stopping in the Nicola Valley is up overall through the first six months of 2023.
Provincial writing award presented by former Lieutenant Governor and Nicola Valley resident
The 40th annual award was presented by former Lieutenant Governor and long time Nicola Valley resident, Judith Guichon, at the BCHF’s conference in Princeton, B.C.
There’s iron in the hills: Iron Mountain’s history of luring in prospectors
While Iron Mountain has never undergone a major mining operation, it has held the interest of mining companies for well over 100 years.
From Boy Scouts to the Canadian Air Force: Merritt Airman Jim Hardy
Growing up, Jim Hardy was a member of the local boy scouts, was an actor in the MSS’s version of Shakespeare’s The Merchant of Venice, was the captain of his midget hockey team and led his team to a championship, and was also a proficient baseball player.
Indigenous History Month an opportunity for learning and reflection
It takes more than one month to familiarize oneself with a nation’s culture and history, but National Indigenous History Month is a good start for those who want to learn about how Canada’s Indigenous population persevered through centuries of colonialism.
Local Indigenous veteran lives a life of service
Despite retiring several years ago, Grand Chief Percy Joe is not slowing down, and continues to advocate for First Nations veterans across Canada.
Long awaited monument honouring Indigenous veterans unveiled
The long anticipated unveiling of a new monument honouring First Nations veterans from the Nicola Valley took place in Shulus last weekend, with hundreds gathering to mark the occasion and pay tribute to those whose sacrifices often went unnoticed and unappreciated.
Olla Standish: from Head Matron to major entrepreneur
One of the women practising nursing in Merritt was Olla Standish, the first head matron of the Nicola Valley General Hospital.
Granite Avenue the namesake of historic mining city
Granite Avenue is named after Granite City, a gold mining city that sat on the banks of the Tulameen River to the southeast of Tulameen and Coalmont.
Diamondvale Mine explosion of 1912 killed seven workers
The gasses that had been lying dormant in the tunnel had now been kicked up with the increased ventilation, and this combined with the coal dust in the air and the open lamp, and set off a series of explosions throughout the tunnels.
Rebekah’s at centre of new museum exhibit
The latest display at the Nicola Valley Museum and Archives (NVMA) features a local service organization that has existed in Merritt for over one hundred years, showcasing an impressive history of service and selflessness by a group of Nicola Valley women.
Historical Nicola Valley hotel chronicled in posthumous book
A posthumous book is set to release in May, and it discusses the many historic hotels in the Southern Interior of B.C., including one in the Nicola Valley.
Local war veteran commemorated with a plaque displayed in the Merritt Legion
This past January, the foundation has sent a plaque to the Royal Canadian Legion Branch 96 in honour of veteran William John Dunnigan.
The History of the Merritt RCMP
In March of 1920, federal agents with the newly established Royal Canadian Mountain Police (RCMP) made their way to the Nicola Valley to establish a detachment in Merritt. Still operating today, the Merritt RCMP has a storied history in the community, which all started with a handful of constables, horses, and basic equipment.
Mystery cowboy discussed during Nicola Valley Museum and Archives’ AGM
Another ongoing project of the NVMA is the organization’s hunt for the identity of a local cowboy that resided in the Nicola Valley nearly 100 years ago.
Remembering a distinguished founding member of the local museum
Sigurd spent most of his life in Merritt, even winning Citizen of the Year in 1992. He is also one of the founding members of the Nicola Valley Museum and Archives, donating most of the James Teit works and artifacts that could be viewed there today.
