As the Nicola Valley says goodbye to 2022 and welcomes a new year with open arms, Merrittonians are setting their sights on a year of community and giving back. Making a New Year’s resolution is a common tradition in many countries around the world, where individuals resolve to drop a bad habit, accomplish a personal goal, or continue overall good practices.
A good mix of these general principles can be found in the resolutions of Merrittonians, who aim to shop local and support each other in the new year. The Herald put out calls on social media for submissions of resolutions for 2023, and spoke to a number of local residents regarding their goals and hopes for the year ahead.
“I’d like to share more of the downtown area, some stores have been there for years,” said Joan Maria Brisebois in a Facebook comment.
“Fields, Black’s Pharmacy, Creative Company. At one time that’s where everyone did their shopping. Our downtown is special to me, that’s where I did most of my shopping every season, always looking for specials on school supplies.”
Merritt’s downtown core has been a staple of the community since its inception, acting as a hub for local businesses and services. In addition to drawing support for the downtown area, some locals hope to add to it with their business ideas.
Local resident Anna Cainey explained she hopes to take a “leap of faith” in the New Year, and is planning to open what she described as her dream business, a candy store. Her goal may be ambitious, but the possible challenges aren’t enough to make Cainey back down.
“I have always wanted to open my own business. You can’t let the fear of striking out keep you from playing the game,” said Cainey.
Other locals are focused on their philanthropic endeavours in the new year, including the increasingly popular concept around random acts of kindness. Random acts of kindness are defined as a non premeditated action designed to offer kindness towards others. Merritt resident Susan Innis Doncaster shared that she hopes to complete an act of kindness every month of 2023.
It is clear that Merrittonians are focused on supporting the community and its members in 2023, with acts of kindness and shop local campaigns appearing consistently throughout community members’ New Year’s resolutions. In 2023, Merritt is the place to be.
