The Proprietor Review

Published Monthly By :

KDG Communications Merritt BC CA

Volume 3 Issue 1

Jan 1 2010

The year in review Merritt British Columbia Canada: 2009:

Two thousand nine CE, saw some changes in the local  character of Merritt. A Vancouvering  in the sence that lower world activities more associated with large cities saw some effect in Merritt. In part due to the attitudes and activities in the Lower Mainland to clean up and put  on their best  to  the invited and subscribing guests to the Olympics in February. Twenty six documented homeless people were enumerated and shelter against severer weather arranged.

The Staff Sargent reported that 2009 had 1900 prisoners in a recent calendar year.The soup kitchen at St Micheal’s is said by a source to have accommodated 1100 free hot meals some months. A local accounted experiencing two attempts at  fraud in a local food chain, one unsuccessful where a man attempted to twice hide in a store to be locked in and bungled an attempt to  disable  motion detectors protecting the pharmacy. Another succesful,when a couple returned a major electronic  piece with a receipt from the day before and another  piece removed from a shelf  by the partner, netting the appliance and the cash paid for it. Thats a two hundred percent return on investment for 24 hours.

This is tough stuff for a community of 7200 people on a major transportation route. A trading area of as some say 17000 and a little microcosm of people from asian, indigenous and european extraction  makes us a forum for things that can be tried and tested without broad results. We had a renewed interest by the social development agency SPARC last year and the last edition of the oldest serving local  paper said the local police have now be credited for closing a record number of files; the most in Canada per capita , according to the Federal Solicitor General. We hope this signals a trend and better times ahead, after February and perhaps  the perpetrators will feel less scrutinized in the big city hosting the Olympics.

The Film Society adjourned for Christmas after hosting four of the six films in their season.The head of the society is a former hospital administrator giving reason for the imbalance of end of life and medical themes of last years films.  Perhaps not so random to the fact that three nursing homes came on stream or up to speed in the last year or just before. However it was good to see a good mix of older and younger (  younger mostly  press) attendees to the films.

Numbers of eating establishments changed hands, closed, or opened, not least among them Brambles Bakery and Cafe taking the place of a well established Navarino Steak and Pizza.One Korean Sushi place is sorely missed.

The Walk of Stars lost its first round to bring the Country Music Hall of Honor to Merritt,as there was  a tax revolt in a public meeting explaining  the grant needed from local government necessary to secure the two senior levels of Governments committed support. However the Spirit Legacy Square was opened, complete with Olympic Mascots, The Higgins and many country star murals.

The local tourist both reported eleven thousand visits and we note the similarity with the soup kitchen stats however we are quite sure they were not related. We appreciate all the interest in the town and rural proximity, especially to those visiting from Europe and the Middle East.

The year 2009  past without incident in my experience here in Merritt.

Prediction Prose:

2010:  If its going to be its up to me…….