Have a great day, we are on holidays, for a week, please enjoy the day in history untill we return.
Summer holiday taking a week off be back with a post Friday.
On this Day:May 29th 1861
The Hong Kong General Chamber of Commerce is founded.
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Summer holiday taking a week off be back with a post Friday.
The Diacarbon Energy corporation is running its plant here in Merritt and a source says that there are 18 jobs there. On a visit to the plant this week one of the addition bins were on a feed by an active conveyor. The company is to produce White wood pellets and bio coal.
The company expanded the property with two bins after acquiring it from the failed Highland wood pellets. The construction of the original plant involved government money and promised 50 jobs. The plant ran and packaged some wood pellets but ran into problems with moisture content. The pellets were attempted to be marketed for floor-ground cover in barns and other applications involving livestock.
Specialized in research and development of clean tech renewable energy products, Diacarbon has focused its efforts on perfecting its bio coal product, and now aims to produce this on a mass production scale this coming fall.
The plant was previously owned by Highland Pellet Manufacturing Ltd and came equipped with machinery allowing for the production of wood pellets. Diacarbon sees this as a great opportunity to expand its product line to offer a more established renewable energy product and will begin production of its wood pellets product this summer.
Diacarbon has selected state of the art technology from Europe and USA to be installed on its plant site and has taken great care to ensure its equipment is of high quality, efficient and environmentally friendly. Diacarbon is using local contractors and approximately 12 new employees from the Merritt region to complete the development and installation of equipment at its plant site. Once the plant is fully operational it will require a total of 25 employees to operate the facility and will create job opportunities within Merritt.
http://www.diacarbon.com/diacarbons-manufacturing-plant-start-production-coming-fall/ info@diacarbon.com
Merritt has a history of coal production dating back to the end of the 19th century, it was curtailed in after the second world war, in part due to engineering problems.There is no indication of coal mining at this writing. All coal mines were back filled at their portals with old cars and fill decades ago.
On this Day: May 28th 585
A solar eclipse becomes a cardinal date for dating events in history.
The local fall fair building brings the farming community together at the end of summer every year.
KDG file photo.
Freedom of association was alive and well in Merritt BC, the provincial cattlemen association met here over the weekend. Douglas lake cattle company is about 40 minutes away from downtown and many smaller cattle operations are in the area.
In response to booming demand for beef in rapidly growing Vancouver, the Interior stock industry went into high gear in the wake of the railway’s opening, spurring on something of a golden age in BC ranching. In 1907 the Nicola branch line of the CPR was built into the Nicola Valley to serve the booming stock operation at Douglas Lake, which was already one of the country’s largest and for many years second only to the sprawling Gang Ranch on the west side of the Fraser, which has since shrunk in scale, leaving the Douglas Lake as the largest. The ranch includes leased grazing land as well as directly leased or titled lands, and extends to the edge of metropolitan Kamloops and towards Shuswap Lake, spanning most of the high country of the northeastern Thompson Plateau.
The Douglas Lake Cattle Company has faced many controversies. It has been claimed that early on, the ranch’s land holdings were expanded by pressing large amounts of cattle into the pastures of smaller neighbours. While the cattle would later be removed the damage was done. With their feed for the year consumed by Douglas Lake’s herd, the homesteaders would be forced to sell. Douglas Lake Cattle Company has also aggressively restricted access to both private and public lands. By buying up thin strips of land along major arteries they are able to control wide tracts of public range. In many cases locked gates were placed where Douglas Lake has no legal claim to the property.[citation needed] While this is claimed to preserve grasslands, some say it appears to be a business maneuver. Douglas Lake Cattle Company charges up to $100.00 a day to fly fish their private lakes (that they maintain by stocking, cleaning, aerating, etc.). There are public lakes that you can access for free (Douglas Lake is public) or pay an access fee (Salmon Lake).
Source Wikipedia.
The ranch has expanded by buying the Quilchena Cattle company for a said thirty five million dollars, and now operates the Quilchena hotel on highway 5A at Nicola Lake as well as its livestock operations.
On this Day: May 27th 1933
The century of progress worlds fair opens in Chicago.
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Hail surrounds the bloom outside the United Church in Merritt
Photo KDG
On Saturday there was a hail storm here followed by a 4 hour power outage. The hail was soft and smaller then the storm in the 1990s here that caused millions of dollars in damage to roofs and cars.
The storm followed the BC cattleman’s convention and the power outage disrupted their dinner.
On this Day: May 26th 1897
Dracula, is published by Bram Stoker.
Markey93
keeps his eye on the ball
at the Nicola Valley Golf and Country Club in Merritt
Photo KDG
There is a number of good courses in the region some like the local links in town here in Merritt are reasonable and have daily rates as well as membership.
On this Day: May 22 2009
The credit card act of 2009,is signed into law by Barack Obama
New Tesla S
Photo KDG
Another new Tesla S owner charges his car in Merritt. The Kamloops BC resident that just bought this new EV says charging here works for him as he loops through Kelowna and back home. The model also sports a D Designation meaning 2 axles under power or (four wheel drive ). There is also to seats with belts to secure two “Grand Kids” facing backward behind the rear seats. Suitable for kids nearing 4 feet in height it looks like loading a raised trunk a with children with a view of the road behind.
The car was purchased for about 130 thousand dollars and reflected a discount in the Canadian dollar.
The Tesla Corporation had a half billion dollar cash infusion from the US Government, the owner also recovered a 5 thousand dollar incentive from BC hydro, he charged his car with out cost at the 500 amp charger at Voght and Merritt Ave, here.
On this Day: May 21 1937
The Soviet Station North Pole 1 becomes the first research station on polar drift ice.
Apartment building built in lake 1950s
” The Trans Mountain”
According to some sources
Photo KDG
Paul Witt a long time resident of the Nicola Valley says that this apartment building next to Voght Park in Merritt was known as the ” Trans Mountain” and may have been built for the construction of the pipeline.
The City of Spruce Grove and the Trans Mountain Expansion Project have entered into a Memorandum of Understanding for a Community Benefit Agreement that will see a $200,000 contribution toward funding enhancements to Jubilee Park. Trans Mountain has been pursuing Community Benefit Agreements with those along the pipeline corridor to provide direct benefits to communities if the proposed expansion project is approved and constructed. “We are extremely excited about entering into this Memorandum of Understanding with the Trans Mountain Expansion Project and thank them for their commitment to providing benefits to the communities they work in,” said Spruce Grove mayor, Stuart Houston. “Jubilee Park is enjoyed by thousands of people each year and the ability to enhance the park through a partnership such as this further adds the quality of living we all enjoy in Spruce Grove.” “We are committed to working with the communities we operate in to maximize the benefits of the Project,” said Ian Anderson, President of Kinder Morgan Canada. “This agreement will provide local and direct benefits to the people and City of Spruce Grove. We all appreciate the outdoors and are happy to be able to provide funding toward enhancing local parks.” Kinder Morgan values the relationships it has with the communities along its existing pipeline system and the proposed pipeline project; these span over more than 60 years of history. This agreement was signed as part of an overall effort underway by Kinder Morgan Canada to work with pipeline-affected communities to identify local opportunities to give something back in recognition of the public inconveniences and temporary disruption created by construction of the proposed expansion. Additional agreements with municipalities and communities along the pipeline corridor are expected as project planning continues.
Merritt received a grant from Trans Mountain to build trails for hiking in the area. The 60 year operation of the Trans Mountain Pipeline here produced one permanent job that was automated decades ago. Construction jobs can be permanent but move on project to project requiring public relations and cooperation to keep their impact reasonable and safe.
Editors note: We think that the twinning of the line is good for us as it will bring scrutiny to the 60 old existing line and may employ modern methods to its continued operation.
On this Day: May 20th 1916 The Saturday Evening Post Publishes its first copy with a Norman Rockwell Painting on the cover: ( boy with a baby carrige)
Buds of May
Need nutrients
Photo KDG
The public works are having a show and tell of composting at the local works yard on May 23, from 11 -2. There is a seminar of about one half hour at 11 am and one PM .
Some different composting tools are for sale including a digesting cone for one hundred dollars.
Various conservation method are promoted by government and non government organizations from time to time here in Merritt, including zero scape landscaping.
On this Day: May 19th 1911
Parks Canada the worlds first national park service is established.
On this Day: May 19th 1911
Parks Canada the worlds first national park service is established.
The Big Brothers Big Sisters Organization has a Drop off/ PU bin outside the Pharmasave store on Garcia Street here in Merritt British Columbia. A sources says the new services generates income for the group at 46 cents a pound 23 cents goes to a person that services the bins and 23 to BBBS.
The clothes and household effects are sold to Value Village for sale in their retail outlets.
On This Day: May 14th 1973.
Sky Lab is launched from Cape Canaveral.
Cape Canaveral, from the Spanish Cabo Cañaveral, is a cape in Brevard County, Florida, United States, near the center of the state’s Atlantic coast. Known as Cape Kennedy from 1963 to 1973, it lies east of Merritt Island, separated from it by the Banana River.
It is part of a region known as the Space Coast, and is the site of the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. Since many U.S. spacecraft are launched from both the station and the Kennedy Space Center on Merritt Island, the terms “Cape Canaveral,” “Canaveral”, or “the Cape” have become metonyms that refer to both as the launch site of spacecraft. In homage to its spacefaring heritage, the Florida Public Service Commission allocated area code 321 to the Cape Canaveral area.[2]
Other features of the cape include the Cape Canaveral lighthouse and Port Canaveral, one of the busiest cruise ports in the world. The city of Cape Canaveral lies just south of the Port Canaveral District.[3] Mosquito Lagoon, the Indian River, Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge and Canaveral National Seashore are also features of this area Source Wikipedia
Giving by those that have recieved
Photo KDG
A plaque was placed on the wall of the local public library here in Merritt British Columbia remembering the donation of 33 computers from the Bill and Melinda Gates foundation that started the computer lab here. The computers have long since been replaced and the plaque insures that the memory will live on. The lab also was supported by the donation of the six corporate terminals and 20 Microsoft software applications.
On this day: May 13th 1994 Johnny Carson does his last tonight show as host.
A local is giving his photo tour of Vietnam and the flora and fauna that he photographed.
Bob Scafe is a Naturalist Society director and one of our club’s keenest photographers. Bob and his wife Bev recently traveled through Vietnam and Cambodia and will share their experiences with the local people, wildlife and places that they visited. Something tropical and exotic – this will be fascinating.
The Nicola naturalists meet at the local community college NVIT, the west top of Belshaw avenue in Merritt. They say all welcome, membership or donation requested. No food or drink in the lecture theater start time is 7:PM
On this Day: May 12th 2008
Four hundred emigrants are detained for identity theft and document fraud in Post Ville Iowa.
Kevin Griffiths
percypaschal
The Proprietor Review 