To the seasons of life
File Photo: KD G
The Baillie is having its annual spring yard sale in the historic property located at 2202 Voght in Merritt. The property is run by the local historical society and they show the 1913 Edwardian home after the sale items are removed May 1st to September 30th yearly.
On this Day: February 2nd 1901
Queen Victoria’s funeral.
Urban living: this marmot takes advantage of a concrete pad for shelter.
Photo KDG
Ground hog day is tomorrow, see its shadow 6 more weeks of winter. Early morning observance is the current custom, if its cloudy it will be an early meteorological spring ( sometime before the Equinox.)
The observance is a cultural type.
On this Day: February 1st 1796
The capital of Upper Canada goes from Newark to York.
Coutlee and Voght
File Photo KDG
Some intersections have limited visibility, if someone misses the stop sign there is very little time to react.
Editors note: We believe that when approaching a limited visibility intersection the practice of taking your foot off the gas pedal and covering the brake with your foot will give you a split second that could make a difference .
On this Day: January 31st 1930
Scotch Tape is introduced to the market.
th
Cooking hamburgers
for hockey
File photo KDG
The local Albert and Walter on Voght street has a new dedicated hamburger for local stops. The burger is named after a member of the local junior hockey team.
The restaurant is also having theme nights for the team on nights when they are playing in town.
No its not made out of junior hockey players, stop by and find out the distinction. It is called the Jacob and its a Berger.
On this Day: January 27th 1824
Born: Urbain Johnson Canadian farmer and legislator, in New Brunswick.
One of 8 volumes of the environmental assessment. for the Lower Mainland 500 KV line. Hard copy at Public library.
File Photo :KDG
The completed work saw a 3rd lower mainland 500 KV line go through Merritt on its way to the Lower Mainland from Revelstoke. The project had rigorous permitting process and is complete since last year including a new substation here in Merritt .
The local 200 million dollar Green energy project is delayed opening until next fall a full year past the expected time. Something a private operation trys to avoid.
At this writing a small piece of the 138 KV line at central park is going underground. the poles it will be replacing were placed next to a housing walled community and a golf course.
On this Day: January 26th 1992
Russia announces that they are no longer targeting the west with missiles.
Anglican church interior, Merritt BC
File Photo KDG
The local Anglican community has a church and alter as well as some missions on local reserves in the BC interior. The alter solemnizes marriages and does services. the Church also have a kitchen in a hall that gives a free hot meal once a week to anyone with no questions asked. Because of dwindling numbers they sometimes share services with the United Church of Canada, kitty corner from them on Chapman Street in Merritt.
A matter of some confusion for Anglicans elsewhere in the world is that while the Anglican Church of Canada is a province of the Anglican Communion, the Ecclesiastical Province of Canada is merely one of four such ecclesiastical provinces of the Anglican Church of Canada. This confusion is furthered by the fact that Canada has ten civil provinces along with three territories
Marriage is a personal affair, many civil unions are tremendously successful.
On this Day: January 25th 1533
Henry the Eighth of England takes his second wife Anne Boleyn.
The dome of the Coldwater Hotel in Merritt.
Photo KDG
Dr. JJ Gillis had an office and a practice in this hotel for may of the years of the first half of the 20th century. The government long term care facility near the museum and archives in downtown Merritt, bears his name.
Gillis had the fortune or misfortune of being the member of the provincial legislature for two decades here. His time included the great depression and the second world war. Dealing with local Japanese citizens and coal mine s in the valley.
A graduate of Mcgill University in 1918 he was invited by a director of the Canadian Pacific Railway to Merritt as a Doctor. He was responsible for a work camp and he ran a nursing school at a Merritt Hospital .
A man in a wheel chair was covered head to toe by a blanket on the sidewalk during the December cold spell, when approached he said nothing a neighbor said his name is JJ and I some people left him there, ” I called the police” . The man then came alive and said ” leave me alone”. The police later were seen talking to him and it was resolved somehow.
Gillis was also the local coroner. He passed from this life in 1965: source
If the ghost of Dr. JJ Gillis visited and I was him I would say leave me alone.
RIP DR.Gillis
On this Day: January 24th 1972
Sgt .Shoichi Yokoi of the Imperial Japanese Army is found hiding in the Jungle since war end in 1945.
Despite hiding for twenty-eight years in an underground jungle cave, he had known since 1952 that World War II had ended.[5][6] He feared to come out of hiding, explaining, “We Japanese soldiers were told to prefer death to the disgrace of getting captured alive.”[1][5]
Yokoi was the third-to-last Japanese soldier to surrender after the war, preceding Second Lieutenant Hiroo Onoda (relieved from duty by his former commanding officer on 9 March 1974) and Private Teruo Nakamura (arrested 18 December 1974). source: Wikipedia
Still waters are great..
Photo KDG
On this Day January 20th 1981
Ronald Regan is made President of the United States, twenty minutes after Iran releases 0ver 50 American hostages.
The old court house on Nicola avenue , in Merritt.
File Photo
Photo KDG
Fran Mcmurchy and others are having a combined showing in the local Old Court House Gallery. The show begins with an artists reception on Friday, the 20th from 4 to 7.
The local artist community has a couple of venues in this small British Columbia town including the Secret Door showing that is becoming a monthly event in Merritt. The Secret Door shows at Brambles Bakery across from the Q101 FM station on the historic Quilchena Avenue in the cities downtown.
The Secret Door Show begins on February 3rd and is a single presenter.
Merritt’s history compresses into a short time after serious european contact in the last half of the 18 hundreds. Seven hundred locals strived to keep up with world events into the 20th century and were successful in integrating cultures into the fray.
First Nations culture is also rich and can be seen in many attractions and showings as well.
The Old Court House Gallery is open to new members to drive content. Jackie the director can be found at the gallery most weekends Thursday through Saturday 12 to 6 PM.
The Court House Gallery showing is called Elements, other presenters include Helmut Kanduth and Gale Simpson.
On this Day: January 19th 1915
Georges Claude patents his neon tubes for use in advertising.
These creatures were at the Highway 8 bridge on Nicola Avenue , Sunday,few skaters among them.
The ducks came to me as if to want to be fed….
Editors Note: the Nicola Naturalists are having their regular monthly meeting on Thursday. The group did a Christmas bird Count in December and their is likely to be a report….
On this Day: January 18th 1670
Henry Morgan captures Panama.
Monday evening saw use of the Voght Street rink used
Photo KDG
The Lacrosse court on Voght street has been used as a skating rink with some success this year. Cold weather cooperated to give a longer uptime to the facility this year.
“We are out tonight because the weather is warming Tuesday and it may be the last chance to use it.” A couple and a man with a grandson were getting ready for quiet enjoyment on the rink before show time at the Film Society showing.
The rink /court is a use at your own risk venue.
Editors note: Lacrosse is Canada’s official sport, Ice Hockey the official National Winter Sport.
On this Day: January 17th 17873
Sea Captain James Cook goes south of the Antarctic Circle.
Monday the Local Film Society are back at it with, Captain America …
The Nicola Valley Film Society presents six international films from September- March
( none in December) at the NVIT Lecture Theater Belshaw Avenue in Merritt. The film nights are 3rd Mondays at 7PM, no food or drinks in the lecture hall. Membership is two dollars 30 dollar seasons pass available.
Monday September 19th 2016
Monday, October 17th 2016
Monday, November 21, 2016
Monday, January 16th 2017
Monday,February 20th, 2017
Monday, March 13, 2017
The Annual General Meeting of the Nicola Valley Film Society is on Oct 4th 2016 6:30 PM at Library 1691 Garcia Street Merritt, BC.
Tickets advance at Blacks Pharmacy….
Editors note tickets at the door….
Hey Merit what do you say?
Kevin Griffiths
percypaschal
The Proprietor Review 