Merritt (British Columbia)
| Merritt | |||
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| Location in British Columbia | |||
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| State : |
 Canada
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| Province : | British Columbia | ||
| Regional District : | Thompson Nicola | ||
| Coordinates : | 50 ° 7 ′ N , 120 ° 47 ′ W | ||
| Height : | 454 m | ||
| Area : | 24.9 km² | ||
| Residents : | 7113 (as of 2011) | ||
| Population density : | 285.7 inhabitants / km² | ||
| Time zone : | Pacific Time ( UTC − 8 ) | ||
| Postal code : | V1K | ||
| Website : | www.merritt.ca | ||
Merritt is located in the Nicola Valley, in southern British Columbia . The place was founded under the name Forksdale in 1893 and then renamed Merritt in honor of William Hamilton Merritt III. The community has about 7,000 inhabitants. The city is an important transport hub, as several highways go through the city area.
geography
Merritt was founded at the confluence of the Nicola Rivers and the Coldwater Rivers. This is located in southern British Columbia, in the central highlands between the Coast Mountains and the Rocky Mountains .
climate
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Average monthly temperatures and rainfall for Merritt, BC
Source: Environment Canada
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history
Before the settlement by white immigrants, the area around Merritt was used by Indians , the First Nations, as a meeting place. The Nicola Valley Museum and Archives was created to document their history .
The first settlers came to the area in the middle of the 19th century. At the end of the 1880s, three farms formed a merger under the name "The Forks", which was the cornerstone of the community. With the construction of the railway through British Columbia and coal discoveries south of The Forks, interest in the community increased. In 1893 the parish was then named Forksdale, but this name did not catch on. A mining engineer and supporter of railroad construction in the area named William Hamilton Merritt III had a great influence on the place and so in 1906 Forksdale was renamed Merritt in his honor. On April 1, 1911, Merritt was promoted to town.
Demographics
The census in 2011 showed a population of 7,113 inhabitants for the small town. The population has increased by 1.6% compared to the 2006 census, while the population in British Columbia grew by 7% at the same time.
politics
Merritt is ruled by an eight-member council, chaired by Mayor Susan Roline.
traffic
The city lies at the meeting point of several highways. Highway 5 is an important north-south connection on the western edge of the city . From the east comes the so-called Highway 97C (Okanagan Connector), which connects Kelowna with Merritt and, in conjunction with Highway 5, represents the shortest connection between Kelowna and Vancouver . The highway crosses the center of Merritt and continues towards Cache Creek in a northwest direction.
A few kilometers from the city limits meets Highway 5A of Princeton on the Okanagan Connector. This highway runs up to Highway 5 together with Highway 97C, then leads a short distance together with Highway 5 and then leads north again as a parallel route to Highway 5 to Kamloops . West of Merritt, Highway 8 , which runs from Spences Bride in the Thompson River Valley, meets Highway 97C.
Web links
- City page of Merritt (Engl.)
- Side of the centennial (Engl.)
- Chamber of Commerce of Merritt (Engl.)
Individual evidence
- ↑ Statistics Canada (2011 Census). Merritt Community Profile , accessed July 5, 2012
- ^ City Council of Merritt